Garlic Planting Tips by Climate - Ep. 221

[00:00:00] Alright my gardening friends, last week we talked onions, this week it's another allium and that is garlic. The timing on planting onions in the fall is just about the same as when we plant our garlic for overwintering, and garlic spends just about as much time in the garden as those fall planted onions do.

[00:00:17] Now just like our onions, there are specific considerations for growing garlic. The right variety, the right soil, specific planting depth and spacing, planting time, nutrients. Yeah, if this all sounds vaguely familiar, that's because those are all the same considerations that we said were important for growing onions. It's amazing how plants in the same family have some of the same concerns, right?

[00:00:39] Today on Just Grow Something, we're talking tips for planting garlic by your climate type. So whether you're in Zone 3 or Zone 12, you can grow garlic, but what kind and when and how you plant will be vastly different and it will greatly affect your success. Let's dig in.

[00:00:59] Hey, I'm Karen. I started gardening in a small corner of my suburban backyard and now 18 years later, I've got a degree in horticulture and operate a 40-acre market farm. I believe there is power in food and that everyone should know how to grow at least a little bit of their own. On this podcast, I share evidence-based techniques to help you plant, grow, harvest, and store all your family's favorites. Consider me your friend in the garden. So grab your garden journal and a cup of coffee and get ready to just grow something.

[00:01:35] Okay, future me jumping in here really quick, my gardening friends before we get further into this podcast. I am so excited to tell you that we did it. Last week, I got an email saying that this podcast was one of three finalists in the lifestyle category for the Women in Podcasting Awards and they invited me to the awards ceremony.

[00:02:00] We had that ceremony. We had that ceremony on Friday the 18th and lo and behold, we won. And I say we because this is all because of you. You made this happen by going out and voting and I could not be more thrilled. I am so proud of this community that we have built. Everybody just sharing their stories and their tips and their tricks and their advice with each other, whether it's

[00:02:30] through the question of the question of the month or in the Facebook group or just by sending me emails and DMs. This is a community and that's the only reason that we won because we were up against some really stiff competition.

[00:02:44] And I just am so excited that this has happened and that we are kind of seeing my vision for the podcast and just grow something as an overall concept or business kind of all coming to fruition now. And now that we're in our fourth season, it is absolutely fantastic.

[00:03:02] So if you are not on the email list, I went ahead and sent out an email right away that had the links to the awards ceremony.

[00:03:12] But if you are not on the email list and you didn't see this announcement, I'm going to go ahead and link to the awards ceremony in the show notes and I will, it's on YouTube.

[00:03:24] And so it'll start you off right at where my award is announced and my acceptance. It's a little off. The audio is like out of sync for whatever reason, but that's okay.

[00:03:35] And if you want to watch the entire thing, it's up on YouTube as well. So I just had to come on here and tell you guys this. Thank you so much.

[00:03:42] I truly, truly, truly appreciate your support and I cannot wait to see where we go from here.

[00:03:49] So, all right, let's go back to past me and get on with the show.

[00:03:53] Okay, don't forget about the October question of the month.

[00:03:57] What was your biggest failure in the garden this season?

[00:04:01] No shame to you as a gardener. If you had a big failure, I absolutely did on several things.

[00:04:06] And so I will share mine if you will share yours.

[00:04:09] So go ahead and drop a comment in the box below if you're on YouTube or on Spotify.

[00:04:15] Send me a DM. Send me an email. Reply to an email that I might send you if you're on the email list.

[00:04:21] Jump in the Facebook group. You have until October 31st to get me your answer.

[00:04:26] Yes, we did an episode last week on onions.

[00:04:30] I also dropped a YouTube video that has gotten a lot of feedback.

[00:04:34] So I likely will be doing another one of those.

[00:04:38] Mostly this will probably be a follow-up to answer a lot of the questions that I have been getting.

[00:04:43] So as soon as I drop that, I haven't decided yet if it's going to be an episode or if it will just be either a YouTube video or even maybe on Patreon as a freebie for everybody.

[00:04:53] But someplace where everybody can access it because you all have had a lot of questions and I feel like they need to be answered.

[00:04:59] So I will do something for that.

[00:05:02] And as soon as I release it, I will absolutely let you know.

[00:05:10] Okay, let's talk best practices for planting garlic.

[00:05:14] And there are going to be some variations based on what your winter weather is like in your climate.

[00:05:21] The first thing is absolutely to choose the right garlic type.

[00:05:25] There are two different types, hardneck garlic and softneck garlic.

[00:05:29] I'm not going to go into all the specifics about growing garlic.

[00:05:32] I will link to the actual full garlic episode and any other articles or anything that I have done on garlic in the show notes so you can easily find that.

[00:05:42] This is just going to be a basic overview and we're talking best tips and tricks specifically for planting your garlic.

[00:05:49] The first is to choose the right type.

[00:05:51] If you are in a colder climate, so anything from zero or one, I guess, and yes, you can grow garlic in those very cold zones all the way through until right around zone seven.

[00:06:04] Your best bet is going to be hardneck garlic.

[00:06:07] This is the one that has the hard stem.

[00:06:09] It is very cold hardy.

[00:06:11] It produces those scapes that come out the center.

[00:06:14] The reason that hardneck garlic is good for these colder zones or the zones that actually get a decent amount of winter weather, cold winter weather,

[00:06:23] is because hardneck garlic needs four to six weeks of cold temperatures below 40 degrees Fahrenheit to develop their bulbs.

[00:06:32] But what most people don't understand is that a lot of hardneck garlic is also photoperiodic just like our onions are.

[00:06:40] Many hardneck garlics will begin bulbing when the day length reaches over 13 hours and the air temperature is above 68 degrees Fahrenheit and the soil temperature is over 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

[00:07:00] Okay, so it has to be all three of those things at the same time and that is when the garlic will begin to bulb.

[00:07:07] When any of these things is out of whack, this is not what garlic considers to be an ideal situation for that and they won't bulb properly.

[00:07:19] So this means if you live in a warmer climate where it heats up really quickly and that is well before the day length actually starts increasing,

[00:07:29] your hardneck garlic is not going to perform well.

[00:07:32] So this is why even if you try to artificially vernalize, meaning artificially make your garlic cold hardy essentially,

[00:07:43] by putting it in the refrigerator, and we'll talk about that here in a minute,

[00:07:47] and you're in the south and you try to do that, it's still going to have a really difficult time developing properly

[00:07:53] because not all of those factors are in line with each other, right?

[00:07:57] So that is where softneck garlic comes in.

[00:08:00] It is much more suited for milder climates, so we're talking zones 8 through 12, and yes, in the tropical zones you can grow softneck garlic.

[00:08:08] We'll talk about that a little bit more in depth here in a minute.

[00:08:11] Softneck garlic is less cold hardy.

[00:08:13] It does store better, by the way, than hardneck garlic, and it doesn't require much in the way of vernalization,

[00:08:19] so it can be grown in warmer temperatures.

[00:08:22] So I am in a zone, I am in zone 6B, and I am kind of at that line where I will actually grow both.

[00:08:32] I plant both hardneck and softneck garlic, and I will tell you that which one does better greatly depends on what type of a winter we have.

[00:08:44] So if we have a warmer winter than usual or we're not getting those super cold temperatures for very long periods of time,

[00:08:53] maybe it's only a day here or two, the softneck garlic well outperforms the hardneck.

[00:09:00] Vice versa, if we have a really harsh winter, then I might lose some of those softneck garlics, but the hardneck really seems to come on strong.

[00:09:08] So I kind of cover all my bases, and I plant both some years.

[00:09:14] Both of them do phenomenally well.

[00:09:16] And I haven't really taken enough really, really detailed notes to be able to kind of differentiate between, you know,

[00:09:23] one year to the next and the hardneck versus the softneck.

[00:09:26] I mean, I take a lot of notes, but come on, even I don't have that kind of time on my hands.

[00:09:30] So one of these days, maybe I will make that my mission is to, you know,

[00:09:34] but I'm sure somebody has researched this, and I'm sure I could give you that information,

[00:09:37] but then your eyes would start to roll back in your head out of boredom.

[00:09:40] So let's just say, if you are in anything up to zone seven, focus on the hardneck.

[00:09:46] If you're in zone six or seven or eight, you might be able to plant both.

[00:09:50] And then if you are eight and above, you definitely can grow softneck, okay?

[00:09:56] When we're looking at soil, the soil requirements for garlic are very similar to what we talked about in our onions last week.

[00:10:03] Loose, well-drained.

[00:10:05] Garlic really does like a lot of organic matter because we are going to be planting these deeper than what we do onions.

[00:10:13] So the looser and loamier the soil is, the better.

[00:10:17] And a slightly acidic pH, again, between 6.0 and 7.0 is ideal, just like our onions.

[00:10:24] These are alliums.

[00:10:25] We do want a spot that has full sun.

[00:10:28] Your garlic bulbs are going to rely on that, just like we do with onions.

[00:10:32] We want a lot of green, lush growth on the top.

[00:10:35] And then we want that green growth to feed those big bulbs underneath.

[00:10:40] And full sun is required for this.

[00:10:42] Now, does it mean that you cannot grow garlic without full sun?

[00:10:46] No.

[00:10:46] You just have to know that you are going to expect smaller bulbs in that instance.

[00:10:50] So the more sunlight, the better.

[00:10:53] We also want to focus on our planting depth and our spacing.

[00:10:57] And this is where we get a little bit nuanced, okay?

[00:11:01] So when you plant garlic, you take the whole bulb and you separate the cloves.

[00:11:08] And you do this right before planting.

[00:11:10] We want to use the largest cloves for planting because they are going to produce the largest bulbs.

[00:11:16] So if you are in the process of going through the garlic that you grew this year and you're trying to decide which ones maybe you want to save to plant right now for next year, choose your biggest and your best and then eat the rest, right?

[00:11:30] That's what we always say.

[00:11:31] Save the best and eat the rest, okay?

[00:11:33] The planting depth is where it's going to be a little bit different depending on where you are growing.

[00:11:39] So if you are in the colder climates, so zone 6 and below, you want to plant your cloves about 2 to 3 inches deep in the soil.

[00:11:48] This is going to help protect them from freezing.

[00:11:51] We're also going to use mulch here, but that's going to protect them in the soil.

[00:11:55] If you are in a slightly warmer climate, so zones 7 through 9, you don't have to go quite as deep.

[00:12:01] You can do 1 to 2 inches.

[00:12:03] That is sufficient.

[00:12:04] Now, if you are in zones 10 through 12, so these are my much warmer climate growers, you are actually going to want to plant your cloves even deeper.

[00:12:15] I mean, I'm talking like 4 to 6 inches deep.

[00:12:18] This is going to be very beneficial for you because that soil is cooler, deeper in the ground.

[00:12:25] And you're going to have less chance of your cloves breaking their vernalization early.

[00:12:33] Again, because of all of those different factors that we're trying to match at one time,

[00:12:39] you're going to have a better chance of them staying in the ground longer and waiting longer to form those bulbs if you can keep them cooler for longer.

[00:12:50] So, 4 to 6 inches deep is going to be very beneficial for you if you are in zone 10 or warmer and you are trying to grow garlic, okay?

[00:12:58] The spacing is all going to be the same.

[00:12:59] You want them about 4 to 6 inches apart within your rows.

[00:13:02] And if you're doing straight rows, you can space those rows about 10 to 12 inches apart.

[00:13:07] This gives each one of those bulbs room to grow and allows for proper airflow, which is going to reduce that disease risk,

[00:13:14] especially if you live someplace where it is very humid.

[00:13:17] Now, the other thing that varies based on your zone is the planting time.

[00:13:23] Now, all of this time is flexible, okay?

[00:13:26] It's all depending on your soil temperatures and how warm or how cold your season has been.

[00:13:34] Ideally, if you are in the absolute coldest zone, if I have any of you who are gardening in Alaska and you are listening,

[00:13:42] first of all, welcome.

[00:13:42] Second of all, reach out.

[00:13:43] I would love to hear that.

[00:13:46] If you're talking like zones 1 through 3, if you don't have an actual permafrost, right?

[00:13:51] You're going to want to be planting your garlic in about early September.

[00:13:56] Obviously, we are past this.

[00:13:57] Hopefully, you know, this helps you for next year.

[00:14:00] If you still want to do garlic, go ahead and do them in containers because, obviously,

[00:14:04] if you're doing a container, that soil can still be worked.

[00:14:06] This is the consideration is we want to get these in the ground before our soil freezes solidly.

[00:14:15] So even though you may have already had your first frost or whatever, if you are growing someplace where you do get freezes,

[00:14:21] you just want to get the garlic bulbs into the ground and get them settled before everything freezes solid.

[00:14:27] So in, you know, zones 1 through 3, you're looking at early to late September.

[00:14:32] In zones like 3 to 5, this is generally late September to early October.

[00:14:37] 5 through 7, mid to late October.

[00:14:41] So right about now.

[00:14:42] 7 through 9, late October into November.

[00:14:46] Again, all of these are flexible based on what your current weather and soil conditions are.

[00:14:54] I have not gotten my garlic in yet.

[00:14:56] I haven't gotten my onions in yet either, okay?

[00:14:59] But I'm not too worried because I have planted both of these as late as mid-November

[00:15:05] and had no problem getting a fantastic harvest the next season

[00:15:08] because generally speaking, my soil is staying warm enough for me to be able to do that.

[00:15:12] So I take these recommendations for timing with a grain of salt

[00:15:18] and apply it, you know, in your area based on your soil temperatures.

[00:15:22] This is why I always encourage people to have a very simple soil thermometer on hand

[00:15:27] so you know what it is that you're working with.

[00:15:29] Now, for warmer growers, like zones 9 through 10,

[00:15:33] you're going to be planting from around late October into December.

[00:15:37] Remember, again, make sure that you are choosing softnecks

[00:15:41] that need less cold vernalization to develop bulbs.

[00:15:46] You may still want to vernalize your bulbs, okay?

[00:15:50] Even though it may not be necessary,

[00:15:53] this is going to give you a better chance

[00:15:55] at them staying sort of in that dormant condition longer

[00:16:00] and keeping them in the ground longer before they try to bulb

[00:16:04] and that gives you the best bulbs later on.

[00:16:06] You can do this by just placing your bulbs in the refrigerator

[00:16:10] for about six to eight weeks before you intend to plant.

[00:16:14] Just put them in a paper bag and put them in the fridge.

[00:16:18] Around 40 degrees Fahrenheit, which is four degrees Celsius, I think,

[00:16:24] is a perfect temperature.

[00:16:27] Just make sure that you're not putting them anywhere near fruit.

[00:16:29] So don't put them in the crisper drawer with like your apples

[00:16:33] because apples release ethylene gas and that can affect the garlic.

[00:16:36] So just put them sort of in the warmest spot in your refrigerator

[00:16:40] and forget about them for about six to eight weeks.

[00:16:42] And then plant them.

[00:16:43] This is going to give you sort of a leg up in terms of your garlic.

[00:16:48] Now, my warmest climate growers, zones 11 through 12.

[00:16:51] Again, softneck garlic.

[00:16:53] You definitely are going to want to pre-chill these in the refrigerator.

[00:16:57] You're likely going to be planting in late December or into January

[00:17:01] because this is going to be, you want to grow these during your coolest part of the year.

[00:17:06] I would actually recommend for you that you vernalize your garlic

[00:17:10] for a longer period of time, closer to 10 to 12 weeks in the refrigerator

[00:17:17] rather than six to eight.

[00:17:19] And the reason I say this is because there's been several sources

[00:17:22] that I have read of very southern climate growers

[00:17:26] who have experimented with this and found that if they grow,

[00:17:31] if they vernalize for six to eight weeks, then the garlic tends to do okay.

[00:17:35] It does better when it's a cooler year in that climate

[00:17:40] versus putting them in the fridge for 10 to 12 weeks.

[00:17:44] They tend to not break their vernalization.

[00:17:49] This is called de-vernalization.

[00:17:51] So they kind of break out of their, you know, their sort of dormancy early

[00:17:57] and that causes them to develop much smaller bulbs.

[00:18:01] So the longer time in the fridge is out helping to prevent this.

[00:18:05] So if you are in zone 11 or 12 and you are trying to grow garlic,

[00:18:08] I absolutely recommend putting them in the refrigerator for a longer,

[00:18:12] 10 to 12 weeks before you actually plant them.

[00:18:15] Regardless of where you are, just know that if you're storing up seed garlic

[00:18:21] and getting it ready to plant, garlic can rot or it can mold if it is kept too moist.

[00:18:28] So be sure that you are keeping your cloves or your full heads dry

[00:18:34] either in the refrigerator.

[00:18:35] If you are putting them in there, don't put them in a plastic container.

[00:18:39] Don't close it into an airtight container.

[00:18:40] Make sure you put them in a paper bag.

[00:18:43] Or if you are storing them, you know, someplace in your house

[00:18:47] while you're getting ready to get them planted,

[00:18:48] make sure that it's a cool but very dry place.

[00:18:52] And please, for the love of everything gardening, don't freeze your garlic.

[00:18:56] This is not a good way to store it.

[00:18:58] It's not a good way to vernalize it.

[00:19:00] And all you're going to end up with is some mushy bulbs that don't grow anything.

[00:19:05] Okay, just like our onions, our garlic also has some specific feeding requirements.

[00:19:12] It's not, you know, anything over the top.

[00:19:14] It's not anything out of the ordinary.

[00:19:16] Your goal is to have a nice, big, large garlic plant with lots of leaves

[00:19:22] and a really good root system by the time that bulbing starts.

[00:19:28] So, before planting or at planting time is fine too,

[00:19:32] you want some balanced amendments to go in.

[00:19:34] Again, I know it goes without saying.

[00:19:36] Please do a soil test, okay?

[00:19:38] Because that way you know if you are deficient in something

[00:19:41] and you have to add extra of something.

[00:19:43] But in general, if nothing is, you know, glaringly wrong,

[00:19:47] then you can incorporate a balanced amendment.

[00:19:50] Something where all three of those numbers, the NPK numbers, are all the same.

[00:19:54] So, that would be balanced.

[00:19:55] I also recommend adding compost.

[00:19:57] This is going to help with the soil texture and the organic matter that that garlic really likes.

[00:20:04] Garlic is a heavy feeder, so it does benefit from having some nice, rich soil.

[00:20:09] So, the more the better, right?

[00:20:11] In terms of garlic.

[00:20:12] In terms of garlic.

[00:20:13] Yes, the more the better with garlic.

[00:20:14] But in terms of compost, you know,

[00:20:17] I don't think you can have too much compost in most instances.

[00:20:20] You definitely want a balanced amendment.

[00:20:23] Once growth starts in the spring,

[00:20:27] then you're going to want to do the same thing that we were talking about with onions.

[00:20:30] You want a nitrogen-rich fertilizer in early spring as those shoots start to emerge.

[00:20:38] So, fish emulsion, blood meal, feather meal, these are all really good things.

[00:20:43] We're trying to fuel that leafy growth, right?

[00:20:46] But then, as soon as the bulbs begin to form in like the late spring or early summer,

[00:20:52] we nix that in the bud.

[00:20:54] So, a little bit of nitrogen fertilizer as a side dress about four to six weeks.

[00:21:00] Every four to six weeks starting in the spring.

[00:21:02] And then, as soon as those bulbs start to form,

[00:21:04] we stop feeding and we let them do their thing, right?

[00:21:07] If you over-fertilize your garlic, they can actually remain very small

[00:21:11] because you're getting a lot of green lush growth and not enough energy going into those bulbs.

[00:21:16] And they can also be soft if there's too much nitrogen after that point, too.

[00:21:20] So, let's talk about that mulch, right?

[00:21:22] There's always mulch.

[00:21:23] And the mulch is going to do a number of things for you,

[00:21:26] especially if you're in a colder climate.

[00:21:27] It is going to protect that garlic through the winter.

[00:21:29] It's also going to control weeds.

[00:21:31] It's also going to help with moisture retention, right?

[00:21:34] So, in those colder zones, anybody zone six and below,

[00:21:38] you're going to want to mulch heavily at least three inches

[00:21:42] if you're on the warmer end of those zones,

[00:21:44] up to six inches if you're in those cooler zones.

[00:21:47] Generally speaking, I'm around the four-inch mark or so.

[00:21:51] We've done as much as six inches.

[00:21:53] I don't know that that was necessary, so I generally stick with four inches.

[00:21:56] Straw, always my favorite here.

[00:21:59] Shredded leaves are fine also.

[00:22:01] Any type of organic material that is going to insulate that garlic

[00:22:04] during those freezing conditions.

[00:22:06] So, this protects those cloves not only from damage,

[00:22:10] but it protects that frost heave that happens when, you know,

[00:22:14] bare soil in the wintertime gets really cold,

[00:22:17] and it contracts, and it warms up, and it kind of expands,

[00:22:20] and it can heave those cloves up out of the ground.

[00:22:23] And, of course, then those cloves are going to get damaged,

[00:22:26] and they're not going to grow.

[00:22:27] So, not only is it going to protect from that,

[00:22:29] it's also going to maintain the soil moisture.

[00:22:32] It's also going to keep those soil temperatures consistent,

[00:22:34] so you don't get that constant freeze-thaw on those bulbs.

[00:22:37] In slightly warmer zones, so seven through nine,

[00:22:40] you can use a little bit lighter of a mulch layer.

[00:22:43] Obviously, you don't need quite as much in terms of that freeze protection.

[00:22:47] You do want at least two inches, though.

[00:22:50] So, that's really the most beneficial for weed suppression,

[00:22:54] also for moisture retention.

[00:22:56] Your winter temperatures aren't going to be as extreme,

[00:22:59] so you don't need the super heavy insulation,

[00:23:02] but this is actually going to help keep your soil cooler

[00:23:06] a little bit longer in the spring,

[00:23:09] again, to delay that bulb formation

[00:23:12] if you are in those warmer regions.

[00:23:14] And then zones 10 through 12.

[00:23:17] Again, not only are you planting these cloves a lot deeper

[00:23:21] than everybody else,

[00:23:23] but mulching is going to be more about moisture retention

[00:23:26] and weed suppression,

[00:23:28] but also for keeping that soil cool.

[00:23:30] So, a nice light layer of an organic mulch,

[00:23:33] like pine straw or shredded leaves,

[00:23:35] about one to two inches deep,

[00:23:36] is going to be very, very helpful here.

[00:23:39] Also, for you, it may be beneficial

[00:23:42] to have some sort of a shade,

[00:23:46] cloth or structure or something

[00:23:48] during the hottest part of the day where you are.

[00:23:52] You know, so if your hottest time of the day

[00:23:54] is like from two to five in the afternoon,

[00:23:57] if you can provide some shade to that area,

[00:24:00] this might also delay that garlic maturity a little bit

[00:24:05] and allow you to get even bigger bulbs.

[00:24:07] So, if you have the ability to be able to use shade,

[00:24:10] then use this to your advantage

[00:24:12] during the hottest part of the day.

[00:24:14] Cutting off the sun for those, you know,

[00:24:16] three hours or so

[00:24:17] is not going to greatly affect the growth rate

[00:24:20] unless it's really shaded in the morning also.

[00:24:22] So, you know, balance that as you can

[00:24:24] depending on where your garlic bed is situated.

[00:24:27] You still want full sun,

[00:24:29] but if you can give it a break from the heat,

[00:24:30] then that's going to help ultimately.

[00:24:33] As far as water is concerned,

[00:24:36] when we're planting the garlic,

[00:24:37] we want to make sure that it has been watered,

[00:24:40] you know, immediately after planting

[00:24:41] just to settle the soil.

[00:24:43] It does not need to be, you know,

[00:24:45] watered much more than what you would normally get

[00:24:48] based on your rainfall.

[00:24:49] Again, an inch of water is what we go for every week,

[00:24:52] but it's not necessary during the wintertime

[00:24:55] while it is dormant

[00:24:58] unless you are extremely, extremely dry

[00:25:01] and then you may want to give it some water.

[00:25:03] Other than that,

[00:25:04] as soon as it starts growing in the spring,

[00:25:06] then yes, we want to make sure

[00:25:07] that it has adequate moisture.

[00:25:08] We don't want it to be waterlogged.

[00:25:11] We don't want to be overwatering.

[00:25:14] And if you are in those hotter zones,

[00:25:16] just remember a deep, less frequent watering

[00:25:20] is going to be much more beneficial.

[00:25:22] And this is for everybody,

[00:25:23] for all of our plants, right?

[00:25:24] We want less frequent, more thorough waterings.

[00:25:27] But this is even more important

[00:25:28] if you're trying to keep these bulbs cool

[00:25:30] because you want those roots

[00:25:32] to go down deeper

[00:25:34] into the cooler areas of that soil.

[00:25:37] So a less frequent,

[00:25:39] but definitely more thorough watering

[00:25:41] is going to be better for you.

[00:25:42] And then when about half of the garlic leaves

[00:25:46] start to turn yellow

[00:25:48] in the late spring or the early summer,

[00:25:50] this is we want to stop watering.

[00:25:52] I know you can't do anything about rain

[00:25:54] if you're in a rainy area,

[00:25:55] but we don't want to give them

[00:25:57] any additional water.

[00:25:58] This, you know, 50 to 60% of the leaves

[00:26:01] turning yellow is an indication

[00:26:02] that the bulbs are ready to mature.

[00:26:04] And so we don't want to continue

[00:26:06] watering them at that point.

[00:26:08] We want them to be able to form

[00:26:10] that little paper around the outside of the bulb

[00:26:13] and really kind of shrink down

[00:26:15] and tighten to protect it.

[00:26:16] And if we continue to water it at that point,

[00:26:18] it can't do that.

[00:26:19] So make sure you stop watering

[00:26:21] when you see those leaves starting to yellow.

[00:26:24] And then, you know,

[00:26:26] once you've got them planted

[00:26:27] and they're mulched

[00:26:28] and they're watered in

[00:26:29] and you fed them and everything else,

[00:26:30] just kind of walk away for the winter.

[00:26:32] There's not a whole lot to do.

[00:26:33] If you are in the colder climates,

[00:26:35] that's going to be remaining,

[00:26:36] it's going to be dormant

[00:26:37] under the mulch through the winter.

[00:26:38] And then it will start to pop up

[00:26:40] and sprout in the early spring.

[00:26:44] Unlike onions,

[00:26:45] I have never had to pull back my mulch

[00:26:50] dramatically with garlic.

[00:26:52] As long as your mulch has not matted down

[00:26:55] and you can see that the greens

[00:26:57] are coming through nicely,

[00:26:59] then you don't have to worry about it so much.

[00:27:01] I have had to remove it the one time

[00:27:03] that I did that really heavy

[00:27:05] six inch layer of mulch.

[00:27:07] And because I had used a hay,

[00:27:11] not a straw,

[00:27:12] and it had matted down over the wintertime.

[00:27:14] So I did need to pull some of that back.

[00:27:16] But on a normal basis,

[00:27:18] no, I've never had to pull back the mulch

[00:27:20] like I have with my onions.

[00:27:22] In the warmer climates,

[00:27:25] your garlic may continue to sprout

[00:27:27] through the winter.

[00:27:28] You have a much milder temperatures.

[00:27:30] So there's going to be

[00:27:31] a little bit of growth in there,

[00:27:33] but then you really will see it pick up

[00:27:35] as soon as the temperatures

[00:27:37] start to warm up a little bit more

[00:27:38] in the spring.

[00:27:43] No matter where it is

[00:27:44] that you are growing garlic,

[00:27:46] I always would advise

[00:27:47] checking with your local extension services

[00:27:50] and get advice from them

[00:27:53] based on what's going on in your region,

[00:27:56] including varieties that perform well

[00:27:59] in your climate.

[00:28:00] This is especially helpful

[00:28:02] if you are kind of at either end of the extremes,

[00:28:05] you know, zones one through three

[00:28:06] or zones 10 through 12

[00:28:08] where, you know,

[00:28:09] you're very, very warm

[00:28:10] or you're very, very cold.

[00:28:11] Go to the professionals

[00:28:12] that are used to doing this in your area

[00:28:15] and get information from them.

[00:28:17] And, you know,

[00:28:19] just because you're in a zone

[00:28:20] that is sort of smack dab

[00:28:22] in the middle there too

[00:28:24] doesn't mean that

[00:28:25] you only have a handful of varieties

[00:28:26] that you can choose from.

[00:28:27] It may be that you get some recommendations

[00:28:29] from people local to you

[00:28:30] about, hey,

[00:28:31] these have done really well for me,

[00:28:32] but there are so many garlic varieties

[00:28:35] to choose from.

[00:28:36] There is no reason

[00:28:37] why you can't trial

[00:28:38] a few different ones every year

[00:28:40] and also adjust like your planting times

[00:28:43] to see what works best for you

[00:28:46] in your specific location.

[00:28:47] There have been times

[00:28:49] when I have gotten my garlic in

[00:28:50] at the end of September,

[00:28:53] beginning of October

[00:28:53] and was really proud of myself

[00:28:55] for being so far ahead of the game

[00:28:57] only to realize

[00:28:58] that I had a much smaller harvest.

[00:29:01] And so you can do

[00:29:02] just as much damage

[00:29:03] with garlic

[00:29:04] in terms of planting too early

[00:29:07] as you can in planting too late.

[00:29:10] So make sure

[00:29:11] that you're keeping that garden journal

[00:29:12] and you are trialing different things

[00:29:14] every single year.

[00:29:15] Adjust your planting times,

[00:29:17] make your notes,

[00:29:18] record your harvest,

[00:29:19] and that way the following year

[00:29:21] you should be able to find out

[00:29:22] what works best for you.

[00:29:23] Until next time,

[00:29:24] my gardening friends,

[00:29:25] keep on cultivating that dream garden,

[00:29:26] and we'll talk again soon.

[00:29:28] Thanks for listening

[00:29:29] to another episode

[00:29:30] of the Just Grow Something podcast.

[00:29:31] For more information

[00:29:32] about today's topic

[00:29:33] and to find all the ways

[00:29:35] you can get in touch with me

[00:29:36] or support the show,

[00:29:37] go to justgrowsomethingpodcast.com.

[00:29:40] Until next time,

[00:29:41] my gardening friends,

[00:29:42] keep learning and keep growing.