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Hello Mid-Ohio Valley farmers and gardeners! October has arrived with some gorgeous fall weather. Summer is in the rearview mirror as we prepare for winter.
This week, I want to talk about growing garlic (Allium sativum L.). Fall is the time to plant garlic, and the first couple weeks of October are perfect.! Your hard work now will reap benefits next July, when the garlic is ready to dig. Fresh garlic for cooking (think spaghetti sauce and stir fry) is a great treat for the family, and you can share with friends and neighbors.
Have you heard of the garlic diet? You do not lose much weight, but from a distance your friends think you look thinner.
Garlic is a winner no matter if you plant a conventional garden, garden in raised beds or even utilize containers. It requires relatively little space compared to many vegetable crops, has few pest problems and stores well, which are all good attributes for small scale and beginning growers.
California is the garlic capital of the United States, with production being concentrated in the western San Joaquin Valley. Every summer, over 12,000 people attend the Gilroy Garlic Festival, celebrating garlic-flavored food and fun. Garlic consumption has more than tripled in the United States since 1980 and now stands at about 2.5 pounds per capita.
Most scholars agree that garlic has been used as a medicinal plant and food source for over 7,000 years. Its nutritional value along with its wide array of medicinal benefits made garlic one of the most valued plants in ancient times.
During the reign of the pharaohs, the Egyptians fed garlic to the laborers who built the great pyramids. They believed garlic would increase their strength and stamina, as well as protect them from disease.
Garlic's medicinal properties are mainly due to the impressive activity of its bioactive compounds, including organic sulfides, saponins, phenolic compounds and polysaccharides.
Most families are used to the softneck type of garlic. It is the one found predominately in local grocery stores. Softnecks are the most commonly grown type in California. However, many of these varieties do not perform as well in the colder regions.
Another "garlic" plant sold in stores is known as elephant garlic. Elephant garlic is not a true garlic, but is botanically classified as a leek with a milder flavor. It gets its name from the large garlic-like clove that it produces.
Garlic is a member of the onion family (allium) and is widely used for both its culinary and medicinal attributes. Shallots, leeks, chives and onions are also in this group.
First things first. There are many varieties of garlic to experiment with, depending on your tastes. Garlic can be broken down into two categories, hardneck and softneck varieties.
Hardneck varieties produce a flower stalk called a scape. Many believe they are most closely related to wild garlic. Flowers, if they are produced, usually abort and form "bulbils" instead.
Usually, hardneck garlic varieties have four to 12 cloves surrounding the flower stalk. Unfortunately, because of the hard flower stalk, hardneck types are difficult to braid. They do not store as long as softneck types and start to form roots or dry out within a few months after harvest.
Softneck varieties do not produce a seed stalk. Most of the plant's energy goes to producing a bulb rather than a bulb and flower stalk, making them more productive. These varieties are grown for commercial production in California. However, some softneck varieties are suitable for cold climates.
Each bulb generally contains between 10 to 40 cloves arranged in multiple layers somewhat like an artichoke. Softneck types tend to have a much longer shelf life than hardneck garlic and may be stored for six to eight months without significant deterioration. They also are easier to braid.
In general, I recommend hardnecked varieties for the Mid-Ohio Valley. Some recommended hardnecked varieties are German Red, Spanish Roja, Porcelain, Purple Stripe, Persian Star, Merrifield Rocambole and Asian Tempest. If you would like to try some softneck varieties, Inchellium Red, New York White and Susanville are a few good ones.
Garlic grows best in well-drained soils high in organic matter. Sandy loam or loam soils have the most ideal texture for garlic. Garlic is similar to growing onions, so if you have a lot of red clay or compacted soils, it will be difficult to dig garlic. You can add compost or manure to these soils or simply grow garlic in raised beds.
The optimum soil pH for garlic is between 6 and 7. Liming is recommended if the pH is less than 5.8. Soils should be well tilled to provide a loose growing bed for bulb growth.
Garlic is propagated by planting cloves that are divisions of the large bulb. True seeds are not produced by the garlic plant. Garlic can be purchased as bulbs from local garlic growers or out of catalogs from farms who distribute nationally. Garlic growers usually save about 15-20% of their crop for planting next year.
Planting cloves from garlic purchased at the grocery store is not recommended. This garlic is usually softneck varieties mainly adapted to mild climates.
Each bulb contains a dozen or more cloves; each clove is planted separately. The larger cloves yield larger mature bulbs at harvest. Cloves should be planted with the pointed side up. Cloves planted upside down will develop a curved shoot that results in misshapen bulbs. The base of the clove should be planted 2-3 inches below the soil surface.
Time of planting is critical for garlic because optimum shoot and bulb development need a cold period. Garlic should be planted within one to two weeks after the first killing frost.
In perfect conditions, roots should be developing, and shoots should be emerging from the clove but not above the soil at the time of the first hard freeze. Garlic shoots will emerge from the ground in late March or early April.
When planting your garlic cloves, space about 6 inches apart in the row, placing the garlic clove about 2 inches in the soil with the flat end down, pointy side up. You can space rows anywhere from 12-30 inches, depending on space Close spacing results in high yield but smaller bulbs, while spacing farther apart will result in lower total yields but larger bulbs.
Mulching with clean straw, chopped newspaper or other material is definitely needed. Garlic is a poor competitor with weeds, so you need to mulch or keep the weeds under control.
Knowing when to harvest can be difficult. However, by early July the lower leaves will start to turn brown and harvest is usually optimum when half or slightly more than half of the leaves remain green. Simply pull a few bulbs and cut them in half.
If the cloves fill the skins, then the bulbs are ready to harvest. Harvest before the cloves start to separate from each other within the bulb, which can happen relatively quickly, especially in a wet year. It is better to harvest too early than too late.
The bulbs should be dug with the shoots and roots still attached. Tie in bundles of 10 to 15, and dry in a well-ventilated room. Curing takes about three to four weeks. Cut the tops about one-half to one inch above the main bulb and trim roots close to the base of the bulb. Clean bulbs by removing the outermost skins, being careful not to expose any cloves.
Contact me at the Wood County WVU Extension Office 304-424-1960 or email me at jj.barrett@mail.wvu.edu with questions. Good luck and until next time, Happy Gardening!