If you want to grow an amazing crop of garlic with larger bulbs and more flavor than you could ever imagine – then you need to plant your garlic in the fall!
Although garlic can be planted in the spring or fall, planting your crop late in the season has several advantages over early season planting. For starters, fall planted garlic bulbs tend to grow much larger. This is because the bulbs can set roots before winter, and then come back in spring and be ready to grow strong right from the start.
But overwintering in the ground also helps garlic bulbs develop more flavor. The winter chill allows the bulbs a period of rest. This, in turn, gives them time to absorb more nutrients and energy from the soil, furthering their flavor profile.
The best part of all when planting garlic in the fall is just how simple it can be! In fact, it’s one of the easiest of all vegetable crops to plant – as long as you know what type of garlic you can grow – and a few simple secrets for planting it with success!
How To Plant Garlic In The Fall
The first key to success for fall garlic planting is knowing what type of garlic is best for your climate. There are actually two main types of garlic, softneck and hardneck.
Both are certainly tasty and delicious, but each has their own unique characteristics. Softneck garlic tends to be smaller, but stores extremely well. Although hardneck garlic does not store quite as long, its cloves tend to be larger and more flavorful than softneck. And – it can store long enough after a harvest in summer to plant again in the fall.
Softneck varieties grow best in warm, mild climates. You can plant softneck in the spring or fall, but it is far less hardy than hardneck. Therefore, if you have any kind of a winter – softneck garlic is not a good option for fall planting.
Hardneck garlic on the other hand is perfect for fall planting, especially in climates with cold winters. In fact, it actually develops better flavor as it overwinters in the cold soil. For many who love garlic, there is simply no comparison when it comes to the exceptional flavor of hardneck garlic versus softneck.
Whichever you choose, fall planting is still one of the best ways to grow garlic for size and flavor – and here is exactly how to do it!
When & How To Plant Garlic
When to plant late season garlic all depends on where you live and how soon winter arrives in your area. Garlic sprouts in the fall and will grow until the first frost. Much like planting fall onions, garlic needs to have at least four to six weeks of growth before the first hard frost hits.
This allows time for the cloves to germinate and establish in the soil before going dormant through the winter months. Making sure your garlic has enough time to establish roots is vital to its ability to survive winter.
If garlic doesn’t have enough time to establish roots, it can leave it vulnerable to freezing out over winter. In addition, little root growth in the fall will also lead to smaller bulbs during the next year’s summer harvest.
With this in mind, it’s best to plant your garlic about 6 to 8 weeks before your area’s expected first frost date. This allows plenty of time for the garlic to set and grow – even if there is an early frost.
Purchasing Garlic Cloves – How To Plant Garlic In The Fall
There are several options for purchasing your garlic bulbs for planting. Many local nurseries, greenhouses and seed stores carry garlic for planting. You can also purchase locally grown garlic at a farmers market to use as your initial seed. If you do this, you will need to make sure it is untreated to ensure good germination and growth.
Another great option for purchasing is with online nurseries and seed stores. There are quite a few that carry a wide selection of hardneck and softneck garlic bulbs for planting. Affiliate Seed Link: Hardneck Garlic Bulbs For Planting
As for purchasing garlic bulbs in a grocery store, it really should be avoided. Grocery store garlic is often shipped from distant locations that may not be suitable to your location. In addition, most store chains treat cloves with pesticides, fungicides and growth inhibitors to keep them from going bad during shipping and storage.
Preparing Your Bulbs For Planting – How To Plant Garlic In The Fall
One of the best ways to ensure sprouting success is to start by soaking your cloves before planting. Soaking the cloves overnight in water helps to speed germination by hydrating the cloves.
To prepare the cloves for soaking, separate each clove carefully. With garlic, each individual clove of the head is a seed. When separating, try to keep as much of the paper skin intact as possible. The outer paper casing protects the seed in the soil before it sprouts. By keeping as much of the papery skin in place, it helps prevent against rot and damage.
Fill a bowl or bucket with enough fresh water to cover your garlic bulbs. Be sure to use well or distilled water and not city or treated water. Water that has been treated can contain chlorine, salt and other chemicals that hinder germination.
Before adding in the garlic, mix in a teaspoon of baking soda to the water. This can help increase germination rates and protect the crop against rot and disease. Soak the cloves overnight or for at least 12 hours before planting.
Preparing The Soil – How To Plant Garlic In The Fall
You can plant garlic in raised beds, raised rows or in a traditional garden set up. But no matter where you grow, it’s vital to have fertile, well-draining soil. And the best way to provide that is by adding in compost right as you plant.
One of the best ways to plant garlic is to use the trench method. For this, begin by creating a trench 3 to 4 inches deep and a few inches wide. Next, fill the trench half-way up with compost. If you don’t have compost on hand, you can use a good potting soil mix in the trench as a substitute.
The compost (or potting soil) in the trench will provide plenty of loose and fertile soil for the garlic to grow easily. Plant each bulb down into the compost layer with the pointy end of the garlic clove facing up. This is where the garlic will germinate from so you want it pointing up for fast sprouting.
Plant your garlic in the trench about four to six inches apart. Cover the tips of the garlic with a few inches of soil. For multiple rows, space garlic about six to eight inches apart between rows
Mulching Your Garlic Crop – How To Plant Garlic In The Fall
If there is one thing that can hold your seed back from growing larger bulbs and big yields – it’s weeds. Weeds compete for the same nutrients your bulbs do. By eliminating them, you allow all of the energy to go to creating bigger and tastier bulbs.
The best way to keep weeds at bay is with mulch. As soon as you plant your garlic, cover it with a few inches of straw or shredded leaves. This will keep weed seeds from blowing in. It will also aid in keeping moisture in the ground as well.
Be sure to keep the crop well-watered. Be sure to water if it does not rain every three to four days until the garlic germinates and sprouts through the soil. Once the crop makes its way through the soil, add a few more additional inches of mulch on top to help insulate it through winter.
Garlic requires very little additional care. It will go dormant late in the season once a few frosts or a hard freeze occurs. The plants will then spring back to life as warmer temperatures return early in the year.
Summer Harvesting – How To Plant Garlic In The Fall
A fall planted garlic crop will be ready to harvest when the tops and foliage brown off. For most regions, this occurs somewhere between late June and mid to late July. For more fall planting tips, check out our article: How To Plant Fall Onions – The Secret To Growing Bigger & Better Onions!
Here is to planting your own garlic crop this fall – and to a tasty harvest next summer!
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