How to Plant Garlic at Home?
This time we’ll show you how to plant, care for, and harvest one of the star crops of autumn: garlic.
In what month are garlic planted? This species can be sown in March or April to be harvested only in mid or late spring, so it is important to start early and, above all, with a lot of patience.
How to Plant Garlic?
It is a fairly versatile crop since we can plant it directly in the ground or in a pot or container at least 10 cm deep.
As for the soil, it should be as usual: well-fertilized but not excessively so, and loose. Two of the nutrients that most help garlic in its development are potassium and phosphorus.
We’ll use the outer cloves of garlic, preferably from seed garlic, but some from the grocery store will also work. It’s worth noting that for every clove planted, we’ll get one head.
To plant the cloves, simply bury them about 2-3 cm deep and cover them with loose soil. Then, plant them 10-15 cm apart.
Once buried, they are given a first gentle watering, and from that moment on, they usually take about 2 weeks just to germinate.
CARE GUIDE
#1) Irrigation
Garlic tends to rot easily, so watering should be moderate to infrequent in case of rain. But if you live in a dry area, moderate watering once a week will be more than enough.
It’s very important that the soil where the garlic is planted doesn’t become waterlogged and that you don’t add excessive fertilizer.
We also need to remove any weeds that grow around the garlic plants.
#2) Flower cut
In early to mid-spring, stems with a flower will emerge. If we let the flower grow, the garlic will direct all its nutrients to it and neglect the bulb’s growth, so we’ll cut it off.
To do this, firmly hold the garlic stem with one hand to prevent it from lifting from the ground, and with the other, pull on the flower stalk, which will then break off.
How to Plant Garlic in Soil?
To be more precise, when the flower tube reaches 15 cm, it’s time to pull them out.
Garlic knot
Once the leaves have reached a good height, it’s time to tie them in knots. We need the leaves to dry and begin mobilizing nutrients towards the bulb so it can develop properly. The technique basically consists of making a regular knot at the base of the stem.
When to Plant Garlic?
This should be done in mid-September or October, depending on when we planted, and it is important to do it when the stem is not wet, either from rain or watering.
Harvest
The garlic stem will begin to dry out two or three weeks after the garlic has tied. To remove the head of garlic without damaging it, simply pry it up from the ground at a safe distance from the plant.
We remove any rotten roots or leaves and leave them to dry in the sun for two days to prevent further rotting. It’s important to note that if it rains, we shouldn’t leave them out in the rain; instead, we move them to a dry place and let them rest on absorbent paper.
