Plant garlic 2-3 weeks before the frost stays (usually by mid October) in the ground. This will enable the garlic cloves to establish a root system while the garlic usually sprouts and grows a few inches in the 2 or 3 weeks prior to winter.

• Break the bulbs apart and use all cloves that are plump and firm.
• Do not peel the cloves.
• Plant root end down, 4” deep.
• Space cloves no closer than 6″ apart.
• Mix some form of nitrogen (organic compost, manure) into soil before planting.
• Plant in full sun and rich, well-drained soil.
• Apply a few inches of mulch such as chopped hay, leaves, or grass clippings.
• Keep water in the root zone, not around bulbs.

Around the first part of June your hardneck varieties will send up a flower stalk called a scape. When the scape has formed one curl, they should be removed (snapped or cut) so growth is directed to the bulb. Your scapes will make a fresh and tasty treat.

After removing the scapes, it is usually 3 weeks to a month before you can harvest the garlic. This is determined visually by identifying the browning of the lower 3 or more leaves. Hang in a dry well place for about a month then move to somewhere cooler.