Never Buy Garlic Again
🧄 How to Grow Garlic at Home: Step-by-Step Guide
Growing garlic is one of the most rewarding things you can do in your home garden. It’s low-maintenance, space-efficient, and adds incredible flavor to your meals. In this complete guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about planting, growing, harvesting, storing garlic and saving to plant for future uses. NEVER BUY GARLIC AGAIN!
📌 Quick Facts About Garlic
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Planting Season: Fall – typically end of October/Early November
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Type: Hardneck (cold climates) or Softneck (mild climates) – I choose hardnecks for better storage
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Harvest: July
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Sunlight: Full sun (6–8 hours/day)
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Soil: Well-draining, loose, fertile
🌱 Step 1: Choose the Right Garlic Type
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Hardneck Garlic: Better for colder climates, produces garlic scapes.
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Softneck Garlic: Stores longer, better for warmer climates.
🛒 Tip: Don’t use grocery store garlic—it’s often treated not to sprout. Buy certified seed garlic from a garden center or online supplier.
Purchase online or find a local place for “seed garlic”. Garlic “Seed” is the largest of the bulbs to help continue growing larger bulbs each year. This is where I bought my garlic from (along with strawberries & onion) I highly recommend them!
https://organicheirloomgardens.com/
🌿 Step 2: Prepare the Soil
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Garlic loves loose, well-draining soil with organic matter.
- Mix in compost or aged manure before planting.
🧄 Step 3: Planting Garlic
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When to Plant:
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Fall planting: 4–6 weeks before the ground freezes typically end of October or early November
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How to Plant:
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Break garlic bulbs into individual cloves (don’t peel) (I use a butter knife to help break apart)
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Plant each clove 2 inches deep, pointy end up, root side down
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Space 3–6 inches apart in rows 10–12 inches apart
- Cover
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💧 Step 4: Watering and Maintenance
- Cover with a few inches of leaves and water down to hold in place. If you have any extra screen or netting place that on top with rocks to hold down the leaves.
- Remove netting once snow has melted and you start seeing them pop up. Leave the leaves, they will push their way up easily.
🌾 Step 5: Harvesting and Curing
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Garlic is ready when several leaves have turned brown
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Gently loosen soil and pull bulbs out
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Do not wash—let dry with stalks attached in a warm, shaded area for 6 weeks
- HARDNECKS – you’ll need to trim the Garlic Scape 1 month prior to it being ready. IMPORTANT (watch this video)
📦 Step 6: Storing Garlic
- Cut a few inches above the bulb’s (do not remove roots) and store in a dark and cool area.
- Save your biggest bulbs to plant for next year’s crop!
- Store in a cool, dark, dry place with airflow in a single layer
💬 Questions? Tips?
Leave a comment or reach out! And be sure to check out the YouTube video tutorial here for a visual walkthrough.
🔗 Recommended Resources
NOTE: Hard necks will have “Scapes” that shoot up in the middle of the garlic stalk – they look like curly Q’s. They usually show up about a month before they are ready and they NEED to be cut in order to send the energy back down to the bulbs. There’s a HUGE difference if you forget to trim those scapes. After you harvest and cure you’ll then cut the remaining stalks and store in a cool, dry and dark place.
Softnecks you will not cut the stalks, this will allow you to “braid” the garlic for storage by hanging them.
Garlic is Amazing!
Medicinal!
Delicious!
Harvest The Garlic!
Curing the Garlic!
Garlic Scapes- When & How