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Growing Garlic from Seed Garlic grows very well in almost any climate. Cold climates are no exception, in fact the best quality garlic grows in places with a good covering of snow on the ground in winter. Easy to plant, grow, harvest and store, garlic is or should be a staple in any homestead home. As with any other seed, start with high quality "seed" garlic. Any garlic can be used for seed garlic. You can use garlic from the grocery store. I personally purchased my "seed" from a friend. Once you have obtained your "seed" you shouldn't ever have to buy "seed" garlic unless you want to grow another variety of garlic. If you intend to grow garlic the following year, you simply save your biggest and best garlic bulbs for planting the following fall. Like daylilies and all bulb plants, garlic will multiply in the ground. It would do you well to remember that small seed results in small results. The bigger the seed garlic bulbs, the bigger the offspring the following year. Genetics are everything ! Soil requirements are minimal, as garlic does not requires the most nutrient rich soil. But the better the quality of the soil the bigger the bulb growth. Heavy or clay soils should be amended to lighten or improve the quality of the ground to begin with. Garlic prefers to be placed in well draining soil, so choose a bed that doesn't get and stay soggy. While garlic doesn't like to sit in water, it doesn't like to dry out either so water routinely during the dry season. Garlic also doesn't like to compete with the weeds and grass. So routinely weed and mulch as soon as you can find time to prevent competition and the choking out of the bulb growth. It wouldn't hurt if fertilize the soil about a month prior to planting. We routinely lime, fertilize and feed the soil at the end of the growing season and about a month before putting the garden out in the spring. Plant your seed, preferably in the fall. It will grow if planted in the spring, but it like most bulbs do better if planted in the fall and let sit through the winter. Plant your "seed" garlic bulbs about 2" deep and 6" apart in rows 8" apart. You can cover with hay or mulch when you get around to it. Don't worry about uncovering in the spring, the garlic will grow it's way up through the mulch you laid on top. Remember to rotate your crops every couple of years to prevent draining the soil of nutrients. We rotate our garden plan every other year. Most garlic can benefit from pruning the green curly tops off the stem. This forces the nutrients back into the bulb, rather than into sustaining new growth on the "green". Garlic is ready to harvest when the outer leaves of the garlic start to die back. Once you notice this leave the garlic in the ground another couple of weeks to cure, then pull bulbs and all and lay on the ground. Do this preferably in dry weather when it's easier to harvest. Dry ground makes it easier to pull the garlic up by the tops and leaves less dirt on the bulbs that you will only have to wash off later anyway! Once you've cleaned and let the garlic dry in the sun, hang the garlic or lay in single rows on racks or screens in a warm, dry place to dry for a couple of weeks. After drying a couple of weeks you can go back and cut the roots and tops off or braid the garlic into chains. The ultimate secret to a good garlic harvest is in the storage. This is where most garlic is lost.... Garlic is best stored in a cool, dry, and well ventilated place. Not a root cellar or a refrigerator. You can hang them, braid them, store them in panty hose hanging from the ceiling, a rod or rack or in a screened in porch out of direct sunlight. Never store in a plastic or closed container.
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