Planting Garlic Bulbs in the Fall
If you want the healthiest, juiciest, tastiest, and most flavorful garlic, expert gardeners agree that planting garlic bulbs in the fall is the short path to success. These bulb growing vegetables are very cold hardy and do quite well when exposed to the colder temperatures that many vegetables cannot tolerate. Beyond a fall planting, there are several other factors that can combine to produce the most flavorful garlic crop. Learn from vegetable growing experts how to plant and grow garlic bulbs in the fall.
Preparing to Grow Garlic Bulbs in the Fall
The most important determinant of success beyond planting time is selecting quality garlic seeds. For best results, ensure that the garlic seed you use comes from a grower with a good reputation and that the garlic bulbs will produce healthy, round cloves. The size of the cloves at maturity is more a sign of the quality of the garlic crop than is the size of the garlic bulb itself. Next, It is important to time the planting of garlic bulbs so that it falls approximately three to four weeks before the first deep frost. This ensures that the garlic bulbs can establish themselves in the soil before the first freeze occurs.
Planting and Caring for Garlic Bulbs in the Fall
To begin, select your location to plant the garlic bulbs. Next, crack apart the bulb into cloves, being careful not to damage the interior seam or 'footprint" from which the roots will sprout. Plant the garlic bulbs with the tip facing up, no more than four inches below the soil surface. Plant the garlic in single or double rows and leave between four and eight inches between each plant to allow adequate space as they grow. Lay a protective layer of mulch across the soil surface and keep the soil evely moist as garlic bulbs grow.
