A
short “bed” time story
*Make sure the cloves are hard and solid.
Plant the individual cloves September or early October.
*Garlic likes sun and water.
*On average plant in a raised bed of about 4
inches to give the bulb uncompacted soil and out of standing water
should there be excessive rain.
*The cloves should be planted root plate end
down, 3 inches deep in well-drained soil, with high organic matter
(chicken manure for the trophy hunters).
*Spacing of 5 inches on at least one-foot
rows allows adequate sunshine.
* Plant in lea of windbreaks & mulch.
This lessens winterkill by inhibiting prevailing freezing winds.
*One inch of water a week until the
scape or flower is harvested, and then no water would be the best
scenario. (but garlic is pretty hearty)
*Harvest the scape or flower 10-14 days after
it appears and use it to cook, cook, and cook!
*Harvest bulb when plants leaves have died
back by 40%. Bulbs will open if left too long. Dig from ground,
hang and cure for at least one-week prior to use.
Enjoy!
Note: Garlic is sensitive to seasonal change. Rainfall as the bulb
is maturing or just before harvest can rot the bulb’s sheathing.
Any questions contact us.
The good publication in this regards is Ron
Englunds book “Growing Great Garlic”. Available on line I am
sure.
http://www.naturalhub.com/grow_vegetable_type_garlic.htm
http://www.garlicseedfoundation.info/
Some
other excerpts on the garlic growing story
Over the last 18 years in dialogue with some
commercial growers in China, South America, and travels to
commercial operations in Mexico & Southern California, these
are some ball park practices used, and are meant only as a point
of interest about other growing areas.
Planting
time frame:
California
plants its seed crops (almost exclusively disease free meristem)
in high mountain desserts fields in Nevada, or in Oregon,
Washington, and even Saskatchewan. The reason is that the seed,
while it yields 10-15% less, becomes much more hardy with cold
treatment and free from virus, because of the lack of other garlic
crops to infect it, with smaller populations of aphids present to
transport disease. The garlic is then taken to Southern Cal for
planting. The growing seasons in these northern areas are much
shorter than in southern California, and consequently seeding
begins in early September. One large grower mentioned in the last
10 years is that they have gone from October planting to
September. Southern Cal is also planting in September now. Better
establishment of roots system prior to dormancy, clove nutritional
strength higher than if kept and sprout starts to move in clove,
less chance for breakdown of seed.
China:
Early September for climate profiles approximating or even warmer
than ours. Same reasoning on keeping clove nutrition high and the
importance of root development prior to dormant period.
Mexico:
Planting again has moved in the direction of September. The grower
I visited has been growing for 32 years and in that time they have
moved from a late October date to early September. He notes the
same as above, as well as much better mortality of plants, even on
marginal seed.
Ontario:
One grower who has 20 crops under his belt here, planted in
late August, a number
of years back and some also at the next at the end of October. He
had extremely good mortality on all of the early-planted cloves,
and more importantly in that year of very poor sizing for most
growers, his small seed sized up and his medium seed produced even
larger bulbs. From October his yield was the same as the rest of
Ontario (small and patchy). His comment on the root system he
looked at in November from both fields: the early field had
multiples of the volume of root fibers (much more developed). He
noted no ill effects because the garlic was above ground prior to
freeze up. His crop has all been planted by the end of August
since. (in reflection it happens that way in nature, with the
earlier time frame)
Commercial Spacing:
Mexico plants 6 rows on a 38-inch bed approximately 4 inches
apart. China is similar. California has spacing of 3 inches on 2
rows 4 inches apart. (With the cloves in the 2 rows offset) This
is doubled on a 40-inch bed, so really 4 rows on 40 inches. The
above grow in 3 – 20 inch rows on 60-inch centre.
Nutrition
The most striking coincidence between growers in Ontario
that we have worked with over the years is that those who have
used well-cured manure have produced the largest bulbs. This is
backed up by the above-mentioned Ontario grower as being the
turning point to have garlic sizing up larger on a regular basis.
China:
(enjoy the translation)
“Liliaceous plants need more quantity of
phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, same to the garlic. The
impact of phosphorus & potassium are to make root, stem and
leaves be burlier. Therefore, is better to fertilize when seeding
and in early of spring. Ours experience is to put proper
fertilizer of cattle bone powder or contained 10% fertilizer of
gallinaceous dung’s (above two fertilizers are belong to organic
fertilizer.) If use chemical fertilizer, we suggest to use
fertilizer with phosphorus & Potassium contained. Firstly use
little quantity when seeding and if plants are not strong enough
in early of spring, to fertilize again. Please remember the mix
fertilizer of gallinaceous dung’s. "dung’s" content
cannot excess over than 15% or otherwise will burn garlic's shoot
easily. Avoid fertilization 40 days before cropping.
Mexico
conventional:
All Fertilizer were applied through drip
irrigation. (Most efficient seen to date)
California
conventional:
Nitrogen: 200- 300 ˝ fall- spring side dress
Phosphorous 150-200 for root development (important in cold
growing areas)
Sulphur 150- 200 (Big natural component of garlic & Onions)
*****
Allows for nitrogen to be used by plant
Potassium 16-16-16 Balanced
After plant starts to clove out they cut nitrogen
availability to the plant. After the plant is cloving nitrogen
will prolong growing when it should be dying back, and will reduce
storability.
Weed control:
Famous last words: Grow Garlic not weeds
Organic Weed
Control: Propane Burning worked
if used at very early stages of weed development. 20% solution of
vinegar 5-1, but good for broad leaf only.
Plastic Mulch has also been given some strong reviews.
Lilliston or Reigi weeder for tractor applications. Most effective
are idiot sticks. Scuffling: Be careful scuffling after garlic is
starting to clove out, (just after scaping or flower removal).
because of damage to root system. Dependant on your row spacing.
Water: Light
ground had better have irrigation. 1 Inch per week until scaping.
Heavier grounds seem to have been able to hold enough moisture,
given normal rainfalls.
Drying: You
can grow right, and if the garlic is not cured properly you can
end up with cull grade. Low tech can either hang plants up to dry
in a well ventilated warm area and clip the stems off in a couple
of weeks (best results) or clip and trim stalks and roots and make
sure the bulb receives air for at least 2 weeks before going to
market. Larger scale drying requires at minimum 4 turns of air a
minute through the garlic via fans. Availability of heat is
important if the air is too moist. What is harvested during that
day should be on the dryer having air through it by that evening.
Harvest:
Garlic like an apple bruises easily, so handle according, very
gently. Harvest within a week at 3rd leaf die off.
Undercut plant roots with blade, hang up in dry area, or lay on
out to dry with lots of air movement.
The good publication in this regards is Ron
Englunds book “Growing Great Garlic”. Available on line.
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