Growing Garlic

If you love garlic, you'll love what growing it at home can do for its flavor. Not only can you harvest it fresh, but you can try out lots of different varieties that aren't available to you in the grocery store. There are hundreds of varieties, each varying in color, spiciness and usefulness in methods of cooking.

The success of your crop depends in large part on when you plant. Fall is the best time, aiming for a planting window that's early enough to achieve good root development before the ground freezes and not so early that you have significant top growth. Usually that means planting garlic about the same time as spring-flowering bulbs. In Minnesota, that might mean mid to late September; November or even early December is usually the best time in the coastal regions of Virginia. To be certain about the right time in your area, check with your local extension office or trusted garden center.

Besides the timing, a few other factors are essential in getting a good crop of garlic: