When to Plant

Garlic is exceptionally easy to grow for the novice gardener. Garlic is best planted in the fall from mid-September to the end of November. Garlic planted in the fall will be ready to harvest by the following July.

Where to Plant

Garlic grows best in a sunny location with rich, well-draining soil. We recommend planting your garlic in ground-level beds as opposed to raised beds where moisture and soil temperature can fluctuate.

How to Plant

Prior to planting, enrich the soil with Sea Soil Original, mushroom manure, or compost. Add lime to the soil as garlic likes a PH of 6.2-6.8. Work Gaia Green 4-4-4 into the soil at a rate of 250 ml (1 cup) per 3 metres (10’) of row. Place 15 ml (1 tbsp) of bone meal below each clove at planting time. A couple of weeks later, take your garlic bulb and break off the individual cloves of garlic, keeping the papery husk intact. Plant garlic with the pointy side up, 10cm (4”) deep, and space cloves approximately 15cm (6”) apart. Plant your garlic in a zigzag pattern. TIP: Sulphur is known to improve the flavour of garlic. To add Sulphur, incorporate Gypsum into the soil at a rate of 1kg (2.2 lb) per 5 square metres (50 square feet).

Fertilizing

In the spring, when garlic tops actively begin to grow, fertilize again with an all-purpose organic fertilizer such as Gaia Green 4-4-4 or fish fertilizer.

Watering

We recommend watering your newly planted garlic well for the first three days that bulbs are in the ground. After the initial three days, water only as the soil requires it. You don’t want to let the soil dry out, but you also don’t want to drown your bulbs.

In Late Spring and Summer

Garlic will send up flower heads. These flowers rob the garlic of energy. Remove them for larger, meatier cloves of garlic. This is also a good time to stop watering your garlic.

When to Harvest

For its final stage of maturity, garlic prefers hot, dry conditions. About one month before harvest (early- to mid-June), stop watering your garlic plants. This will help enhance the flavour of your garlic.

Garlic is ready to harvest in early July or when two-thirds of the top growth has turned brown. Dig the bulbs up gently, taking care not to damage them. Gently brush the soil from the roots, but do not rinse with water. Lay the garlic on top of the soil and allow it to air dry for two to three days (ensure the weather will be fair for this period of time).

The garlic should then be laid out on a table in a cool, dry, dark, well-ventilated place for one month. Turn the garlic frequently to ensure that it dries thoroughly on all sides. Soft neck garlic may be braided and hung from the ceiling to dry.