Garlic needs to be planted in a sunny spot. Garlic is grown by planting the cloves - so to get started all you need to do is buy fresh garlic. Choose garlic from a store, or even better, a farm stand or the local farmers market. Its very important that the garlic bulbs chosen are fresh and of high quality. If you can, choose organic garlic so that you avoid garlic that has been sprayed with chemicals. Choose fresh garlic bulbs with large cloves. Avoid garlic that has become soft. Each clove will sprout into a garlic plant, so keep that in mind when youre figuring out how many heads to buy. Break the cloves from a fresh garlic head. Be careful not to damage the cloves at their base, where they attach to the garlic plate. If the base is damaged, the garlic will not grow. Plant the larger cloves. The smaller cloves take up just as much space in the planting bed, but they produce much smaller bulbs. Push each clove into the soil. Point the tips upward and plant the cloves about 2 inches deep. The cloves should be spaced about 8 inches apart for best growing conditions. Cover the planted cloves with mulch. Suitable toppings include hay, dry leaves, straw, compost, well rotted manure, or well rotted grass clippings. Fertilize the cloves or top-dress with compost. The planted garlic needs a complete fertilizer at the time of planting. Fertilize again in the spring if you are planting your garlic in the fall, or in the fall if youre planting it in the spring. Water the plants often. Newly planted garlic need to be kept moist to help the roots to develop. Dont overdo the water, as garlic does not grow well, or may even rot, if sodden during cold months. Water deeply once a week if rain has not fallen. Watering garlic is not necessary unless there is a drought, in which case water sparingly, as garlic hates wet soil. Note the signs of readiness for harvesting. Garlic bulbs are ready to be harvested when you can feel the individual cloves in the bulb, and the leaves turn yellow or brown.
Posted on: Sun, 14 Sep 2014 13:03:04 +0000
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