Time to Plant Garlic

Yes, October and November is the time to plant garlic to get the biggest bulbs and cloves (garlic can also be planted in the spring). The old superstitious belief was that garlic should be planted at the full moon.

If you have not tried to grow garlic, it is easy to do and I encourage you to try it.  Garlic can be interplanted with other vegetables, where it is thought to be beneficial in keeping insect pests away.

Generally, garlic is grown from the cloves you find in the bulbs you use in cooking.  Nurseries and seed suppliers sell bulbs for planting. I have grown garlic from grocery store bulbs. There are many varieties of garlic so, if you are really interested, you should go online to see what is out there.

How to plant and grow: In a bed that drains well and has good sun. 

Take the largest cloves from bulbs. The smaller ones will produce smaller bulbs, so you may want to use those in your cooking. Plant the cloves with the pointed end up. Plant 1-1/2 to 2 inches deep. (If you plant deeper or more shallow, the garlic will still grow.)

Some books recommend that you plant 6 inches apart. I think 4 inches is still OK.

Now just leave the garlic. If the soil is not wet, water the garlic until the rainy season starts. In the Spring when the soil starts to dry out, water as you would the rest of your garden. Stop watering about June 1.

Harvest in July after the leaves have dried.

This is all you need to know to grow garlic. However, there is much more to learn, if you are interested.

Bill