How Long Does It Take to Grow Garlic?
It can be quite satisfying to grow your own garlic, and here is some useful information on how to go about it and how long you can expect it to take from planting to harvest. Garlic can make a wonderful addition to most any meal, adding its strong and distinctive flavor, and there is a great feeling of accomplishment in cooking a delicious meal for your family and friends, knowing that the garlic you are using came from your own home garden.
Conditions
Garlic is not too choosy about the type of soil it is grown in, as long as the soil is well-draining. It is also quite helpful to mix in compost before planting, as this will add much-needed nutrients to the soil, and will also help aerate it, which will aid in the draining process. Since garlic is in the ground all season, if the soil gets waterlogged, you run the risk of your garlic rotting in the ground. Also be sure that your garlic is planted in a place that will receive full sunlight.
Timeline
The ideal time for planting will vary depending on your climate. But in most moderate climate zones, October is a good time to get your garlic in the ground. Being in the soil over the course of the winter will help the garlic to form into cloves. A generally accepted indicator of harvest time for garlic is when the leaves begin to brown and die back. This will usually happen sometime between July and August, though this is just a general rule, and may vary depending upon the climate you are growing in and seasonal weather conditions. In most climates, however, mid to late summer is the ideal harvest time.
