Garlic, a member of the onion family, may be grown successfully in most Virginia home gardens. There are early (white or Mexican) cultivars and late (pink or Italian) cultivars. The early cultivar does not store well and has poorer quality, but out-yields the later type. Garlic must be planted early in Virginia (March or April) to permit full development. Fall preparation of the soil is desirable so the soil can be fertilized and planted with minimum tillage in the spring.
Garlic is started by planting cloves that are divisions of the large bulb. Each bulb contains a dozen or more cloves; each clove is planted separately. The larger cloves yield larger size mature bulbs at harvest. Do not divide the bulb until ready to plant; early separation decreases yields. Select “seed bulbs” that are large, smooth, fresh, and free from disease.
Plant the cloves 3 to 5 inches apart in an upright position (to assure a straight neck), and cover them to a depth of about 1 inch. Allow 12 to 24 inches between rows. Garlic also lends itself well to a wide row system of planting, spacing cloves 3 to 4 inches apart in rows a foot wide. This requires considerably less garden space for the same yield.
Garlic grows best on well- drained garden loam soils that are fertile and high in organic matter. Gardeners who grow good onion crops can grow garlic. Garlic does well at high fertilizer levels. When preparing soil for planting, apply 3 to 4 lbs. of 10-10- 10 fertilizer per l00 square feet. Bulbs will be small if the soil is excessively dry, and irregular in shape if the soil becomes compacted.
Harvest bulbs when the tops start to dry, usually in August. Place in trays with screens or slatted bottoms, and remove tops when dry. Mature bulbs are best stored under cool, dry conditions. Learn more with this informative video. If you have any questions about planting garlic, call your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office.
LIGHT: sunny, (will tolerate partial shade)
SOIL: well-drained loam, moderate organic matter
pH: 5.5 to 7.0
TEMPERATURES: cool (45 to 60˚F) during early development, medium hot (60 to 75˚F) during bulbing
MOISTURE: moist, but not waterlogged
Culture
PLANTING: Use cloves which are divisions of the mature bulb. Divide just before planting. Plant early in spring in well-drained soils or in fall and mulch well. Young plants are frost tolerant.
SPACING: standard 3 to 5 inches x 12 to 24 inches (cover to a depth of 1 inch); wide row 3 x 4 inches in rows 12 inches apart
HARDINESS: hardy perennial, grown as an annual
FERTILIZER NEEDS: add 3 to 4 lbs. of 10-10-10 per 100 sq. feet when preparing soil; sidedress one to two weeks after bulb enlargement begins with 2 lbs. of 10-10-10 over 100 sq. feet.
SOURCE: Article by Diane Relf, Extension Specialist, Horticulture, Virginia Tech and Alan McDaniel, Extension Specialist, Horticulture, Virginia Tech. From VCE publication 426-411. https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-411/426-411.html
SOURCE: Virginia Farm Bureau