Garlic has both culinary and medicinal value.
Garlic, one of the onion's cousins, appears in a wide variety, including plants that thrive in California's mild climates and bulbs that prefer Minnesota-type weather. Garlic is also divided into two major groups: Hardneck garlic produces a stiff flower stalk, while softneck types do not bloom. Planting garlic is a simple matter, but it takes some trial and error to select a variety that is right for your conditions and taste. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Hoe the garlic bed in the fall to remove weeds, grass and other plants. Take rocks out of the planting site and other debris that will interfere with bulb development underground.
2. Break up the surface of the planting site to a depth of 6 to 8 inches. Spread a 2-inch layer of compost on it. Incorporate the organic matter into the soil. Use a pickaxe and shovel or a rototiller. Rake the bed to create a smooth surface.
3. Broadcast 3 lbs. of a 10-10-10 fertilizer per 100 square feet of planting area, advises Washington State University. Use a spreader to apply the granules evenly. Irrigate the bed to water the feed into the soil.
4. Make 1/2-inch-deep furrows, separating them by 2 feet. Plant the garlic cloves 5 inches apart, pointy tip facing up. Cover the furrows with topsoil. Irrigate the bed to a depth of 2 to 3 inches. Keep the soil moist until the ground freezes. Do not worry if the garlic sends out sprouts that die in the winter. The plant recovers and starts growing again in spring.
5. Resume irrigation in spring. Harvest garlic when the plant's foliage dries and dies. Dig the bulbs instead of pulling them out.
Tags: depth inches, into soil, planting site