All about Garlic

Seriously ya’ll, garlic is my favorite thing to grow in the garden. Sure, it’s not very expensive to buy at the store but the FLAVOR is not even remotely comparable. If you are one of those people who triple the garlic in a recipe, you NEED garlic in your garden.

We typically plant garlic after the first frost, usually around October 15 to November 15. The key is to get garlic in the ground before it freezes.

There are two different types of garlic: softneck and hardneck, both of which can be planted in Denver. Softneck is what you typically find in grocery stores, it has large cloves on the outside and smaller cloves on the inside. Softneck stores longer than hardneck but it is not typically as cold hardy so can be challenging to grow in Colorado winters. Hardneck varieties tend to have a sharper, more garlicky flavor, but do not store as long. Hardneck varieties are very cold hardy and do well in Colorado. They have large cloves around a stiff stem in the center. My favorite benefit of hardneck garlic is the garlic scape (beginning of the flower) you can harvest and eat in the spring.

Plant garlic 2-4” deep with the pointy side up. Allow 4-6” of growing space.

Garlic scapes almost ready to harvest.

Wait until the scapes make a complete circle to harvest. But don’t wait too long. If they straighten out, they’ll become woody and firm.

Use the scapes grilled, in pesto, hummus, soups or any other way you would use garlic.

Or my favorite…Garlic Scape Butter!

After harvesting, do not wash! Lay the garlic out to dry in a well ventilated, dark area.

After 2 weeks (or when the stems are completely brown and dry) cut off the stem.

Cut off the roots.

And brush away all the dirt. Store the garlic in a cool, dry place.

Hardneck varieties will store for 6-9 months. Softneck for 9-12 months.

Eat any open bulbs first.

And store the rest of your garlic to eat and plant again!

Planting

• Garlic should be planted in Colorado around the time the weather begins to stay cold, but before the ground freezes. This is usually around October 15 to November 15.

• Garlic is a heavy feeder and stays in the ground a long time. Make sure the soil is loose and full of rich organic material.

• Break up each head of garlic into individual cloves making sure to leave the papery covering.

• Plant the cloves 1”-2” deep with the pointy end up 4”-6” apart; cover with soil and pat gently.

• Cover the garlic with 4”-12” of mulch - I like to use leaves as they will break down over the winter and feed the garlic.

• If we don’t get rain or snow for 30 days, water the garlic along with your shrubs, trees, and perennials.

• Once the garlic starts to emerge in the spring, pull back the mulch to allow light to reach the leaves. Top dress with a little more compost and water regularly.

• Stop watering 2-3 weeks before you plan to harvest.

Harvesting

• Harvest scapes once they make a complete circle. This will help divert energy to creating a bigger garlic bulb. Leaving the scape will will create garlic seed, but it takes 2 years to grow a bulb from garlic seed.

• Garlic bulbs are usually ready to harvest around mid July.

• You can dig down a little, or dig up one garlic to see if it is ready

  • Heads should be tight together, but the cloves should be plump

  • If the heads have started to separate, they are past time to harvest. Still edible, but are more susceptible to disease so they should be eaten first

• Lay garlic in a well ventilated area for two weeks to cure. Wipe off the dirt with your hands or a dry towel, cut off the tops and roots and VOILA! GARLIC!

• Store in a cool dry place

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