Picked up seeds at Northend Nursery in October using their “Growing Garlic Guide” and got them in the ground during a last warm day. Planted between 1/2 and 1″ in the soil and covered with a 6″ layer of straw, and then burlap for the winter. Came out in mid-March to find it had sprouted through the straw and even peeking through the burlap!
Notes from NEON Growing Garlic Guide:
- Around the end of May hard neck garlic will produce a flower stalk called a scape. You want to cut this off otherwise all the energy will go into the scape. The scape will emerge straight, then curl, and then it will completely straighten. You want to cut it about 2 inches from where it emerges when the scape is curled and looks like a pig’s tail. Store the scapes in the refrigerator. Use as you would spring onions but cut off the flower head. Use in stir fry’s, salads, you can even make garlic scape soup.
- Water is critical during May and early June, then stop watering. Garlic does not like water a few weeks prior to harvesting.
- Harvesting: When about half of the leaves are brown, it is time to harvest. Use a fork or shovel to lift the garlic and gently brush off most of the soil. You can use the garlic then but if you want to store it, you have to cure it.
- Cure garlic by drying it in a well-ventilated area, out of direct sunlight, 70-80 degrees temperature. A fan is helpful. Lay them on a screen or bundle them and hang to dry for 3-4 weeks so all the green in the leaves is gone.
- Trim the stem to about 1 1/2″ – 2″ and trim the roots to about 1/2 “. Brush off any remaining dirt but leave as much paper on the bulb as you can for protection. Hang in mesh bags in a dry well-ventilated area. Do not store in the refrigerator as the cold temperature will tell the clove that it is time to grow and the garlic will sprout.
- Save your biggest and best bulbs to use as seed in the Fall. Do this every year and you will get bigger cloves and you will never have to buy garlic again.