A Guide to Growing Garlic

From an Italian bread essential to a technical superfood, garlic is one of the oldest food flavorings in the world and can be traced back as far as ancient times. It is known for a plethora of health benefits, including support for high blood pressure, immune system boosting, and bone support. The average person will consume two pounds of garlic every year, and garlic lovers can celebrate their favorite herb on National Garlic Day every April 19.

Garlic is often thought of as the easiest, most resilient plant to grow due to its hardiness and minimal threat from pests or disease. In fact, garlic can even be used to deter unwanted pests from the garden in general (vampires included).

So, why does garlic have nearly the same growing period as a full-term pregnancy?

Garlic does not grow from seed, but from individual cloves planted pointy end up in shallow soil. It is typically planted in freshly-cleared beds in crisp late autumn, about four weeks before the first frost. Ideally, the more roots the plant is able to develop in the fall, the bigger the bulbs are come summertime. This is because the plant doesn’t actually grow in the winter, and gains a foothold in the weeks leading up to the first frost. After eight months of battling the cold, it is ready to be harvested in mid summer when the leaves start to turn brown and crunchy. However, that doesn’t mean the dawdling plant is ready for consumption, and harvesting is often the trickiest part.

Since garlic grows underground, it is nearly impossible to know for sure when it is ready to be harvested. If you pull the plant too early, you risk hindering its ability to grow to its largest, fullest potential. However, if you harvest too late, the papery pods might start to fall apart and separate. It is recommended that garlic is harvested when some of the leaves begin to turn brown and curl around the edges while most of them remain green.

When the long awaited moment of harvest finally arrives, bulbs should be pulled out gently and grabbed towards the bottom of the stalk or at the bulb itself. Make sure to shake off as much dirt as possible by gently tapping the bulb. Similar to the vampires it frightens away, garlic does not like sunlight, so make sure to keep it in a cool, dry place as soon as possible after the harvest. The initial reaction might be to wash them with water, but that would be counterintuitive to the next step: drying them out.

Hanging garlic for ventilation comes with its own challenges and stressors. Horror stories abound of mold plaguing a batch of garlic that was hung just a bit too close together and spread like wildfire, destroying the entire bunch. The freshly-pulled garlic should be laid out in a cool, dry place, spaced a few inches apart but making sure they don’t touch. Garlic can also be hung vertically by their stems to ensure maximum air circulation, creating a beautiful and fragrant curtain of everyone’s favorite aromatic. Over time, the delicate outer barrier will shrink and turn papery, protecting the cloves from moisture and mold. After about four weeks of drying, it is finally ready to be utilized or placed in long term storage. It is ready when the roots turn shriveled and bristly, and the remaining leaves are brown and crunchy.

Now, it’s time to give your garlic some TLC by cutting away all the leaves and trimming the roots to a few centimeters. The biggest bulb can be set aside and planted for next year’s garlic cohort. Although garlic can take as long as nine months between planting and curing, it can be enjoyed throughout the winter and potentially into the spring when stored properly.

Just when you find yourself disappointed that the summer planting season is coming to an end and you look out over the dreary winter days, take comfort in the fact that garlic is growing just within reach, and the growth and excitement of the summer harvest is just around the corner.