Garlic is one of the oldest cultivated herbs, dating back 5,000 years. Valued for its pungent flavor and reputation for warding off evil spirits and illnesses, it’s even believed to have served as a form of currency, to pay off the workers building the Great Pyramids.
Garlic is related to the onion, leek, shallot and chive. There is also what is called elephant garlic. But this actually is from the leek family. It’s larger and planted deeper than regular garlic, and has a milder flavor.
Garlic will be the first sign of life in your garden in the early spring because it’s actually planted in the fall. There are two kinds: hardneck and softneck. Hardneck has a hard stem that runs down the center of the clove. It’s a cool-weather garlic, so it’s a good one to plant in our climate zone.
The best time to plant is in the late fall, after a few light frosts. Use the biggest and nicest cloves from your previous year’s crop, or buy some from the grocery store. Remove the papery outer layer to break up the bulb, but do not remove the skin from the individual clove. Soil should be loose, light and well drained. Prepare the bed with compost and blood meal. Space your cloves, pointy end up, 2 inches down and 6 to 8 inches apart. Any closer, and they will compete for nutrients. Cover well with 6 inches of mulch such as chopped straw, leaves or grass clippings, or a combination of all three. This will protect them during the winter months.
In the early spring, the shoots will appear. They are very frost resistant, so don’t worry if there’s a late frost. Check the soil before you water them. You don’t want them to get too wet. You can give them a dose of fertilizer at this time.
Sometime in June, you’ll see the appearance of a vivid green shoot called a scape. Once the scape develops a curl, it’s time for it to be cut. It’s very important to do that, because the scape is taking nutrients away from the plant. The trimmed scapes are good to eat in stir fries or in any dish where you’d like a garlic flavor.
Garlic will stop growing once the soil has reached 90 degrees. So harvesting will typically happen around the Fourth of July. Stop watering about a week before you think you’ll be harvesting. This ensures the dirt on them will be dry and easier to remove.
Once the bottom third of the plant has turned brown it should be time to harvest. Double check by digging down until you can see the top of the clove. If it has formed, it’s time. A good tool for this is a Hori Hori knife, which looks like a cross between a large knife and a hand spade. I recommend you get one, if you don’t have one already. It really comes in handy when working in the garden.
Once you have pulled up the garlic, give them a gentle shake to get rid of any attached dirt. If any of them appear to be damaged, they should be eaten right way. The rest should be air dried – they should never be washed. Air-drying can be done by laying them on top of wire fencing in single file or hanging them in bunches in a cool, dry place, such as a garage. Curing is complete once the roots have turned stiff and the top has turned brown. This process will take three to four weeks.
Now it’s time to clean them. Using scissors, cut the roots off. If there is still dirt in that area, gently scrub with a brush. Cut off the stem, leaving a good inch. (If you cut the stem entirely off, your garlic won’t store well.) Then gently peel off a layer or two of skin to remove any dirt.
Hardneck garlic will store well for up to nine months if processed correctly. Storing them in a breathable mesh bag, like onions come in, works well.
You can also grow garlic in containers. Use a container at least 6 inches deep and fill it with fertilized soil. Bury the clove at least 2 inches from the edge of the container, so as it grows, it won’t hit the edge of the container.
Elizabeth White grew up on a farm in Shekomeko Valley and holds a degree in agronomy from SUNY Cobleskill. She’s been an active member of the Pine Plains Community Garden since 2020.