Home | Donate | Contact Us | Volunteer
– Kansas City Community Gardens
  • Programs
    • Become A Member
    • Beanstalk Children’s Garden
    • Community Partner Gardens
    • Giving Grove
    • Individual & Family Gardening
    • Rent A Plot
    • Schoolyard Gardens
      • Enrolled Schools
      • Prospective Schools
      • Curriculum
      • Community
      • Cafeteria
      • Creativity
      • SYG Blog
    • Find A Garden Near You
  • Plants & Seeds
    • KCCG Seeds
    • Garlic Orders
    • Online Seed Store – Beanstalk Seeds
    • Plants
    • Potatoes, Onions, & Leeks
    • Fruit Tree & Berry Plant List
    • 2019 Seeder’s Digest
  • Resources
    • Community Partner Grants
      • KC Grow Water Access Program
      • Sprout Micro Grant Program
    • Gardening Guidesheets
    • Planting Plan
    • Recipes from the Garden
    • Supplies for Sale
    • Tiller Rental
    • Vegetable Infosheets
  • Workshops/Events
    • 2019 Free Workshop Schedule
    • 2019 Workshop Powerpoints
    • Gardens at Sunset
  • About
    • KCCG History and Mission
    • KCCG Board of Directors
    • KCCG Staff
    • Gardener Profiles
    • Young Professionals Board
    • What’s Growing at KCCG
    • KCCG In The News
    • Employment Opportunities
    • Volunteer
  • Programs
    • Become A Member
    • Beanstalk Children’s Garden
    • Community Partner Gardens
    • Giving Grove
    • Individual & Family Gardening
    • Rent A Plot
    • Schoolyard Gardens
      • Enrolled Schools
      • Prospective Schools
      • Curriculum
      • Community
      • Cafeteria
      • Creativity
      • SYG Blog
    • Find A Garden Near You
  • Plants & Seeds
    • KCCG Seeds
    • Garlic Orders
    • Online Seed Store – Beanstalk Seeds
    • Plants
    • Potatoes, Onions, & Leeks
    • Fruit Tree & Berry Plant List
    • 2019 Seeder’s Digest
  • Resources
    • Community Partner Grants
      • KC Grow Water Access Program
      • Sprout Micro Grant Program
    • Gardening Guidesheets
    • Planting Plan
    • Recipes from the Garden
    • Supplies for Sale
    • Tiller Rental
    • Vegetable Infosheets
  • Workshops/Events
    • 2019 Free Workshop Schedule
    • 2019 Workshop Powerpoints
    • Gardens at Sunset
  • About
    • KCCG History and Mission
    • KCCG Board of Directors
    • KCCG Staff
    • Gardener Profiles
    • Young Professionals Board
    • What’s Growing at KCCG
    • KCCG In The News
    • Employment Opportunities
    • Volunteer
November 8, 2017  |  By Ben Sharda In Bens Tips

Growing Great Garlic

garlic2
Share
3
Share
1
Share
5

Growing this pungent bulb is fairly easy when armed with the right knowledge and tools. Garlic needs cold winter temperatures in order to develop from a single clove into a bulb with multiple cloves in the spring. Ideally, garlic is planted in mid- November through mid-December while the temperatures are still cold, but the ground has not yet frozen solid.

KCCG sells two types of garlic. Hardneck garlic is well-adapted to cold winter temperatures and will provide larger garlic cloves. Many people love the intense taste of this garlic and it is easy to peel and perfect for roasting. Softneck garlic is less expensive than hardneck but is typically grown in more southern regions and will not give you as large of cloves when grown in Kansas City. The soft-neck garlic sold by KCCG tastes similar to the standard varieties found in supermarkets.

Garlic has a long growing season, so remember that whatever garden real estate you give use will be tied up through early summer. Additionally, do not plant garlic in an area that you will need to till in the spring; raised beds work very well for growing garlic.

To plant, break up the garlic bulb to separate the cloves, but do not peel the cloves. Dig a hole 2-3″ deep and then stick one clove in the hole, with the root side down (pointy side up).

Fill the hole with soil and you’re good to go! Garlic cloves should be planted 4-6″ apart. After a hard freeze, mulch the garlic with 4″ of straw.

Your garlic should sprout sometime in April, when temperatures start to warm. When you see the garlic sprout, give it a boost with some fertilizer. Water your garlic regularly and fertilize every two weeks.

In late spring, hardneck garlic plants will produce a round stem with a seed pod on the end. Cut these seed scapes off as soon as you see them, as they put the plant’s resources into making seeds instead of making a big garlic bulb. The seed scapes are edible – use in place of garlic in recipes such as stir-fry, salsa and pesto.

Garlic is typically harvested in mid-June when the leaves start to brown. Stop watering garlic two weeks before you plan to harvest so that the soil is loose and plants pull up easily.

Allow garlic to dry in a cool, dark place. You can braid the stalks together and hang or cut off stalks about an inch above the bulb and store in a dark, dry location (about 60-70 degrees). Avoid storing garlic in the refrigerator as it will not keep as long. If stored properly, garlic can last 4-6 months.

So, do one more thing in your garden this year and plant some garlic!

In the spring, you will be glad you did! If you would like to download these tips, click here for our garlic guidesheet.

garlic hardneck garlic softneck garlic
Previous StoryNovember Garden Checklist
Next StoryExtending the Season with Row Cover

Related Articles

  • Garlic_Feature_1_800x600
    Don't Forget To Plant Your Garlic!
  • garlic scape 1
    What the Heck is a Garlic Scape?

Recent KCCG Blogs

  • Covering Garden Beds and Jotting Garden Memories Tuesday, 10, Dec
  • Recipes that Use Thanksgiving Leftovers Monday, 2, Dec
  • Schoolyard Garden Spotlight: Southwood Elementary Garden Club Monday, 25, Nov
  • Missouri Healthy Food AmeriCorps: Adventures in St. Louis Wednesday, 20, Nov
  • Don’t Forget To Plant Your Garlic! Saturday, 16, Nov
  • Awakening Senses to the Joy of a Garden Wednesday, 13, Nov
  • Volunteer of the Year Luncheon Tuesday, 5, Nov
  • Schoolyard Gardens Spotlight: Troost Elementary LINC Tuesday, 29, Oct
  • Veggie Loaded Treats Inspired by Fall Harvest Monday, 21, Oct
  • Reflection and Celebration in the Garden Tuesday, 15, Oct

Get the latest KCCG News!

Sign up for our Newsletter

KCCG Blogs:

Schoolyard Gardens Blog
What's Growing at KCCG
Ben's Tips

KCCG Quick Links

  • Visit KCCG
  • Upcoming Events & Workshops
  • Donate
  • Contact
  • KCCG Store
  • Become A Member
  • Gardening Resources
  • KCCG In The News
  • KCCG History and Mission
  • Employment Opportunities
  • Volunteer
  • KCCG Board of Directors
  • Young Professionals Board
  • KCCG Staff
  • Tax Credit Information

KCCG Programs

  • Beanstalk Children’s Garden
  • Community Partner Gardens
  • Giving Grove
  • Individual & Family Gardening
  • Rent A Plot
  • Schoolyard Gardens
KCCG Headquarters
6917 Kensington | Kansas City, MO 64132
Phone: 816.931.3877
Hours
Mon-Fri : 9am-5pm
Saturday: 9am-12pm (March 24th - May 12th)

Copyright KCCG 2016