Five Tips on Growing Great Garlic

Last year we planted our garlic late. In fact we had our first frost the night we finished planting. We know very well you need to plant early to mid fall, well before the first frost … but we didn’t have time to do it till mid November. Following that icy night, winter set in very quickly. It didn’t snow too much, but what with continuous frosts and thaws along with continuous rain, we weren’t sure our poor little cloves were going to make it to spring.

The good thing is, we have some great tricks we use to ensure the best survival rate possible. Garlic should have started sprouting before winter sets in, so the plant gets established. Although we didn’t see any sprouts till about a month ago, they’re growing like mad now that it’s warming up. We were getting a little worried, but I think we’re safe. Whew! Here’s what we think saved us, despite the fact our timing was bad:

Raised Beds

Raised beds are a must on the west coast of British Columbia, due to the huge amount of rainfall we have here. This type of bed allows for good drainage, so the garlic bulbs don’t rot. Beds are typically built up around 5-6 inches high.

Timing

Garlic should be planted in mid fall, before the first hard frost. It is then overwintered and harvested the following summer.

Plant the Biggest Cloves

Using the biggest cloves from your garlic seed bulbs will ensure you have good sized bulbs. The smaller the clove, the smaller the bulb produced from it.

Straw Mulch

Covering the newly planted cloves with a thick layer of straw mulch will ensure garlic plants are safe from frost and snow throughout the winter. In early spring, after last frost, the mulch gets removed so it doesn’t trap water from the heavy spring rains.

Remove the Scape

The scape is the garlic bulb’s flower stalk. If this is not removed, the plant will put energy into growing the flower and not the bulb. Removing the scape before it forms a bud is crucial to good bulb size. And then you can eat the scapes. Yum!