Growing Garlic - Very Easy to do!

How to grow garlic?
"Garlic can have a dormancy, and 4 weeks in the fridge can break it"
"Most times the grocery store one will just grow! so give it a go."
"After you plant a clove or two, the rest should go in the fridge, in case it doesnt take"

Garlic can be grown indoors or out, greenhouse or grow-tent, and living room or open sky!
First, unless your looking for a very specific variety theres no need to buy garlic bulbs from
a nursery or walmart's gardening department.
A simple visit to your local grocer will do just:
A) Make sure you like it, cook with a clove or two first; which helps you determine if.
B) It is fresh, brown spots or rotting garlic shouldn't be planted, it may still grow however;
    Probably slow at first.


If growing in pots ensure you put it right into its home, no transplanting of garlic, it doesnt like it.
You will probably want a long pot to grow 4 or 5, or deep pots with a low circumference as its a root
and doesn't need much as far as lateral growth goes.
If growing in soil in a outdoor garden, or greenhouse keep them to themselves away from other plants.
Planting in fall for spring harvest is ideal if growing outside, simply plant just before first frost,
mulch area well with clippings or leaves, and dampen ground; plant 2" deep.
Many garden veggies tolerate each other, garlic will not. Ive seen garlic stop growing when a weed
popped up near it, keep this in mind.
Garlic is extremely easy to grow if left to its solitude, both from you and other plants.
Use high quality soil for bigger and better garlic, manure or compost is great for this and should be
added to the hole before you plant your clove/bulb. Regular potting soil will also do well.

Growing garlic from seed is possible, but its very moody, hard, and needs generations to adapt to
the area your growing, keep it to bulbs. Bulbs are literally just the cloves of garlic, remove the papery
cover and plant rooted "rough" side down, pointed side up about 1 or 2 inches below soil level.
If growing in a pot, 1 inch is enough, going too deep will be bad if your pot isnt deep and it should be!.
Do not remove the hard bottom off your cloves, the piece that was connected to the flat basal plate
is where your roots are born, and damage could delay or prevent growth.


Like potato, garlic needs pretty even soil moisture for uniform and healthy growth.


When its ready, the plant "which looks like green onion" will brown and dye back.
This is where you pull your garlic from the ground, carefully!

After garlic is harvested it needs to be cured. In curing the energy from the leaves goes into the bulbs as they dry. Remove any chunks of dirt from the roots, being careful not to bruise the garlic. Leave the roots on as they have a moderating effect on the drying rate. Root removal will be done after curing is complete.

Two weeks of drying/curing is ideal but ive always just left it for 1 week. If unsure
or new to garlic leave for 2.

TIPS:
Garlic can be sunburned, do not allow it to dry in the sun, or grow above ground. The taste becomes
gawd-aweful.

Move the crop! do not plant garlic in the same spot each year, every two years only. This means
Switch spots with your peas, or lettuce.

Do NOT compost garlic plant, Im not sure why, this is just what i was taught. And have never done it
if you try, or have, please let me know below. it will be added to this post directly for all to share.

   Addition by Ryan - Below poster thanks for helping me complete this.
  """ Garlic can be composted, but the cloves do have a tendency to sprout. If you chop them up before adding     them you should be alright. Worms don't seem to care for garlic, so keep it out of worm bins. """ -3.15.2011

Soil bourne disease can spread in garlic very fast, if you suspect this problem, pull it and dispose
clean any tools "shovel, spade etc" after to prevent spreading.

Before storing, remove as much root as you can without touching the basal plate.
You should have about 1/8" left of roots. and about 1" left of paper above the actual garlic.




Remember, garlic grows above ground fast, try it and be amazed!