I planted garlic cloves from a grocery store head. They have only been
in the ground a few weeks and they have
grown above the ground about 2 inches. Is this "normal" ? Here is
what I have heard about growing garlic:
Plant it in the fall and something about not getting real growth until
the spring. Does this mean I planted before it is cold enough? Any
help appreciated.
MJ

On Oct 24, 5:05*pm, "
wrote:
I planted garlic cloves from a grocery store head. They have only been
in the ground a few weeks and they have
grown above the ground about 2 inches. Is this "normal" ? *Here is
what I have heard about growing garlic:
Plant it in the fall and something about not getting real growth until
the spring. Does this mean I planted before it is cold enough? *Any
help appreciated.
MJ

You did fine.
I usually put mine in mid-October.

This very thorough explanation just arrived in my inbox today, from
the newsletter of the Organic Grower School in the mountains:

"Dear Ruth,

I heard that the time to plant garlic is in the fall. If that’s true,
how do I plant it?

Roger
Asheville, NC

Dear Roger,

I planted a number of different garlic cultivars last fall. It was
quite a thrill to harvest three different kinds of garlic, and know
that I would be eating my own homegrown garlic all year. Garlic is
usually planted in the fall, and harvested the following summer around
mid-July. Spring-planted garlic will not be as big. In Western North
Carolina, garlic is best planted from about mid-October to mid-
November. Plant in well-drained, fertile soil that has plenty of
organic matter. Locally-grown garlic makes the best seed because it
will be regionally adapted, but you can even plant the garlic found in
the grocery store.

To plant: Pull the garlic bulb apart into individual cloves.
Ideally, use only the largest cloves for planting (the smaller cloves
can be eaten, or planted thickly to produce an early harvest of garlic
greens.) Eliminate any cloves that look moldy, damaged or diseased.
Plant individual cloves point side up, about 4” apart, with 30”
between rows. You can also plant in double rows that are 6” apart,
with 30” between rows. Avoid planting garlic in areas where onions
have been planted during the last few years.

Growing on: Little or no top growth will be seen over the winter.
Usually you begin to see top growth in early March. Mulch generously
over winter to suppress weeds and maintain moisture levels in the
soil. When leaf growth becomes evident in spring, you can start
fertilizing (with something like Neptune’s Harvest Fish/Seaweed Blend)
every two weeks. Keep your eye on moisture levels; they should remain
even. As the days become shorter following the summer solstice, the
bulb begins to form. During the last stage of growth, garlic can
quickly double in size. garlic growing

To harvest: Harvest when ½ of the leaves have turned brown. If you
dig it too early, the garlic will not have achieved its full size
potential. If you dig it too late, the outer skin starts to
disintegrate and the bulbs begin to break apart. It is best to dig
down in the soil and check the bulbs progress. The outer skin should
be tight and the bulbs should be plump and fully developed. Loosen
the soil with a garden fork and the bulbs will easily release for
harvest. Leave the tops on, bunch the bulbs together and hang to
dry. After about a month you can cut the greens off. Leave the tops
on if you plan to make garlic braids (use softneck garlic for
braids). If you rinse the soil from bulbs, be sure they are
completely dry before storage.

Next year’s seed: Save the biggest, fattest bulbs for next year’s
seed, and leave them unwashed. Next year plant the biggest cloves
from the bulbs you saved.

Three types of garlic: Softneck Garlic ~ The necks of this garlic are
soft when mature. Softneck garlic is the type that is braided. It is
widely adaptable, makes the best storage garlic, and has the strongest
flavor. Hardneck Garlic ~ This garlic sends up a scape (flower) that
is edible and makes a decorative dried flower. To harvest bigger
bulbs, it is best to remove the scapes. This garlic is very cold
hardy, it has a milder flavor than softneck, and the cloves are easier
to peel. Doesn’t store as well as softneck. Elephant Garlic ~ More
closely related to leeks, elephant garlic has a mild flavor and
produces very large cloves that are easy to peel. Mulch heavily, as
it is not quite as winter hardy. Stores about one year.

Garlic is a great crop. As long as you keep it weeded, it requires
very little attention. It is renowned for its healing properties, and
can be used as a bug repellant in the garden Industrious gardeners can
make garlic braids for Christmas presents (you need a least 10 garlic
bulbs per braid which means planting a good bit of garlic). Worst-
case scenario, you will enjoy eating it all year long!

Best of luck,

Ruth Gonzalez

Gardeners: Got a question for Ruth? Email it to the Organic Growers
School

On Oct 26, 11:58*am, JanL wrote:
This very thorough explanation just arrived in my inbox today, from
the newsletter of the Organic Grower School in the mountains:

"Dear Ruth,

I heard that the time to plant garlic is in the fall. *If that’s true,
how do I plant it?

Roger
Asheville, NC

Dear Roger,

I planted a number of different garlic cultivars last fall. *It was
quite a thrill to harvest three different kinds of garlic, and know
that I would be eating my own homegrown garlic all year. *Garlic is
usually planted in the fall, and harvested the following summer around
mid-July. *Spring-planted garlic will not be as big. *In Western North
Carolina, garlic is best planted from about mid-October to mid-
November. *Plant in well-drained, fertile soil that has plenty of
organic matter. *Locally-grown garlic makes the best seed because it
will be regionally adapted, but you can even plant the garlic found in
the grocery store.

To plant: *Pull the garlic bulb apart into individual cloves.
Ideally, use only the largest cloves for planting (the smaller cloves
can be eaten, or planted thickly to produce an early harvest of garlic
greens.) *Eliminate any cloves that look moldy, damaged or diseased.
Plant individual cloves point side up, about 4” apart, with 30”
between rows. *You can also plant in double rows that are 6” apart,
with 30” between rows. *Avoid planting garlic in areas where onions
have been planted during the last few years.

Growing on: *Little or no top growth will be seen over the winter.
Usually you begin to see top growth in early March. *Mulch generously
over winter to suppress weeds and maintain moisture levels in the
soil. *When leaf growth becomes evident in spring, you can start
fertilizing (with something like Neptune’s Harvest Fish/Seaweed Blend)
every two weeks. *Keep your eye on moisture levels; they should remain
even. *As the days become shorter following the summer solstice, the
bulb begins to form. *During the last stage of growth, garlic can
quickly double in size. garlic growing

To harvest: Harvest when ½ of the leaves have turned brown. *If you
dig it too early, the garlic will not have achieved its full size
potential. *If you dig it too late, the outer skin starts to
disintegrate and the bulbs begin to break apart. *It is best to dig
down in the soil and check the bulbs progress. The outer skin should
be tight and the bulbs should be plump and fully developed. *Loosen
the soil with a garden fork and the bulbs will easily release for
harvest. *Leave the tops on, bunch the bulbs together and hang to
dry. *After about a month you can cut the greens off. *Leave the tops
on if you plan to make garlic braids (use softneck garlic for
braids). *If you rinse the soil from bulbs, be sure they are
completely dry before storage.

Next year’s seed: *Save the biggest, fattest bulbs for next year’s
seed, and leave them unwashed. *Next year plant the biggest cloves
from the bulbs you saved.

Three types of garlic: *Softneck Garlic ~ The necks of this garlic are
soft when mature. *Softneck garlic is the type that is braided. *It is
widely adaptable, makes the best storage garlic, and has the strongest
flavor. Hardneck Garlic ~ This garlic sends up a scape (flower) that
is edible and makes a decorative dried flower. *To harvest bigger
bulbs, it is best to remove the scapes. *This garlic is very cold
hardy, it has a milder flavor than softneck, and the cloves are easier
to peel. *Doesn’t store as well as softneck. *Elephant Garlic ~ More
closely related to leeks, elephant garlic has a mild flavor and
produces very large cloves that are easy to peel. *Mulch heavily, as
it is not quite as winter hardy. *Stores about one year.

Garlic is a great crop. *As long as you keep it weeded, it requires
very little attention. *It is renowned for its healing properties, and
can be used as a bug repellant in the garden Industrious gardeners can
make garlic braids for Christmas presents (you need a least 10 garlic
bulbs per braid which means planting a good bit of garlic). *Worst-
case scenario, you will enjoy eating it all year long!

Best of luck,

Ruth Gonzalez

Gardeners: Got a question for Ruth? Email it to the Organic Growers
School

Wow, thank you. It still says there won't be much top growth over the
winter and I seem to have a lot. Ideas?
MJ

On Oct 26, 1:15*pm, "
wrote:
On Oct 26, 11:58*am, JanL wrote:



This very thorough explanation just arrived in my inbox today, from
the newsletter of the Organic Grower School in the mountains:

"Dear Ruth,

I heard that the time to plant garlic is in the fall. *If that’s true,
how do I plant it?

Roger
Asheville, NC

Dear Roger,

I planted a number of different garlic cultivars last fall. *It was
quite a thrill to harvest three different kinds of garlic, and know
that I would be eating my own homegrown garlic all year. *Garlic is
usually planted in the fall, and harvested the following summer around
mid-July. *Spring-planted garlic will not be as big. *In Western North
Carolina, garlic is best planted from about mid-October to mid-
November. *Plant in well-drained, fertile soil that has plenty of
organic matter. *Locally-grown garlic makes the best seed because it
will be regionally adapted, but you can even plant the garlic found in
the grocery store.

To plant: *Pull the garlic bulb apart into individual cloves.
Ideally, use only the largest cloves for planting (the smaller cloves
can be eaten, or planted thickly to produce an early harvest of garlic
greens.) *Eliminate any cloves that look moldy, damaged or diseased.
Plant individual cloves point side up, about 4” apart, with 30”
between rows. *You can also plant in double rows that are 6” apart,
with 30” between rows. *Avoid planting garlic in areas where onions
have been planted during the last few years.

Growing on: *Little or no top growth will be seen over the winter.
Usually you begin to see top growth in early March. *Mulch generously
over winter to suppress weeds and maintain moisture levels in the
soil. *When leaf growth becomes evident in spring, you can start
fertilizing (with something like Neptune’s Harvest Fish/Seaweed Blend)
every two weeks. *Keep your eye on moisture levels; they should remain
even. *As the days become shorter following the summer solstice, the
bulb begins to form. *During the last stage of growth, garlic can
quickly double in size. garlic growing

To harvest: Harvest when ½ of the leaves have turned brown. *If you
dig it too early, the garlic will not have achieved its full size
potential. *If you dig it too late, the outer skin starts to
disintegrate and the bulbs begin to break apart. *It is best to dig
down in the soil and check the bulbs progress. The outer skin should
be tight and the bulbs should be plump and fully developed. *Loosen
the soil with a garden fork and the bulbs will easily release for
harvest. *Leave the tops on, bunch the bulbs together and hang to
dry. *After about a month you can cut the greens off. *Leave the tops
on if you plan to make garlic braids (use softneck garlic for
braids). *If you rinse the soil from bulbs, be sure they are
completely dry before storage.

Next year’s seed: *Save the biggest, fattest bulbs for next year’s
seed, and leave them unwashed. *Next year plant the biggest cloves
from the bulbs you saved.

Three types of garlic: *Softneck Garlic ~ The necks of this garlic are
soft when mature. *Softneck garlic is the type that is braided. *It is
widely adaptable, makes the best storage garlic, and has the strongest
flavor. Hardneck Garlic ~ This garlic sends up a scape (flower) that
is edible and makes a decorative dried flower. *To harvest bigger
bulbs, it is best to remove the scapes. *This garlic is very cold
hardy, it has a milder flavor than softneck, and the cloves are easier
to peel. *Doesn’t store as well as softneck. *Elephant Garlic ~ More
closely related to leeks, elephant garlic has a mild flavor and
produces very large cloves that are easy to peel. *Mulch heavily, as
it is not quite as winter hardy. *Stores about one year.

Garlic is a great crop. *As long as you keep it weeded, it requires
very little attention. *It is renowned for its healing properties, and
can be used as a bug repellant in the garden Industrious gardeners can
make garlic braids for Christmas presents (you need a least 10 garlic
bulbs per braid which means planting a good bit of garlic). *Worst-
case scenario, you will enjoy eating it all year long!

Best of luck,

Ruth Gonzalez

Gardeners: Got a question for Ruth? Email it to the Organic Growers
School

Wow, thank you. It still says there won't be much top growth over the
winter and I seem to have a lot. Ideas?
MJ

My garlic always grows a little in fall. It's up now.
It will be fine.

On Oct 26, 1:15*pm, "
wrote:
On Oct 26, 11:58*am, JanL wrote:



This very thorough explanation just arrived in my inbox today, from
the newsletter of the Organic Grower School in the mountains:

"Dear Ruth,

I heard that the time to plant garlic is in the fall. *If that’s true,
how do I plant it?

Roger
Asheville, NC

Dear Roger,

I planted a number of different garlic cultivars last fall. *It was
quite a thrill to harvest three different kinds of garlic, and know
that I would be eating my own homegrown garlic all year. *Garlic is
usually planted in the fall, and harvested the following summer around
mid-July. *Spring-planted garlic will not be as big. *In Western North
Carolina, garlic is best planted from about mid-October to mid-
November. *Plant in well-drained, fertile soil that has plenty of
organic matter. *Locally-grown garlic makes the best seed because it
will be regionally adapted, but you can even plant the garlic found in
the grocery store.

To plant: *Pull the garlic bulb apart into individual cloves.
Ideally, use only the largest cloves for planting (the smaller cloves
can be eaten, or planted thickly to produce an early harvest of garlic
greens.) *Eliminate any cloves that look moldy, damaged or diseased.
Plant individual cloves point side up, about 4” apart, with 30”
between rows. *You can also plant in double rows that are 6” apart,
with 30” between rows. *Avoid planting garlic in areas where onions
have been planted during the last few years.

Growing on: *Little or no top growth will be seen over the winter.
Usually you begin to see top growth in early March. *Mulch generously
over winter to suppress weeds and maintain moisture levels in the
soil. *When leaf growth becomes evident in spring, you can start
fertilizing (with something like Neptune’s Harvest Fish/Seaweed Blend)
every two weeks. *Keep your eye on moisture levels; they should remain
even. *As the days become shorter following the summer solstice, the
bulb begins to form. *During the last stage of growth, garlic can
quickly double in size. garlic growing

To harvest: Harvest when ½ of the leaves have turned brown. *If you
dig it too early, the garlic will not have achieved its full size
potential. *If you dig it too late, the outer skin starts to
disintegrate and the bulbs begin to break apart. *It is best to dig
down in the soil and check the bulbs progress. The outer skin should
be tight and the bulbs should be plump and fully developed. *Loosen
the soil with a garden fork and the bulbs will easily release for
harvest. *Leave the tops on, bunch the bulbs together and hang to
dry. *After about a month you can cut the greens off. *Leave the tops
on if you plan to make garlic braids (use softneck garlic for
braids). *If you rinse the soil from bulbs, be sure they are
completely dry before storage.

Next year’s seed: *Save the biggest, fattest bulbs for next year’s
seed, and leave them unwashed. *Next year plant the biggest cloves
from the bulbs you saved.

Three types of garlic: *Softneck Garlic ~ The necks of this garlic are
soft when mature. *Softneck garlic is the type that is braided. *It is
widely adaptable, makes the best storage garlic, and has the strongest
flavor. Hardneck Garlic ~ This garlic sends up a scape (flower) that
is edible and makes a decorative dried flower. *To harvest bigger
bulbs, it is best to remove the scapes. *This garlic is very cold
hardy, it has a milder flavor than softneck, and the cloves are easier
to peel. *Doesn’t store as well as softneck. *Elephant Garlic ~ More
closely related to leeks, elephant garlic has a mild flavor and
produces very large cloves that are easy to peel. *Mulch heavily, as
it is not quite as winter hardy. *Stores about one year.

Garlic is a great crop. *As long as you keep it weeded, it requires
very little attention. *It is renowned for its healing properties, and
can be used as a bug repellant in the garden Industrious gardeners can
make garlic braids for Christmas presents (you need a least 10 garlic
bulbs per braid which means planting a good bit of garlic). *Worst-
case scenario, you will enjoy eating it all year long!

Best of luck,

Ruth Gonzalez

Gardeners: Got a question for Ruth? Email it to the Organic Growers
School

Wow, thank you. It still says there won't be much top growth over the
winter and I seem to have a lot. Ideas?
MJ

My garlic always grows a little in fall. It's up now.
It will be fine.