Things You'll Need:
- Garlic bulbs
- Compost
- A fairly sunny and well drained area to plant garlic in
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Step 1
Buy your garlic bulbs.
You really don't need many since each clove will produce a full size bulb later. If you save most of the cloves to plant later you will have more than you could ever possibly eat in a few years. There are two main choices as far as types to buy, hard neck and soft neck. This is a personal preference. There are so many varieties to choose from so try a few to see what works best for you. Just remember to keep them labeled with plant markers so you will know what you have planted come harvest time. There are many places to buy them. One of the best would be a local farmers market, this will give you varieties that are well adapted to your area. Some on line choices are the seed savers exchange, online nurseries, seed stores, and even Ebay. -
Step 2
Prepare your garlic planting bed.
Choose a fairly sunny area that drains well. Break up the ground with a garden spade or other shovel so that the garlic has soft dirt to grow in. Work some organic matter into the soil. Good choices include compost, aged manure, or leaf mold. Garlic is not a very heavy feeder but it well benefit from the extra nutrients that the organic matter will provide. -
Step 3
Plant your garlic.
Garlic is best planted in the fall. The time to plant will vary from one area to another. A good rule is just to plant it after the first heavy frost of the year. This is usually mid to late October. Ideally the plants should have enough time to form roots before it gets too cold.
Take your bulbs and break them into individual cloves just before planting. This prevents them from drying out.
Use a small stick to make holes in the ground about four inches deep. Make the holes about four to six inches apart. Plant one clove in each hole pointed side up and cover the holes. They can be planted closer if you are short on space but they will not grow as big since they have to compete with their neighbors for food .
In areas with harsh winters garlic will benefit from a mulch covering. This could be old leaves, straw, or compost. -
Step 4
Water your garlic.
Water your garlic after planting to break them out of their dormancy and let them start forming roots. They don't need watered all winter when it is cold and probably only in the summer when it is real hot or when you notice the soil drying out. They usually get enough moisture just from rain.
Stop watering them in the summer when the leaves start to turn yellow so the cloves can start drying up for harvest. -
Step 5
Harvest your garlic.
Garlic is ready to harvest when the leaves are half to three quarters brown.
Carefully dig them up so you don't damage the cloves, brush off the excess dirt, and hang them to dry. You can braid them if you like before drying them. Once dry they will store for months. Be sure to save some your best bulbs to plant next year. -
Step 6
This is how to grow garlic organically. It is not a very heavy feeder and doesn't require chemical fertilizer. It is relatively pest free so no pesticides are needed either. Don't plant garlic in the same area every year so harmful insects or bacteria don't build up in the soil. Follow these steps and enjoy a great harvest of organic garlic.
