Dear Teter,

Thank you for contacting us about planting your garlic. I'd suggest you plant it as soon as possible since they won't store well over the summer. Remember to avoid working in wet soil. 

As with most vegetables, it is best to rotate your crops so that you do not promote soil pathogens. If you have the space, use a different section of your raised beds each year. This is not always possible, it will help guard against fungal and nematode pests. It also avoids diminishing the soil nutrients used by a crop.

I hope this is helpful. Please write again whenever you have a gardening question.

Garlic

Garlic is easy to grow. Garlic is clone propagated; it rarely has flowers and bears no true seed.

There are two different types of garlic: soft neck and hard neck. The soft necks have several layers of small cloves; this is what you find in the grocery store. The hard necks generally produce large bulbs with fewer and very large cloves. This type puts up a stiff stalk in the center. These stalks should be removed when they have made one curl to direct the energy to growing large bulbs. These tender stalks are delicious stir-fried.

Harvest garlic when half the leaves show some yellowing.

Garlic needs sun and prefers loose, well-limed soil and moderate fertility. Plant on 5-inch centers in October to harvest the following summer. Mulch to discourage weeds and keep bed weed-free. Don’t water after June 1. Harvest when half the leaves show some yellowing; don’t leave in the ground too long, or they will split their wrappers. If in doubt, dig a bulb and check for clove development.

Hang in a warm dry place with leaves intact to cure for about a month. Clip tops to 1” and trim roots. Store at around 60 degrees in a dark dry place. An out of the way closet in the house works well. Refrigeration will break dormancy and promote growth. Save the largest cloves for seed to plant in October.