Garlic

Garlic, a close relative of onions, shallots and leeks, is easily grown in Sonoma County. It occupies little garden space from fall through spring while still producing an ample crop.

Three Types of Garlic

Soft neck types have smaller but more numerous cloves than hard necks, store longer, and tolerate warmer temperatures and more climatic variability. Soft necks develop more leaves and are often selected for braiding. Choose from among a few dozen cultivars.
Hard neck types have fewer, larger cloves, are easier to peel, but have a briefer shelf life, about half as long as soft necks. They develop a stalk, or scape, from the center of the bulb. Choose from among hundreds of cultivars.
Elephant garlic has cloves about twice the size of soft or hard neck types but only a few in each head. It has a milder flavor than other garlic and may be eaten raw in salads. A flower stalk that rises in spring must be removed to form the largest bulbs. It is a perennial plant with flat leaves similar to leek, a close relative, and when left in the ground, continues to produce and spread.

Culture

Purchase bulbs from a nursery to avoid possible disease from garlic in produce markets.
Amend the planting bed with compost; avoid high nitrogen fertilizers.
Plant as early as October or as late as December for harvest in May or June.
Set the largest bulbs, unpeeled, with blunt end down, 4-in. apart; cover with 1 in. of soil.
Irrigate only after shoots emerge, keeping soil evenly moist in the absence of rain.
Mulch soil with 2-4 in. of compost, straw, or other organic material.
Side dress with an organic product low in nitrogen when shoots are several inches tall.
Cut stalks off hard neck types when they form to prevent bulbils at their tops and to promote formation of large cloves.
Reduce water in spring when leaf tips begin to turn yellow.

Harvest

Opt to harvest fresh, mild leaves in early spring to use green garlic in salads, stir fry dishes, and sauces. Bulb size is limited when leaves are removed.
Harvest bulbs in May or June when about half of tops die back or fall over.
Lift or dig bulbs out of soil rather than pull to avoid cracking bulbs open.
Brush off soil and allow bulbs to dry outdoors in sun for 2-3 weeks until skins become papery.
Clean cured bulbs and cut off roots to about 1 in.
Store in a cool, dark, dry place.

Additional Information

February 2022