Plant Garlic Now for Next Summer’s Harvest

Plant Garlic Now for Next Summer’s Harvest

You might think most people like to plant cold-weather greens like kale, or Brussels sprouts¹. But Jessica Damiano learned from search data that the most popular fall-planted crop in the United States is ... garlic.

Damiano studied Google's search trends. She compared Americans' interest in growing garlic with their interest in planting flower bulbs. She was surprised to find that, when people used the search term "how to grow...," garlic was the most common word when compared with other spring bulb plants.

Damiano thinks that is the result of a lack of knowledge about growing garlic. People already know how to plant flower bulbs. Growing garlic is actually as easy as growing daffodils. Here is what you need to know before you plant it:

There are two varieties, or kinds, of garlic — hardnecks and softnecks. Plant the variety best for your climate.

Plant hardneck varieties in northern areas six to eight weeks before a hard frost. Their heads, or bulbs, have a single row of large cloves³, or divisions, formed around an underground stem⁴. They are tastier than softnecks but do not last as long in storage.

Softneck varieties are better for growing in warmer climates. Their heads contain several rows of smaller cloves. Since they last longer after harvest, softnecks are usually the kind shoppers find in supermarkets.

Plant only seed garlic from a dependable supplier – or cloves from the largest, healthiest heads saved from last year's harvest.

Garlic plants need a good amount of nutrition, so add some compost into the top eight to 11 centimeters of soil to make it richer. If you can get some mycorrhizae fungus⁵, a garden additive⁶, it will help the bulb form.

Do not plant the garlic you find in the supermarket. Growers may have sprayed a chemical on it to stop it from growing while at the store or in your home. It also may not be the kind best for your growing conditions.

Separate the head into individual cloves. Do not remove the outer layer, of papery skin. Plant the cloves with the pointy end up, about five centimeters deep and 15 centimeters apart in rows spaced 30 centimeters apart.

Cover with soil, press it down and water well.

If your winter temperature falls below four degrees Celsius⁷, add a thick cover of straw as mulch to the garden bed. Water the straw to settle it into place.

It is fine for the garlic plants to send out green growth, or sprouts, during autumn and early winter, even in northern climates. Do not worry about possible damage to this growth in cold weather.

Remove the mulch in spring, after the danger of frost has passed. Put a little fertilizer between each row five to 10 centimeters from the stems⁸. Keep the bed free of weeds.

Hardneck varieties will send up tall, leafless stems called scapes in late spring. Remove them so the plant gives all its energy to forming the bulb. The scapes are delicious and taste a little like garlic. You can put them in salads, soups or cooked with other vegetables.

Your garlic will be ready to harvest in mid-to-late summer when at least 50 percent of the plant has turned yellow. Carefully dig the bulbs out and brush off the soil. Do not wash them.

Set hardneck varieties with their stems attached on a drying surface, like a rack or screen, then place in a cool, dry spot for two weeks. You can wrap the stems of softneck varieties together and hang them to dry. The garlic's papery skin will help make it last longer.

Store bulbs in a cool, dry spot. Hardnecks will remain fresh for at least three to six months; softnecks will last up to nine months.

Words in This Story

bulb – n. a root shaped like an onion that grows into a flower or plant

trend –n. something that is currently⁹ popular, fashionable or of interest to people

bloom – n. the flower on a plant.

neck – n. the long narrow part at one end of an object, such as a flower or vegetable bulb

compost – n. a mixture of decayed¹⁰ plants and vegetable waste which is added to the soil to help plants grow.

frost – n. a temperature low enough to cause freezing

row –n. a line of things one after the other

clove² – n. a section of a garlic bulb

stem – n. any stalk¹¹ or part supporting leaves, flowers, or fruit

mulch – n. a layer of something such as old leaves, small pieces of wood, or manure¹² which you put on the soil around plants to protect them and help them to grow.

1 sprouts   

n.新芽，嫩枝( sprout的名词复数 )v.发芽( sprout的第三人称单数 )；抽芽；出现；（使）涌现出

参考例句：

• The wheat sprouts grew perceptibly after the rain. 下了一场雨，麦苗立刻见长。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The sprouts have pushed up the earth. 嫩芽把土顶起来了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 clove   

n.丁香味

参考例句：

• If tired,smell a whiff of clove oil and it will wake you up.如果疲倦，闻上一点丁香油将令人清醒。
• A sweet-smell comes from roses and clove trees.丁香与玫瑰的香味扑鼻而来。

3 cloves   

n.丁香（热带树木的干花，形似小钉子，用作调味品，尤用作甜食的香料）( clove的名词复数 )；蒜瓣(a garlic ~|a ~of garlic)

参考例句：

• My country is rich in cinnamon, cloves, ginger, pepper, and precious stones. 我国盛产肉桂、丁香、生姜、胡椒和宝石。 来自辞典例句
• Ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, pepper and cloves are common spices. 姜、肉豆蔻、肉桂、胡椒、丁香都是常用的香料。 来自辞典例句

4 stem   

n.茎，干，船首，词干，血统；vt.堵住，阻止，抽去梗；vi.起源于，发生

参考例句：

• Cut the stem cleanly,just beneath a leaf joint.把茎切整齐点，正好切在叶根下。
• The ship was in a blaze from stem to stern.整艘船从头到尾都着火了。

5 fungus   

n.真菌，真菌类植物

参考例句：

• Mushrooms are a type of fungus.蘑菇是一种真菌。
• This fungus can just be detected by the unaided eye.这种真菌只用肉眼就能检查出。

6 additive   

adj.附加的；n.添加剂

参考例句：

• Colour is often an additive in foods.颜料经常是各种食物中的添加物。
• Strict safety tests are carried out on food additives.对食品添加剂进行了严格的安全检测。

7 Celsius   

adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的

参考例句：

• The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
• The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。

8 stems   

n.（花草的）茎( stem的名词复数 )；词干；（高脚酒杯的）脚；烟斗柄v.遏制[阻止]（液体的流动等）( stem的第三人称单数 )；封堵；遏止

参考例句：

• The present wave of strikes stems from discontent among the lower-paid. 当前的罢工浪潮起因于低工资雇员们的不满情绪。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Her interest in flowers stems from her childhood in the country. 她对花卉的兴趣产生于她在乡下度过的童年时代。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 currently   

adv.通常地，普遍地，当前

参考例句：

• Currently it is not possible to reconcile this conflicting evidence.当前还未有可能去解释这一矛盾的例证。
• Our contracts are currently under review.我们的合同正在复查。

10 decayed   

a.腐败的，被蛀的

参考例句：

• New Shoreham, now sadly decayed, has barely 100 inhabitants. 如今已经衰落的新肖勒姆仅有100 名居民，很令人伤感。
• The place stank of decayed fish. 那地方有烂鱼的臭味。

11 stalk   

n.茎，追踪，高视阔步；v.悄悄靠近，蔓延，高视阔步

参考例句：

• It's no better than a hollow stalk.那比根空麦秆子好不了多少。
• It was not a stalk，it was an ambush.这不是暗暗跟踪而是伏袭。

12 manure   

n.粪，肥，肥粒；vt.施肥

参考例句：

• The farmers were distributing manure over the field.农民们正在田间施肥。
• The farmers used manure to keep up the fertility of their land.农夫们用粪保持其土质的肥沃。