Some people think garlic wards off vampires, colds or evil. Embrace the season by planting garlic!
Prep: Garlic prefers rich, well-drained soil. Dig-in compost before planting.
Plant: Break apart the bulb and try to keep the skin of each clove intact. Plant cloves 2” deep, with the pointy end facing up, 6-8” apart. Mulch: Add 4-6” of mulch to protect the garlic over the winter
Care: In Spring, fertilize with a high nitrogen organic fertilizer, such as kelp meal. Keep well-watered until leaves start to yellow in June.
Harvest: To encourage bulb growth, harvest and eat the flowering “scapes.” When more than half of the leaves turn yellow-brown in June/July, it’s harvest time!
Originally printed in Seattle Tilth’s newsletter, Way to Grow, October – November 2012.
