| Garlic is pretty easy to grow! There are 2 basic types: hardneck and softneck. A hardneck has a hard center where the cloves grow around it; and a softneck has all the cloves growing together to make a bulb. It is the most common and is planted in the fall. Depending on your region, it starts getting ready around the end of May, but in colder areas about the middle to end of August. In warmer areas, zone 6b and higher, just feed it with fish liquid fertilizer. Or add compost and manure before planting it and watch it grow. In colder areas make sure you plant it at least 6 weeks before a hard freeze, otherwise you must mulch it. Here in Oregon, it gets below zero just about every winter and will grow just fine. This is perfect for raised beds and other square foot mediums. Make sure you allow 4 square inches per clove, so about 10 to 12 bulbs a square foot. The cloves are put in the ground, tops up, around 2 to 4 inches down. No home garden or homestead should be without garlic! |
