Growing Garlic

Bill Christopher, who has more than 3,000 acres of garlic under cultivation at Christopher Ranch in Gilroy, Calif., shares tips on growing this flavorful bulb.

First, it's important to learn the names for the parts of garlic. A bulb of garlic includes the entire clump and often has the roots on the underside. Inside the bulb are the cloves (figure A). "When you're cooking a 60-clove chicken, you want to use 60 cloves, not 60 bulbs," says Christopher.

Planting garlic

When planting a garlic clove, make sure that the pointed tip (figure B) is placed in the soil facing up. The flatter end is where the roots are going to grow. If the clove is planted upside down, or with the pointed tip facing down, the new growth has to make a U-turn to grow upwards and out of the soil above, and sometimes it may not have enough energy to push through the soil surface.

Garlic prefers a loose soil because the bulb develops underground. "Loose soil will give you a nice round bulb while tighter soil will produce a smaller bulb," says Christopher.

The soil pH should be near neutral to slightly acidic. Garlic does best in full sun. If it's planted in shade, a tiny bulb of garlic will be produced, instead of a nice round one. Plant garlic three inches deep and four inches apart in early spring or late fall.

Harvesting garlic

Garlic bulbs are ready for harvest once the plants on the soil surface are brown and withered (figure C). Gently pull the bulb out of the ground (figure D) and lay it out to dry for about two weeks. At this point, cut off the roots and stems and allow the bulb to cure another seven to 10 days. If you store it too soon after harvesting, it will be too green and may produce mold. Otherwise, if you take the time for the bulb to be cured, it enhances the shelf life. Store it in a cool, dry location for six to 12 months.