How to grow garlic
Once upon a time, garlic was planted on the shortest day and harvested on the longest - how I loved that tradition, but life is change. Nowadays, planting earlier is a smart move if you get rust over your garlic foliage mid to late spring. The rust reduces photosynthesis, which in turn impacts bulb growth. So by planting earlier, the bulbs are sized up earlier and can finish off alongside a bit of rust.
Timing depends on Autumn soil moisture and soil health and bulb variety. Have a go with early varieties in March and April, and main crop varieties in May. Experiment with your timings until you find the planting window that works.
Varieties
A mixture of garlic varieties planted at different times is wise. This way, no matter what the weather does you've a better chance of hitting the sweet spot and ending up with a good harvest.
- Hardneck garlics e.g. Ajo Rojo or Aorangi Purple, grow in a ring around a central flower stalk. They are hardier (better suited for colder gardens) than softnecks, bulbs are easier peeling, and the scape (central shoot) is a spring delicacy!
- Softneck varieties e.g. Kakanui or Printanor, store longer than hardnecks and can be plaited.
- Early varieties e.g. Early pearl or Turban types, beat rust.
Good drainage + homemade compost
Drainage is a make or break moment for your garlic crop. If you are on heavy soil, plant in pots or make a mound and plant into that.
As for yummy soil, you wont do better than good old compost. Homemade is the best. Not quite enough homemade?, then mix bought compost with your own. Other possible additions to increase your homemade supply are vermicastings, very well rotten manure or any other cheats compost amendment.
Rotate + Mix it up
Garlic is hungry, so ideally, don't grow after a heavy feeder, nor after any of its onion-y rellies.
Plant
Now that I understand a little more about what's happening below ground, I plant little groups of garlic cloves dotted about the place and mix the garden up, rather than one big block as per the good old days.
Plant at 10 - 20cm spacings - use closer spacings if your soil is fab and the likelihood of rust is low, wider spacings if soil is poor and likelihood of rust is high. The bigger the space, the more weeding to do, and the less crop in a small area - it's a balancing act.
Make a little hole with a stick and slot the cloves in so the tip is level with the top of the soil. In about a months time, the new shoots will appear.
Mulch
I've been having lots of fun experimenting with growing garlic amongst various living mulches - my best results have been chamomile, chickweed, buckwheat and various small saladings.
Otherwise, mulch with a lovely, mixed homemade mulch and/ or a scattering of ramial chip if you have it.
Don't whatever you do, leave the soil bare.
Grow
Garlic is the same as onions and leeks - you want strong foliage growth from the outset because this will bring a big bulb.
If garlic doesn't boost away from the get go, liquid feed as often as weekly or as little as monthly. Stop feeding from about mid spring, or when you can see the bulb beginning to grow at the base.
Chop + drop
Chop and drop weeds, and living mulches onto the soil, before they encroach on the crop. Or, dollop mulch on top of weeds.