How to Plant Your Own Certified Garlic Bulbs

Garlic is part of the Allium family, which also includes similar plants such as onions, shallots, and leeks. Garlic is very easy to grow, having no real disease and pest problems to deal with and is forgiving about what kind of soil it's planted in. Garlic will grow even in clay-like, high pH (alkaline) desert soil found here in southwest Idaho. Planting garlic in Idaho is regulated by the Department of Agriculture, and we are only allowed to sell certified garlic that was grown in Idaho.

Choosing Seed Garlic                                                    

·      Choose to plant locally grown and certified seed garlic. Grocery store garlic may look harmless, but it can carry diseases that devastate both home gardens and Idaho farms. The most concerning is white rot, a soil-borne disease with no cure. 

How to Plant Garlic

·      Store your garlic in a cool, dry place with good airflow until ready to plant.

·      Plant garlic 2-4 weeks before the ground freezes, typically in early to mid-October.

·      Only separate the cloves immediately before planting and plant the largest cloves for the best chance of producing large bulbs.

·      Choose a location in full sun. Space rows 12-16 inches apart, and in each row, plant cloves 6 inches apart.

·      Keep the papery skin intact when planting.

·      Plant cloves ~3 inches deep, upright-meaning root side down, pointed end up. Jim Zamzow’s rule of thumb is to plant cloves 3x as deep as they are tall. As an example, a 1-inch-tall clove should be planted 3 inches deep.

·      Leave enough room between rows to weed, water, mulch, and harvest at the end of the season.

·      When planting, work soil 12-18 inches deep and break up any clay. Amend soil with Zamzows Compost or Zamzows Garden and Planting Mix. Compact or poorly draining soil can doom a garlic harvest.

·      After planting, if the ground is dry, water in with a dilute mixture of Zamzows Chicken Soup or Thrive.

Hardneck Vs Softneck

·      Hardneck garlic produces edible flower stalks called scapes, has a stronger, richer flavor, and stores for 3-5 months.

·      Softneck garlic produces more cloves per plant than hardneck, has a milder flavor, stores for 9-12 months and is easier to braid.

Fertilizing

·      Proper fertilization is how you get big, delicious cloves of garlic. One common mistake new garlic growers make is not providing enough nutrition during active growth.

·      Begin by applying a small amount of fertilizer in the hole at time of planting underneath each clove. We recommend 1 tablespoon of Bone Meal, or 2 tablespoons of Zamzows Tomato Boom or Zamzows Beebopalooza mixed in the soil underneath the clove at time of planting. Zamzows Winter Recharger also makes excellent garlic fertilizer because of its ratio of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. Use 1 tablespoon of Zamzows Winter Recharger mixed into the soil underneath the clove when planting.

·      Fertilize in the spring once the ground thaws and the growing leaves of the garlic are 3-4 inches above the soil. Apply Chicken Soup for the Soil or Thrive every 2 weeks during the growing season. A Zamzows Quick Shot Bottle can make applying liquid fertilizer a lot easier if you don’t like mixing. Blood Meal or Zamzows Nutri-Rich are also good options for spring fertilizing.

Mulching

·      Mulch is optional but can be helpful in cold climates to trap warmth, hold in moisture and control weeds. A good mulch will also decompose over time to enrich the soil. Be careful when mulching to avoid keeping the garlic too wet as this can encourage rot.

·      Apply 3-4 inches of loose mulch after planting, common choices for mulch are: straw, hay, grass clippings, or leaves.

·      Apply your mulch after planting in the fall and remove mulch from around the tops of the garlic as temperatures begin to warm in the spring. Mulch works as a good insulator and can keep the ground frozen in the spring if left in place too long.

Watering

·      After planting, water if the soil is dry to aid in root development. After that first watering in the fall, water sparingly to avoid letting the ground become excessively dry. Stop watering once the ground freezes.

·      Garlic grows best in moist, well-draining soil, but does not want to be perpetually saturated with water. Allow the soil around the garlic to dry out slightly before watering.

Harvesting Garlic

·      Garlic is generally ready to harvest when the lower leaves have turned brown and dry while several upper leaves remain green.

·      Once harvested, allow your garlic to cure outside for 2–3 weeks in a shaded, dry and well-ventilated location.

·      Don't wash the bulbs after harvest; brush off loose soil once they're dry.