When to plant garlic in the vegetable garden?
Originating from Central Asia, garlic is increasingly found in daily menus. It is mainly used to flavor dishes and adds flavor to meals. However, many gardeners fail to grow garlic properly. You have to plant the right varieties at the right time and select a location conducive to their growth. To help you cope better, here we give you all the details on when and how to plant garlic.
The ideal time to plant garlic
Generally speaking, garlic cultivation begins before winter. However, depending on the varieties, the cultivation period may differ. Before knowing when to plant garlic in your garden, you must first consider the type of garlic you have purchased. Most of the time you will find pink garlic, white garlic and purple garlic and they are grown even in harsher climates.
- Purple garlic is generally planted in late fall (October or November). If you live in a humid area, wait until spring to prevent the garlic from rotting during the winter;
- White garliccan also be planted at the end fall in colder regions or spring for milder climates;
- Pink garlicis later than the others and is mainly grown in early spring (between February and March) in the South of France, and in April in other regions.
How to grow garlic: sowing or planting?
To grow garlic in your garden, you have two options: sowing (seeds) or planting (cloves). We favor the second option which is much quicker and easier to implement.
Sowing, morelonger and more tedious
For sowing, you should know that the appearance of young shoots will take much more time. To obtain better results, you can sow in boxes in spring, in a well-drained potting mix. When the first plants reach around 7 cm, you can then replant them in pots and put them in the ground afterwards.
The preferred planting
For planting, you can collect the bulbils (pods or cloves) which are on the main bulb of the garlic. We generally select those located outside the bulb because they develop more easily. You then just need to dig a small hole +/- 2 cm deep and place the pod there. It should be placed head upwards and it is best to let it protrude slightly above the soil. If you plant in a row, space each clove about 10 cm apart.
Once the garlic is planted, you will notice the first plants after a few weeks. These can easily be confused with because of the strong resemblance of the two species. This is not surprising since they are cousins and both belong to the Amaryllidaceae family.
Some cultivation tips
To plant garlic in your garden, prefer clay-siliceous or clay-limestone soil. Garlic also prefers to be placed in well-draining soil. It fears too much humidity, and risks rotting if it is immersed in water for too long. When planting, you can spread a little well-rotted compost on the soil. On the other hand, avoid planting it on recently manured soil. The richness of the manure may indeed be fatal.
In terms of location, choose a place well exposed to the sun. However, you do not have to place it in a row, you can also place it in different places in your vegetable garden. Garlic can, in fact, be an excellent addition to certain crops. For my part, , but also elsewhere in order to protect my crops from certain diseases and pests. Yes, garlic doesn't just scare away vampires!
When to harvest garlic?
Garlic is harvested at the beginning of summer or autumn depending on the variety. To know if it is ready to be picked up, just take a look at its leaves. If they are yellow and dry, it's a good time. If they are still a little green, wait a little.
Once picked, I always let the bulbs sit on the ground for a few days in dry weather before picking them up. I then hang them in a well-ventilated area to let them dry. This allows me to keep them all winter, or even longer!
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