How to Grow Garlic: Growing Garlic in Your Home Garden

Mid-October to early November is the perfect time to plant garlic here in New England.

We have Softneck Garlic Bulbs for planting at all of our Mackey's locations! Softneck Garlic is easier to raise, keeps longer, and usually produces more cloves. 

Some things to keep in mind:

• Garlic plants like well-drained soils that also retain moisture.
• Adding some compost before planting is good practice.
• If you have a lower pH soil, adding lime would be ideal.
• Plant the cloves upright (pointed side up) about an inch under the soil and around 4 inches apart.
• When watering, soak the soil well to a depth of about an inch. Stop watering about 2 weeks before harvesting to avoid stain and disease.

WHEN TO HARVEST, HOW TO HARVEST, AND HOW TO STORE YOUR GARLIC 

• Don't harvest your garlic too early or the bulbs may be small.
• Don't harvest your garlic too late when the cloves could be popping from the bulb.
• Harvest when the leaves of the plants turn brown and die away.
• Pull your plants up with everything attached, carefully knock off any loose soil, and hang them in a dry well-aired place for up to four weeks to cure.
• Once cured you can cut off the shoots up to one inch above the bulb and trim off the roots to the base of the bulb.
• For storage, you could braid your garlic bulbs together and hang them in a cool dry place, or put them unbraided in a mesh bag and hang it up.
• If your garlic is properly cured and stored it should keep for up to nine months.
• Don't forget to plan for your next crop and set aside the largest cloves for planting next season.