🧄 Garlic
How to grow
Break bulbs into cloves (keep the papery wrapper on) and plant 2 inches deep, pointy end up, 4–6 weeks before the ground freezes — garlic NEEDS cold exposure (vernalization) to form bulbs, which is why fall planting is non-negotiable in most zones. Mulch 4–6 inches with straw after planting and walk away until spring.
Florida and the deep South: chill your seed garlic in the fridge 6–8 weeks before planting (yes, really — fake winter), and plant the earliest-maturing softnecks or Creole types. Hardnecks need real cold and will sulk below zone 7. In spring, hardnecks send up scapes — curly flower stalks you should snap off and sauté in triumph; removing them redirects energy into the bulb.
Water & feeding
Water well in spring during active growth, then STOP watering 2–3 weeks before harvest so bulbs cure properly — wet garlic at harvest rots in storage. At planting, work worm castings into the bed (5–10% by volume); garlic is a light feeder and castings' slow release is perfect. No mid-season feeding needed if the bed was prepped well.
Common problems
- White rot (Sclerotium cepivorum): the nightmare — white fluff and black dots at the base. No cure; rotate alliums on a 4+ year cycle and never compost infected plants.
- Onion maggots: row cover at planting is the best defense; they target stressed seedlings.
- Rust (orange spots on leaves): improve airflow, water at soil level, remove affected leaves. Usually cosmetic unless severe.
Harvest
Harvest when the bottom 2–3 leaves are brown but 4–5 green leaves remain (each green leaf = one wrapper layer on the bulb). Dig, don't pull. Cure 2–4 weeks in a dry, airy, shady spot before trimming tops and roots. Properly cured garlic stores 6–8 months — your future self says thanks.