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This fall while adding daffodils to your landscape,
don’t forget to plant some garlic. Garlic has been cultivated for
thousands of years and is still popular today as a flavoring in food dishes
and for its medicinal properties. Though a member of the onion family, garlic differs
from onions in flavor, leaves and bulbs. Whereas an onion has a single
bulb, garlic is a compound bulb made up of 4 to 15 cloves, each enclosed in
a papery skin. Varieties of garlic vary in taste, texture, and aftertaste.
Some garlic varieties are hotter than others, some are nuttier, and others
are crunchier. Garlic types include softneck, hardneck (stiffneck),
and elephant garlic. Softneck types store better but aren’t as
flavorful. Softneck garlic is commonly sold in grocery stores. Hardneck
types produce a flower stalk, have the best flavor but do not store as
well. Many gardeners prefer to plant hardneck varieties. Elephant garlic is
not a true garlic but actually a leek. Elephant garlic has a milder flavor
than true garlic. Plant garlic cloves in well-drained fertile soil in a
full sun location. Planting beds should be amended with compost or well
rotted organic matter and fertilized with well-balanced fertilizer prior to
planting. Apply 2 to 3 pounds of 10-10-10 fertilizer per 100 square feet.
After spring growth stops, fertilize with high nitrogen fertilizer one or
two more times. In central Illinois plant garlic cloves 6 to 8 weeks
before the ground is expected to freeze, usually in late September to early
October. This gives the cloves a chance to root and grow a shoot before the
ground freezes. Early spring planting is possible but will result in
smaller bulbs.
Seed stock from a garden center, catalog, or previous
harvest is recommended for planting. Just prior to planting, break fresh,
disease-free bulbs apart into individual unpeeled cloves. Do not divide the
bulb until immediately before planting. Cloves should be planted 4 to 5
inches apart and 1 to 2 inches deep. For highest yields, use the largest
cloves for planting. Be sure to plant cloves pointed end up. To prevent
heaving apply a 3 to 4 inch layer of organic matter after the ground
freezes. Mulch may be removed in the spring. Garlic begins actively growing during the short, cool
days of early spring. Good leaf development is necessary for bigger bulbs.
During the growing season keep soil evenly moist as dry soil produces
smaller, irregular shaped bulbs. Garlic needs 1 inch of water per week
until just before harvest time. In early summer be sure to remove flower
stalks as they appear. That ensures the plant can devote energy to
developing bulbs. Garlic is ready to be harvested in late June to early
July. Dig bulbs when bottom leaves are brown and half the leaves remain
green. After digging the bulbs, dry bulbs in a warm, well-ventilated
location. After 3 to 4 weeks of drying, tops and roots may be cut. Place
bulbs in a mesh bag. Store garlic in a cool (32-40 degrees F), dark, and
dry place. Properly cured and stored garlic should keep 6 to 7 months.
Jennifer Fishburn is a horticulture educator with the
University of Illinois Extension Sangamon-Menard Unit. Contact her at
www.extension.uiuc.edu/Sangamon.
This article appears in Sep 20-26, 2007.
