How to Plant Hardneck Garlic

Do you want to grow a full years supply of garlic in your garden? Well, you can! Growing garlic is very simple, so keep reading to learn how you can grow hardneck garlic starting this fall.

Why you should grow some garlic

I love growing garlic; in fact, I think garlic is one of the easiest plants to grow! You basically plant the cloves in fall, then forget about it until spring.

Garlic is pretty carefree as long as it has enough water, sunlight, and nutrients. Garlic is also a very compact plant so you can grow a lot in a very small space.

Hardneck vs. Softneck

Softneck garlic grows in warm climates and does not tolerate cool weather well. Softneck garlic is also planted in the spring instead of the fall.

Hardneck garlic needs the cool weather to grow, so it is best planted in zones 1-7. If you live in a warmer zone, then you should plant softneck garlic.

Hardneck garlic has a hard stem that goes through the center of the bulb, whereas softneck garlic does not have this hard center.

Most garlic that is sold in grocery stores is softneck garlic. Many people enjoy the flavor of hardneck garlic and even say that it has a more “intense” flavor.

Hardneck garlic varieties

There are many different varieties of hardneck garlic; here a just few that have done well for me.

Music

Music garlic has white skins while each clove is individually wrapped in a purple striped skin. It has large cloves and was originally loved by chefs in Italy which is where this variety originated from. You can find music garlic bulbs for sale here.

German Extra Hardy

As the name implies this garlic is very hardy in cold climates, so if you live in a cold zone this garlic is for you. This garlic has a white outer skin and pink wrapped cloves. You can buy German Extra Hardy garlic here.

Russian Giant

This garlic is by far the largest garlic I have ever grown. Not only are there 9 cloves per bulb but the cloves themselves also grow very large! This garlic has a striking purple striped skin.

Bavarian Purple

This garlic is similar to Russian Giant with a purple wrapper. Bavarian purple garlic is known for its strong bite.

If you grew garlic last year and followed these guide lines, then you can replant that garlic! That’s what is so great about garlic – you only have to buy it once.

When to plant garlic cloves

Hardneck garlic is planted in the middle of fall before you get a hard freeze. Garlic needs time to grow roots into the soil before winter sets in so make sure it has a few weeks to grow.

I like to plant my garlic once the leaves start to fall off the trees which is usually around the beginning of October. This gives my plants enough time to establish roots before it gets too cold.

Sometimes your garlic will sprout before the weather turns cold. This is normal and will not harm your garlic.

The green tips will eventually die off and new ones will emerge in the spring. Sometimes mine will grow about 6 inches of leaves before winter sets in.

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How to plant garlic cloves

When choosing a spot to plant your garlic keep in mind that garlic needs at least 8 hours of direct sunlight to grow well. Make sure that you plant your garlic in the sunniest part of your garden.

Garlic also likes soil that is rich in nutrients. If you plant your garlic in soil that does not have much organic matter and is overall poor soil you will grow smaller garlic bulbs.

I like to plant my garlic where my green beans had been previously growing. The green beans add nitrogen to the soil which can help you grow larger garlic bulbs.

Peeling the bulbs

When planting garlic you will need to separate each clove from the bulb. You should peel the bulb open, but make sure to leave each clove’s wrapper on. If you peel this “skin” off the clove it will not grow properly. Each one of these cloves will grow to become a whole new bulb.

You should keep track of where you are planting your garlic varieties so that next year you remember. It is very easy to forget where you planted the different garlic varieties. I use this garden journal’s garden layout to mark where I planted my garlic varieties.

I also plant one variety at a time so that I don’t mix them all up during planting. Keeping one variety to a row also helps when it is time to harvest.

Soil/compost

Before we can plant the garlic we need to prepare the soil. I will hoe a 3 inch deep row for each variety of garlic. I then spread about an inch of compost in the bottom of each row before planting the garlic bulbs.

Spacing

Each garlic clove needs to be planted anywhere from 6 to 8 inches apart. As you can see, a lot of garlic can be grown even in a small garden.

Depth

Each clove should be planted 2-3 inches beneath the soil. A good rule of thumb when planting cloves is to plant them twice as deep as the clove is tall.

Orientation

Each clove should be planted with the pointy end up. The blunt end is where the roots will grow from.

Mark the spot

After you have covered the cloves in soil it is time to mark your rows. I mark my rows with wooden stakes. This will keep me from stepping on them during the winter and lets me know where they are in the spring.

Mulch

Garlic bulbs need to be covered in at least 4 inches of mulch before winter arrives. My favorite mulch to use is leaves. I will cover my rows with about 6 inches of leaves before winter.

Next up scapes!

Now that your garlic is planted you can forget about it till next spring. When the snow melts in the spring you should start to see your garlic poking through the mulch.

By June your garlic will start to grow scapes, and then by August you can start to harvest your garlic.

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