“Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are.”
Alfred Austin
Did you know that September is the best time to plant your garlic for the following season?
Garlic is a staple in our home, and goes into most dishes.
There are two types of garlic, hardneck & softneck. Generally hardnecks tend to be more flavorful, where softneck varieties have a more mild flavor. These flavors are determined by the location & temperatures in which they were grown. Hardneck garlic grows best in Northern climates and can withstand cold winters down to zone 0. Softneck garlic prefers hot summers and mild winters from zone 8 to 12.
Only hardneck varieties will develop garlic scape’s. These are the seedpods that will grow up out of the center of the garlic’s neck. These are harvested just before they begin to develop the ‘seed’. If not cut off, the plants energy will work towards making the seeds rather than a large bulb of garlic. The scape has a delightfully mild garlic flavor and can be added into many dishes including omelets, pasta sauces, meats, and more!
Here are my top picks for each variety.
Hardneck: Music is a delightful and pungent flavored white bulb.
German Red, a beautiful variegated bulb of white and red hues sporting a wonderful garlic spice to the pallet.
Softneck: Corsican Red originated in the Mediterranean island of Corsica and has a mild, complex & fruity aroma. Inchelium Red has a medium spiciness with a mild pungent taste.
Step 1: Choosing the perfect garlic bulb is essential. Make sure there are no defects, rotten spots, and find the largest bulbs. Whatever qualities the bulb you choose has will be developed in it’s next generation.
2. Once you’ve selected the best bulbs, divide them into separate cloves. Leave the skins on.
3. Make a hole in loosened soil about 4 inches deep. Placing the flat root side down put one clove into the hole; cover with dirt and tamp lightly; I cover with mulch, which happens to be grass clippings here.
Step 4. Repeat this process, planting your cloves about 4 to 6 inches apart. I recommend you place a stake in the ground marking it as garlic and the date you planted it. Despite our best intentions, we will forget! I even go as far as to take a photo & put it in my garden journal/ planner for the following growing season. If you plant in raised beds it will definitely be easier to remember, but still jot it down!
If you don’t keep that kind of information, I highly recommend you start!
Garlic is not for the faint of heart, it takes patience but the reward is worth the wait!
…now walk away and dream of spring, because this is where the patience starts.
Click this link for my recipe for Garlic- Thyme Infused Oil. It’s wonderful to toss in pasta or baste on fish or any meat. https://bit.ly/3R4b8dm
If you enjoyed this post please like, share, and let me know your tips & tricks for planting garlic. What’s your favorite variety?
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Happy Day,
Jean
For Dragonflies And Me 