Garlic

Garlic is a hardy, perennial member of the onion family. Unlike the onion, garlic plants produce a number of small bulbs called cloves rather than one large bulb. Each bulb contains a dozen or more cloves, and is covered with a thin white skin. The larger outer cloves produce the best garlic. Garlic has flat leaves rather than the round, hollow leaves of the onion. Garlic is used largely as a condiment and as flavoring in gravies, tomato sauces, soups, stews, pickles, salads, salad dressing and breads. Many cooks find it indispensable in the kitchen.

Garlic powder is made from ground dehydrated cloves and is used widely as a substitute for fresh garlic. Garlic powder is also used by the meat packing industry inprepared meats.

Soil Requirements

Garlic grows best on crumbly loamy soils that are fertile and high in organic matter. Garlic does well with high amounts of fertilizer. As a general recommendation, apply three pounds of 10-10-10 fertilizer per 100 square feet. Follow soil test recommendations for your particular garden soil. The soil must be kept evenly moist; dry soil will  cause irregularly shaped bulbs. Heavy clay soils will also create misshapen bulbs and make harvesting difficult. Add organic matter – well-rotted manure or compost – to the soil on a yearly basis. 

Planting

Garlic must be planted very early in the Northeast (March or April) to permit full leaf development. Long days and warm temperatures favor bulb development. As soon as bulbing starts, leaf initiation ceases. For highest yields, therefore, the cloves must be planted early enough to permit the development of large vegetative plants during the short cool days of March and April. The yield potential of the plants depends on the amount of vegetative growth produced before bulbing commences. Select only larger outer cloves for the best garlic. Garlic seed is not available and is rarely produced by plants. Be sure that the cloves are free of disease and are smooth and fresh. 

Plant garlic cloves 3 to 5 inches apart in an upright position in the row and set them at a depth of one-half to one inch deep. Setting the bulbs in an upright position ensures a straight neck. Be sure to allow 18 to 30 inches between the rows. Do not divide the bulbs into cloves until you are ready to plant – early separation results in decreased yields.

Harvest and Storage

The bulbs may be harvested when the tops start to dry, usually in August. Bulbs should be dug up rather than pulled to avoid stem injury. Allow the tops to dry. After the bulbs have dried, the tops and roots can be removed with shears to within an inch of the bulbs. It is essential that the garlic be well cured before being stored. The mature bulbs are best stored at 32oF.

Garlic stores well under a wide range of temperatures, but sprouts will develop quickly at temperatures at or above 40oF. The humidity in storage should be near 65 to 70 percent at all times to discourage mold development and root formation. Cloves should keep for six to seven months.

Pests

The onion maggot larva is occasionally found in garlic cloves when harvested. An earlier symptom of onion maggot presence is the premature death of leaf tips. Sanitation is crucial to control; sprays are not available.

Adapted from Charles T. Behnke, Ohio State University Extension, 2000