Garlic is one of the easiest crops to grow, and learning how to grow garlic is simple. Even better, once you’ve grown it, you can regrow garlic yearly from your bulbs. Keep reading for garlic tips in any climate, including how to grow garlic in Arizona and other hot climates.
Article Outline:
- Choose the best garlic variety for your climate
- Plan ahead and order garlic early
- Vernalize garlic before planting
- Plant garlic at the right time
- Choose the best location for planting garlic
- Plant garlic correctly
- Care for garlic as it grows
- Harvest garlic at the right time
- Cure harvested garlic for longer storage
- Store cured garlic properly
1. Choose the best garlic variety for your climate
Learning how to grow garlic is simple. Garlic is easy to grow, but choosing the variety best suited to your climate to grow garlic successfully is important.
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Hardneck varieties of garlic are cold-hardy and a good choice for those in cold climates. This type produces a flower stem or “scape” which must be removed for bulbs to fully form. The scape is edible and delicious. Hardnecks do not store as well as softneck varieties.
Softneck varieties are the best types to grow if you live in a warm climate (like the low desert of Arizona). Softneck types store well and are often braided for storage. The flavor may be less intense than hardneck types.
2. Plan ahead and order garlic early
When it is time to plant garlic, many growers are often sold out. It’s best to plan and order garlic months before it is time to plant.
- If possible, look for a local grower; they will sell varieties well-suited to your climate.
- Check the ship date of whoever you order garlic from to ensure they ship in time for your preferred planting date. (Note the time needed for vernalization of hardneck varieties in warm climates — see below).
- Many companies begin selling garlic in May and are often sold out by August. Plan ahead and order early.
Finding a source that ships garlic at the right time can be the most challenging part of growing garlic in Arizona. I’ve had the most success with garlic from Forever Yong Farms. They sell soft neck varieties that are well-suited to growing in the low desert of Arizona, and they ship them in time for planting.
Other online retailers that sell garlic include Botanical Interests, Baker Creek, Terroir Seeds, Territorial Seed Company, Peaceful Valley Farm, and Seed Savers Exchange.
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It’s best not to grow grocery-store garlic. The garlic may not be a good variety for your area and may have been treated with a growth inhibitor.
3. Vernalize garlic before planting
The bulbs must be vernalized if you live in a warm climate like Arizona and are growing a hardneck variety of garlic. Vernalize garlic cloves in a closed paper sack in the fridge (cloves intact) for at least six weeks.
Softneck varieties also benefit from vernalization, but it isn’t as critical as for the hardneck types.
If you live in a cold climate and plant in the fall, the bulbs will naturally be exposed to cooler temperatures. No artificial vernalization is necessary.
4. Plant garlic at the right time
Garlic is usually planted in the fall — from September through November. Plant garlic about a month before the soil freezes in cold climates. The best time to plant garlic in the low desert of Arizona is during October.
5. Choose the best location for planting garlic
- Choose an area that receives at least 6-8 hours of sunlight.
- Garlic grows best in loose, well-draining soil. Prepare the soil by loosening the soil to a depth of several inches.
- Raised beds or containers at least 6” deep are excellent for growing garlic. Garlic grows very well in containers.
- Garlic is a heavy feeder. Amend the planting area with compost and a balanced organic fertilizer. This is the one I use on Amazon.
- Garlic is a good companion for most crops (other than beans and peas); tuck a few bulbs around other vegetables to help deter pests. Learn more about companion planting in this guide.
- Plant garlic in wells of fruit trees, which may help deter common pests.
6. Plant garlic correctly
- Break apart the bulbs, and soak in a solution of fish and kelp fertilizer and baking soda (1 T per gallon of water) for at least eight and up to 24 hours.
- The baking soda has antibacterial benefits and the fertilizer stimulates growth.
- Plant with the flat side (roots) facing down and the pointy side (sprouting side) facing up.
- Plant cloves 2-3” deep and 4-6” apart. For square-foot gardening, plant 9 per square.
- Mulch planting area well, especially in cold climates.
7. Care for garlic as it grows
Water well when new leaves are forming and garlic is actively growing. In the winter, if outdoor temperatures are below freezing, pause watering until temperatures rise again.
In late winter feed garlic once again.
Cut off flower shoots (scapes) on hard-neck garlic as they emerge to encourage bulb development.
8. Harvest garlic at the right time
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Garlic is ready to harvest when about half the lower leaves are brown, and the cloves are plump and well-formed. Garlic left in the ground too long will begin to split and the garlic will not store well.
In the low desert of Arizona, garlic is often ready to harvest during May.
Stop watering when the lower 3-4 leaves brown. Dig up a test bulb to check on size. About a week later, harvest the garlic by gently lifting it with a fork rather than pulling. Do not rinse or trim roots and stems after harvesting.
What if your garlic seems to be sprouting from individual cloves? That’s called witch brooming. You can learn more about it here: Witch Broom Garlic: What’s Wrong with My Garlic
9. Cure harvested garlic for longer storage
Allow the harvested garlic to cure in a shady, well-ventilated area. The ideal temperature for curing is around 75-80°F (this may need to be inside if you live in a hot summer climate like Arizona). Provide a slight breeze with a fan (if possible) if it is indoors.
Softneck garlic can also be braided and hung up to cure. Lay the garlic out in a single layer on a rack or floor, or braid the stems of soft neck varieties.
Allow the garlic stems to wither and the papery skins to tighten around the cloves. Trim roots and trim stems to about 1″ when the necks are moisture-free, completely tight, and dry.
10. Store cured garlic properly
- Store bulbs in a dry, cool place. A great way to store garlic is in mesh net bags (I use these mesh bags from Amazon) hung up in a cool place.
- Check cloves regularly, and use any soft ones right away. Softneck varieties will store longer than hardneck varieties.
- Save the largest cloves for planting next year. Leave the stored cloves intact.
Wondering what to make with your garlic? Try this recipe: How to Make and Freeze Roasted Garlic.
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