Ness, I planted my garlic cloves in a raised bed. I put down a layer of topsoil then a layer of aged horse manure topped with a layer of promix. Put in the cloves and covered with straw. The aged manure is a little high on the pH side but I will see what happens.
Are there “ special “ bulbs that you buy ...to grow Gaahlick?
And who sells them ?
Thanks
How deep do you bury the cloves ?
There are dozens of named cultivars in about half a dozen different types.
Basically broken down into two groups, softnecks and hardnecks.
Generally softnecks which do not send up a hard scape are better adapted to warmer climates. These are the artichokes and silverskins. Hardnecks do send up a hard scape and are more adapted to colder climates. These are your porcelains, purple stripe, marbled purple stripes
An intermediate group the weakly bolting are more variable in adaptation and scape production, turbans, creole and asiatics.
Growing any of them is fairly easy. Break up the bulb into individual cloves but do not peel the cloves. Plant the cloves about 4 inches deep point up in loose worked up soil. Down here, warm climate, fall planting is best though you can plant in spring. Spring planting results in smaller bulbs. Space them 6-10 inches apart.
They are somewhat heavy feeders so put down some fertilizer if needed. I lightly feed once they break ground and again in the spring.
Keep them clear of weeds and a mulch helps. The key to large bulbs is cool soil as long as possible. Once summer heat sets in and the soil heats up the top die back and they are done for the year so plant where the soil will be shaded come summer or mulch.
Once the tops start to die back in summer, varies on timing south to north but May to June here, you pull the plant and lay them out to dry. Once dry cut off or braid the tops and store.
Degree of dying back varies as well with some being prone to lose their wrappers if left in ground to long. Some need to be pulled as they start dying back while other can stay until almost fully died back. But all can be pulled once fully sized up so test a few and see.
Most folks will cut off the scapes on the hardnecks as they shoot up and enjoy those much as you would green onions. Scapes if left will produce small bulbils which can be planted as well but it takes two years from bulbil to bulb vs planting cloves.
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