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Planting garlic
Seed garlic from Johnny’s is shipped in October so that you can plant it at the best time for your climate. The goal is to get good root growth to anchor the bulbs before winter, but no top growth. Depending on when the ground freezes in your area, it can be planted from the first frost through November. Until you’re ready to plant, store it in a cool, dry place, 50-70°F (not in the refrigerator).

Garlic is a heavy feeder and will produce the biggest bulbs when the soil has adequate nutrients. Compost is best, as it provides fertility, improves soil organic matter, and increases drainage. Garlic does not compete well with weeds, so prepare your beds, allow weed seeds to germinate and then cultivate shallowly to make a clean seed bed without disturbing new weed seeds.

Separate the cloves from the bulb and plant them 6” apart, with about 2” of soil on top. As soon as the soil freezes, mulch the bed with 4-6” of hay, straw, or grass clippings to prevent the bulbs from heaving.
For more information about growing garlic, see our Tech Sheet. http://www.johnnyseeds.com/assets/pdf/Garlic.pdf

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Reprinted from JSS Advantage October 2010