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Monday, September 19, 2022

Growing Garlic - Misses & Hits!

The first time I planned garlic was in the spring of 2018 and thought I had to harvest in the fall.  However, when fall arrived, and I pulled up my first garlic plant, there was nothing there. Let me tell you about three major mistakes in planting garlic the first time.
1. Planted in the spring
2. Pulled the plant out of the ground
3. Didn’t read any instructions on planting and harvesting garlic

Garlic (Allium sativum) is a member of the onion (Amaryllidaceae) family and is classified in the same genus to which onion, leek, chive and shallot belongs. Evidence exists that garlic originated from Allium longiscuspis, since it does not appear in the wild as a species itself. The mutation that resulted in garlic probably occurred somewhere in central Asia. Most scholars agree that garlic has been used as a medicinal plant and food source for over 7000 years. The latter makes garlic one of the most ancient of vegetables. According to Bilijana Petrovska, “for nearly as long as there has been a written record of history, garlic has been mentioned as a food.”.

Garlic may generally be divided into two subspecies: ophioscorodon (hardneck or topset garlic) and sativum (softneck or artichoke garlic). Hardneck garlic produces elongated flower stalks (technically called scapes) and bulbils at the top of the stalk. Softneck garlic does not produce bulbils, except in times of stress.

Hardneck garlic may be purple, purple striped, or white and is represented by varieties such as Roja, German Red, Valencia, Continental, and Creole. Creole garlic, a late variety covered with a deep purple skin.
Softneck garlic is also referred to as Silverskin, artichoke, or Italian garlic. Softneck types are best represented by the varieties California Early and California Late. Silverskin garlic may also be differentiated into many-cloved or few-cloved varieties, and may also be tan, all white, or purple tinged. 

Elephant garlic (Allium ampeloprasum) is not true garlic but a type of leek that produces very large cloves (often only 3 or 4 per bulb). Several small bulblets may also develop. Its flavor is milder than garlic and can be slightly bitter.

Garlic can be planted late in the fall, after other tasks are finished. The cloves will produce roots and minimal shoot growth before going dormant late in the season. Growth resumes in the spring and the bulbs develop, called bulbing, in mid-summer. Fall planted garlic plants are more mature and will form a larger bulb while spring plantings of cloves will result in smaller heads of garlic.

Ideally, the first garlic leaves should emerge above the ground prior to freezing temperatures in the fall. Planting too early can result in more above-ground growth that will be vulnerable to winter damage. Do not plant store-bought garlic from the grocery store produce aisle. It may have been treated to prevent sprouting—good for shelf life, but bad for planting. Select the healthiest bulbs for replanting. Since garlic is propagated asexually (without flower or seed) selecting propagation stock with ideal characteristics will maintain those characteristics from year to year.

Garlic are generally pest-free, or the pests found are well-tolerated by the plant. Scout or observe the garlic planting regularly for any plant injury and make control decisions based on the pests found in the planting. Some of the more common pest problems include:
Insect Management
Thrips are insects that suck juices from the leaves, causing damage. Thrips injury will cause the garlic leaves to turn a silver color with patchy, dry spots. Typically, this damage will not reduce the quality of the garlic bulbs.
Bulb maggot is a fly larva that feeds on the developing bulbs. It is rarely a significant pest of garlic. Soils high in organic matter can encourage maggots. Crop rotation will help control bulb maggot.

Disease Management
Bloat nematode can be a major problem if introduced to the garlic planting. These microscopic worms feed inside the heads causing swollen or misshapen heads and cloves. Once nematodes get into the soil, they cannot be controlled without significant treatment.

Bulb rot will be a problem in wet years or in poorly drained soil.

When the lower leaves begin to yellow, the garlic is ready for harvest. The leaves are connected to the garlic bulb wrappers below. Waiting until leaves turn brown will result in rotted or missing wrappers. Also, as the bulbs mature, they may dry and split, leading to shorter storage life or bulb rot.

Garlic should be cured or dried prior to storing it for later use. Start by brushing off any soil remnants clinging to the bulbs. Do not wash them off or get the bulbs wet. Leave the stalks and roots on the bulbs while they dry.

Allow the bulbs to cure for 3 to 4 weeks in either a well-ventilated room or a dry, shady spot outside. Sunlight can change the flavor of fresh garlic.

Once the tops and roots have dried, you can cut them off, if desired, or leave them on and braid the garlic into bundles of four to six plants. You can also further clean the bulbs by removing the outer skins. Just be careful not to expose any of the cloves.



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