How is garlic produced

Soils containing sufficient organic matter are also less prone to crusting and compaction. Very heavy soil types hinder bulb expansion, especially if allowed to dry out, resulting in rough and irregular shaped bulbs. Intensive soil management practices are required on light sandy soils due to their low moisture-holding capacity.

Garlic grows well on fertile soils, however, fertilizer recommendations for garlic in Ontario have not been fully determined. Verify the soil phosphorus and potassium levels with a soil test. Broadcast any required phosphorus or potassium followed by shallow incorporation into the soil before fall planting. The amount of nitrogen required will vary with soil type, the previous crop grown, the amount of organic matter present and the climatic conditions during the growing season.

With a small amount applied in the fall, apply half the nitrogen as soon as the garlic begins to grow in early spring and the remainder split into two to three applications at 3-week intervals. Complete the application of nitrogen within weeks of harvest. Do not plant garlic in soils that are prone to excessive frost heaving.

Choose fields where good snow cover occurs to enhance plant survival. Choose fields that provide ample wind protection, especially where garlic is planted in lighter soils. In Eastern Ontario, many growers mulch for the winter. Mulching helps moderate soil temperatures, and protects roots and shoots from fluctuating temperatures.

While several different mulches are commercially available, it is important to ensure you don't mulch with materials that could be contaminated with garlic pests, such as bulb and stem nematode, bulb mites, diseases or weed seed.

The most commonly used mulch is straw, applied cm deep directly over the planted garlic rows Figure 4. In the spring, some growers remove the mulch completely once the threat of frost is over, while others leave it on throughout the season to help maintain moisture and provide weed control.

Garlic is sensitive to moisture stress throughout the growing season. Periods of dry soil conditions, especially during bulbing, will result in yield reductions.

For most soils, approximately 2. In sandy soils, however, 5. The preferred time of irrigation is morning to mid-afternoon, thus allowing sufficient time for the plant foliage to dry before nightfall. Stop irrigating when garlic becomes mature and ready to harvest. This will increase harvesting ease and reduce the potential deterioration and staining of exterior bulb sheath leaves. Hardneck varieties produce a scape. Remove scapes by pulling, breaking or cutting just after curling but before they straighten out Figure 5.

Bulbs continue to size during late spring and summer until the leaves of the plant begin to dry, turning tan brown from the tips toward the base of the leaves. Small plantings of garlic are often hand harvested with the aid of a fork to loosen the soil and facilitate lifting.

Larger plantings are normally mechanically harvested using a tractor drawn blade that loosens the soil under the bulbs. A mechanized system can be used to lift the bulbs, remove the tops and separate the dirt and trash. Cure garlic once harvested. Curing is the process of drying the bulb to help increase storage life by minimizing microbial and fungal infection and water loss.

Leave harvested garlic in the field to cure for a couple of days or remove it from the field immediately and cure it in storage. To cure garlic in the field, place plants in covered, slotted vegetable bins and allow natural air drying. To cure in storage, tie plants into a bundle and hang to dry in a well-ventilated area or use forced air to dry the bulbs. Just tie the stems together and hang garlic to dry or spread out the heads in a single layer. After two to four weeks, your garlic is ready for optimal storage.

Cut the stems off about 1 inch above the bulbs, or braid long-stemmed softneck garlics for fun or gifts. Refrigerators provide the ideal temperature and humidity for long-term garlic storage, so your harvest keeps giving for months. Be sure to set aside some bulbs for your planting stock. With a treasure of homegrown garlic at your disposal, you can enjoy these flavorful veggies in many ways — from smoky, roasted heads to fresh garlic pestos and garlic-infused oils.

Everhart, et al. Toggle navigation GardenTech. Find a Product. Identify Your Pest. About Us. Contact Us. Garlic is booming in popularity in kitchens and gardens as Americans learn how easy growing this tasty bulb can be. Abundant garlic harvests don't take much expertise — even beginners can grow these nutritious homegrown treats. Just a few simple steps, and you're on your way to enjoying homegrown garlic and heady harvests. Choosing Your Garlic.

True garlics fall into two main categories: Hardneck garlics get their name from their hard center seed stalk, called a scape. They typically have a strong or hot flavor, but a shorter storage life — 3 months at most after harvest. Cloves in hardneck heads usually number 12 or less. Softneck garlics don't form a hard center stalk; their tops stay soft and supple. If you plan to try your hand at creating garlic braids — like those you see hanging at farm markets — softnecks are for you.

In other vegetatively propagated vegetable crops like potato, asparagus, and sweet potato, for example, there is a fairly rigorous process of naming and maintaining variety lines. These folks can call their garlic anything they want.

Instead of contributing to the heavy planting workload of early-season, garlic cloves get planted in the fall. Garlic can be planted in the spring, but it should be refrigerated first or planted early enough to get a natural cold treatment.

Just for kicks, I once planted garlic in the spring without a cold treatment. The date of planting garlic in the fall should allow enough time for good root growth but not enough time for leaves to emerge from the soil.

Those leaves would just get winter killed unless they had plenty of consistent snow cover. In most areas of the Northeast, the best time to plant is October. To prevent winter injury and heaving of cloves from the soil, plantings should be planted 3 to 4 inches deep, oriented with the root end down.

Mulch can help to suppress weeds and maintain moisture, but in a wet year it can exacerbate soil-borne diseases and it should be pulled away from the garlic rows early enough to allow soil drying. Some people plant into beds covered with black plastic to help control weeds.

A propane torch, bulb planter, or some type of dibble can be used to make evenly-spaced holes that are large enough to plant through. Usually in the spring some hand work is needed to help a few wayward shoots find their holes.

Growing on. Create a job seeker account to manage all jobs, easily apply to jobs, or be found by companies looking to hire. Posted by Karyn Moyer. History of Garlic Garlic has been cultivated for thousands of years for consumption and medicinally. Planting to Harvesting Garlic is planted in the fall on raised beds covered with either black, green IRT, or blue plastic much with drip irrigation.

More Facts: Gilroy, CA, home to the annual garlic festival, is known as the garlic capital of the United States, mostly because majority of the U. It is sold by the pound, by the rope, or by individual bulbs. It was once used to treat acne, warts, toothaches and evil spirits. Its strong flavor is caused by a chemical reaction that happens when the cells are broken.