I live in Southern Ontario, Canada. Four years ago, I bought some hard neck garlic in the grocery store for making pasta sauce. I bought way too much of it. The sign said LOCALY GROWN, so I figured that I should be okay to grow it in my backyard. Every single clove grew into a nice healthy head. I didn't even do any mulching. I just covered the bed with chicken wire mesh to prevent the squirrels from digging out the cloves. Last year was the first time that I used straw to mulch it. This summer my garlic heads came out bigger than the prior years. Each year, I save the biggest heads for the next planting. I no longer need to buy garlic. I harvest enough to last me for the whole year. Seeing how easy it is to grow garlic, this year for the first time, I also tried to grow Kelsea sweet onions from seeds. They turned out fantastic.
I just learned to take the heads apart but dont peel the cloves. Put them in freezer bags nd freeze. take out what you need. they peel easily and work just as well as fresh. no drying out of garlic anymore.
I had no idea you lived in the same state, let alone the same zone as me. So thankful to finally find someone gardening and preserving that I can learn from in relation to where I live. I am loving your Freeze Fresh book I just got this week as well.
I'm from Eastern Ontario and this will be my first year planting garlic. I found your video extremely helpful - especially the selection of bulbs to use for seed and separating them. Thank you!
I plant all the largest cloves from hard-neck. I started with five varieties a couple years ago and they eventually got mixed, but that’s ok as I’m not a garlic connoisseur. I believe most are Musik and Red Chesnick. I don’t do soft-neck as I don’t like peeling anything tiny. We dehydrate and powder and freeze some to carry us through. The biggest trick is planting late enough because the temps have been warmer longer and too much growth before spring weakens it. Last year I waited late to plant and mulched heavily and come spring slowly pulled it away. It was all that rain that made me nervous. If that happens again I will probably cover with plastic as the garlic seems fine so far, but the onions are not keeping. Great points! The heavy mulch was great idea to prevent those warm winters from sprouting them too soon. I see some go through such things as soaking and a ton of different amendments and it’s just not necessary. Nitrogen is the main thing to get them going in spring and that’s all I do. Z5 WI.
We live in Northern OH and have been growing garlic for 4 years now. We had wild (hardneck) garlic growing in our flower garden, so we started our first crop with the largest of those. Each year, our crop gets bigger and better. Since we share with friends (and I'm a great home cook), we had 68 garlic heads. This year, we're going to plant even more. It takes a few years to get the knack of growing garlic (remember, it's a winter crop), but keep at it. You'll never go back to grocery store garlic again!
hi, I live in New England and I brought back some Garlic from Portugal can I plant these inside my home in a sunny room or should they stay cold through the winter outside?
Its more of a regulatory thing a lot of sprays are done in the cases of some crops to stop them from getting stuff that can make you sick, peanuts for example can get a toxin that can kill you. Garlic is almost always sprayed with systemic fungicides commercially as rust is not a joke.
Not only are your videos great but there are a lot of great questions in the comments. Your responses are so appreciated, precise and to the point. New subscriber. Thank you for your great content and efforts with producing them for us
You can but I absolutely would not. Garlic produced for seed/the purpose of planting is certified to be disease-free. Garlic from the store could be full of disease you will introduce to your soil and never be able to get rid of.
Great Job Karl!! I would have pulle the tape out as well. I’m planting this fall first time. We live in Elgin Illinois. Wish us luck. Can we use fall leaves and yard mulch over instead of hay? Great video, wish I could have chickens too, nope can’t. 👍🤓
@@wholefedhomestead actually, you discussed spacing but not depth. It looks like your husband was planting about 2 to 3 inches deep. I just watched a video by MIGardner who recommended about one to 1 1/2 inches deep. I trust Luke’s gardening videos, but won’t ever buy from his company again since I got some lots of bad MIgardener seeds a few years ago, and he categorically refused to respond to multiple polite, reasonable requests for customer service.
Greetings from Wisconsin - zone 5a (used to be zone 4ish) I am a new subscriber and have loved all your videos so far. Your method of planting garlic is exactly how we plant ours. We have had several years at the county fair with grand champion garlic entries. There’s only one problem, finding straw that has not been sprayed. We also grow organic, heirloom, and non-gmo garden seedlings. Is there a source you can share? Or a way to search for it? This has been a forever problem we have dealt with.
I’m just across the border in Ontario Canada, if can’t find seedless straw what alternative, frost cover or regular flowerbed mulch, most have dye for colour, I use mocha . Afraid of grass clippings due to weeds.
Once they start coming up they can mostly pop through the straw on their own. I go down the rows and make sure they don't need help... they're usually a couple.
I followed your steps to plant my first Garlic crop. What about watering? I live in CT and understand there's no watering once frost arrives but, what about before first frost?
I plant some organic garlic from our health food store every year + it all grows 👍🏽great - mostly I use my own seed garlic but if you need some extra seed, I’d try store garlic as long as it’s organic + not bleached!
The only problem with that, is that you might be introducing disease to your garden. Seed garlic from reputable companies is monitored and disease-free. If you do get a garlic disease in your soil, you may never be able to get rid of it and may never be able to grow garlic again.
What are reputable companies? I've tried growing garlic twice and failed. But it was softneck garlic. I never knew there was a difference. Now I found hardneck garlic at a farmer's market store and plan to try growing it. But I am using raised beds. I am in central WI. Would your instructions still be the same in a raised bed? And, aren't you supposed to water the garlic? @@wholefedhomestead
Just wondering why not mentioned, what type of growing conditions it likes as far as what type of soil, whether it likes lots of sun or prefers shade, do you give it any water after planting..?
Like most/all garden crops it needs at least average soil quality and full sun. And no, we don't water after planting... but we do typically get ample rain here.
@@wholefedhomestead So what do you look for? I'm up here in zone 4 and they say were gonna have a warmed than normal winter. It's gonna be my first time growing Garlic and I wanna make sure I do it right. Thank you!
There's no soil instructions here because everybody's soil is sooo different. We don't add anything to it... but you do need good soil to grow big garlic bulbs.
Yes... it's not ideal but usually not a death sentence unless it grows a lot. It will lose some energy/vigor though. That's why timing is so important!
Hmm... I would harvest what you planted when/if they mature this fall (I don't know if they will have amounted to anything or not). And get new seed to plant at the appropriate time this fall for harvest next summer. It really does need to be planted in the fall here.
@@wholefedhomestead I think I will keep these through the winter under mulch and see what happens ... but I will also plant new ones next month where my onions will have been dug up. Thanks!
What exactly is the method to determine where you put the yellow flags? Just trying to figure out what they represent exactly as I am an extreme novice gardener!😂
Dumb question but does garlic need to be watered? The space I want to plant the garlic in doesn’t have water but I can take water over to it. Do you have another video on how and when to harvest it?
Roundup is not as dangerous as some people think . It neutralizes as soon as it comes in contact with soil . I have never had any isues. It’s a back saver.
The straw isn't to protect the garlic from cold. It's to insulate the top few inches of soil and prevent the cloves from heaving out of the ground as it freezes and thaws over and over during our fall and spring. (I said this in the video.) Looks like maybe you're the silly one! 😘
![Planting Fall Hardneck Garlic in a Cold Climate [Step-by-Step Instructions]](/img/1.gif)
I live in Southern Ontario, Canada. Four years ago, I bought some hard neck garlic in the grocery store for making pasta sauce. I bought way too much of it. The sign said LOCALY GROWN, so I figured that I should be okay to grow it in my backyard. Every single clove grew into a nice healthy head. I didn't even do any mulching. I just covered the bed with chicken wire mesh to prevent the squirrels from digging out the cloves. Last year was the first time that I used straw to mulch it. This summer my garlic heads came out bigger than the prior years. Each year, I save the biggest heads for the next planting. I no longer need to buy garlic. I harvest enough to last me for the whole year. Seeing how easy it is to grow garlic, this year for the first time, I also tried to grow Kelsea sweet onions from seeds. They turned out fantastic.
I just learned to take the heads apart but dont peel the cloves. Put them in freezer bags nd freeze. take out what you need. they peel easily and work just as well as fresh. no drying out of garlic anymore.
@@kirstenmartin2650 I have never heard of freezing the cloves but I am tempted to try that with a few of the cloves.
Hey neighbor! Thanks a million. Got my very first garlic cloves planted this fall because of your great tutorial. Tell your folks I says hi!
Awesome! Wait- who is this?!
You made me feel better about not getting my garlic in yet. I am in Wisconsin zone 5 and the next 8 days are all still in the 60s
There’s still plenty of time for sure! 😊
I am in upstate New York zone 5a and I am kinda scared to plant garlic this year. I've never grown it before.
@@GardenGirl30 last year was my first year growing garlic and I was also nervous about it. But it is so easy
I had no idea you lived in the same state, let alone the same zone as me. So thankful to finally find someone gardening and preserving that I can learn from in relation to where I live. I am loving your Freeze Fresh book I just got this week as well.
Hi neighbor! And thanks so much!
You are an awesome teacher. Very clear and concise. Love your social media. 😊
Thanks so much! 💗
I also add 1 pellet of processed hen manure for each bulb in spring and at 2 more times later in growth period.
Great information as usual, Crystal! Thanks.
We’re in Wisconsin too! I can’t wait for planting in a couple weeks ❤ Garlic is one of my favorite harvests.
Same!! So rewarding!
Another excellent video, Crystal. 😁
Thanks! 🥰
I'm from Eastern Ontario and this will be my first year planting garlic. I found your video extremely helpful - especially the selection of bulbs to use for seed and separating them. Thank you!
I usually add some worm castings and bone meal when I plant.
I plant all the largest cloves from hard-neck. I started with five varieties a couple years ago and they eventually got mixed, but that’s ok as I’m not a garlic connoisseur. I believe most are Musik and Red Chesnick. I don’t do soft-neck as I don’t like peeling anything tiny. We dehydrate and powder and freeze some to carry us through.
The biggest trick is planting late enough because the temps have been warmer longer and too much growth before spring weakens it. Last year I waited late to plant and mulched heavily and come spring slowly pulled it away. It was all that rain that made me nervous. If that happens again I will probably cover with plastic as the garlic seems fine so far, but the onions are not keeping.
Great points! The heavy mulch was great idea to prevent those warm winters from sprouting them too soon.
I see some go through such things as soaking and a ton of different amendments and it’s just not necessary. Nitrogen is the main thing to get them going in spring and that’s all I do. Z5 WI.
Great! Thanks for the lesson! I loved it!❤
We live in Northern OH and have been growing garlic for 4 years now. We had wild (hardneck) garlic growing in our flower garden, so we started our first crop with the largest of those. Each year, our crop gets bigger and better. Since we share with friends (and I'm a great home cook), we had 68 garlic heads. This year, we're going to plant even more. It takes a few years to get the knack of growing garlic (remember, it's a winter crop), but keep at it. You'll never go back to grocery store garlic again!
Zone 5 Iowa here 🙋♀️so happy to find this channel.
Thank you from New Brunswick Canada. This is my first time growing garlic and your video was very helpful
Glad it was helpful!
hi, I live in New England and I brought back some Garlic from Portugal can I plant these inside my home in a sunny room or should they stay cold through the winter outside?
Very good 👍 Thank you ❤❤❤❤
2:18 I’ve NEVER seen garlic come off like this. There are no tiny little cloves…………..🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯
What else can be used as a mulch ? The farmers around here are spray happy and there is no hay available that is not sprayed.
You can use chopped leaves (they have to be chopped up!) or pine needles.
Its more of a regulatory thing a lot of sprays are done in the cases of some crops to stop them from getting stuff that can make you sick, peanuts for example can get a toxin that can kill you. Garlic is almost always sprayed with systemic fungicides commercially as rust is not a joke.
Yes I agree you can use chopped up leaves with the lawn mower and also grass clippings
I am a first timer and a tiny bit late planting, but not to bad. I am here in the valley in Oregon :)
Love the video aned your clear kind voice :)
Thanks! 🥰
Not only are your videos great but there are a lot of great questions in the comments. Your responses are so appreciated, precise and to the point. New subscriber. Thank you for your great content and efforts with producing them for us
I appreciate that! Thanks! 🥰
I didn't know that straw could be sprayed with Round-Up. argh. I will ask at my local Feed Store from now on.
Curious about the little tiller he uses. Looking for one for my little garden and it looked like it did a pretty good job. What brand is it?
Mantis- we love it!
Love your videos! Question: could I use organic garlic from a store?
You can but I absolutely would not. Garlic produced for seed/the purpose of planting is certified to be disease-free. Garlic from the store could be full of disease you will introduce to your soil and never be able to get rid of.
Great Job Karl!! I would have pulle the tape out as well. I’m planting this fall first time. We live in Elgin Illinois. Wish us luck. Can we use fall leaves and yard mulch over instead of hay? Great video, wish I could have chickens too, nope can’t. 👍🤓
Thanks! If you use leaves they need to be chopped up, otherwise they form an impenetrable mat the garlic can’t come up through.
What kind of soil amendments do you add. ? Bone meal etc?
We only use compost and deciduous leaves.
Bone Meal And Blood meal at planting are best, then in the spring when they start growing again water with fish emulsion every other week.
The best video on how to grow garlic yet. Thank you.
Fezzy in Maine ❤
Can you keep Kale tree in winter months, did you try this, will be this work,in canada-new brunswick province
You got to be a garlic,onion musroom lover in in north america and make some roast with that.
I used hay straw and was constantly pulling wheat out. Good video. Thanks
Thank you this is my first time growing garlic I am excited to harvest thank you for amazing information
How deep to plant garlic? In northern Michigan. Have had some freezing but ground is quite workable
I talk about spacing and depth in the video 👍🏻
@@wholefedhomestead actually, you discussed spacing but not depth. It looks like your husband was planting about 2 to 3 inches deep.
I just watched a video by MIGardner who recommended about one to 1 1/2 inches deep. I trust Luke’s gardening videos, but won’t ever buy from his company again since I got some lots of bad MIgardener seeds a few years ago, and he categorically refused to respond to multiple polite, reasonable requests for customer service.
Great tutorial!!
But, no water after covering with the straw?
We typically don't water anything here ever because it rains often.
I chop leaves with mulched for cover.
So do I!!! Works great! Also a fertilizer
@@maevolk9631yes!
Since you are planting in mid October, what month or how long afterwards will you harvest your seed garlic?
Usually in July/August
Question do I need to add mulch or straw to my raised bed in my Greenhouse. I have Garlic that is sprouted an ready to plant.
So informative! Thank you.
You bet!
Greetings from Wisconsin - zone 5a (used to be zone 4ish) I am a new subscriber and have loved all your videos so far. Your method of planting garlic is exactly how we plant ours. We have had several years at the county fair with grand champion garlic entries. There’s only one problem, finding straw that has not been sprayed. We also grow organic, heirloom, and non-gmo garden seedlings. Is there a source you can share? Or a way to search for it?
This has been a forever problem we have dealt with.
I'd ask in local Facebook farming groups. We get ours from a small local dairy farmer. And thanks so much! 🥰
Was just at TRUE VALUE today (Fri., 27 Sept.'24) and their straw bales were $15.99! Good thing I know farmers!
I’m just across the border in Ontario Canada, if can’t find seedless straw what alternative, frost cover or regular flowerbed mulch, most have dye for colour, I use mocha . Afraid of grass clippings due to weeds.
I just get regular straw from the neighbouring farmers to put over my garlic. I live in southern Manitoba zone 4.
Do they pop up through the straw in the spring? Or do you kinda move it around?
Once they start coming up they can mostly pop through the straw on their own. I go down the rows and make sure they don't need help... they're usually a couple.
I followed your steps to plant my first Garlic crop. What about watering? I live in CT and understand there's no watering once frost arrives but, what about before first frost?
It rains here frequently so we don't.
I'd like to know if you use any nutrients in the soil, or fertilizer. Thanks
We put leaves and chicken manure on the garden but that's it.
When you say that you plant 2 to 3 inches deep, do you mean to the top or the bottom of the clove? Thanks.
Cover the top of the cloves with 2-3" soil 👍🏻
I plant some organic garlic from our health food store every year + it all grows 👍🏽great - mostly I use my own seed garlic but if you need some extra seed, I’d try store garlic as long as it’s organic + not bleached!
The only problem with that, is that you might be introducing disease to your garden. Seed garlic from reputable companies is monitored and disease-free. If you do get a garlic disease in your soil, you may never be able to get rid of it and may never be able to grow garlic again.
What are reputable companies? I've tried growing garlic twice and failed. But it was softneck garlic. I never knew there was a difference. Now I found hardneck garlic at a farmer's market store and plan to try growing it. But I am using raised beds. I am in central WI. Would your instructions still be the same in a raised bed? And, aren't you supposed to water the garlic? @@wholefedhomestead
Great! Do you remove the straw at some point?
No, it acts a weed barrier the rest of the season
Just wondering why not mentioned, what type of growing conditions it likes as far as what type of soil, whether it likes lots of sun or prefers shade, do you give it any water after planting..?
Like most/all garden crops it needs at least average soil quality and full sun. And no, we don't water after planting... but we do typically get ample rain here.
watching hereAt the Philippines😍❤️this is really good👍
Fertilizing info? Pre. Planting and Spring fertilizing?
We don't fertilize them at all. We do have nice native soil here and we add composted chicken manure and deciduous leaves to it every Fall.
Is this straw or grass hay? Our straw is yellow?
This is fairly yellow too… I believe it’s oat straw.
Can I ask, do you plant Garlic before or after the first killing frost and how long before/after do you plant? Thank you!
It’s definitely after, but that’s not what we look at to know when to plant.
@@wholefedhomestead So what do you look for? I'm up here in zone 4 and they say were gonna have a warmed than normal winter. It's gonna be my first time growing Garlic and I wanna make sure I do it right. Thank you!
I don’t know if I missed it, but do you prep with any fertilizers?
No, we don't
How do I prepare the soil for planting please. Do I need to add anything in it. I’m in a zone 4. Right now I have soil mix with some goat manure. Thks
There's no soil instructions here because everybody's soil is sooo different. We don't add anything to it... but you do need good soil to grow big garlic bulbs.
Have you ever had your garlic sprout too soon? I'm in New Jersey and I was a bit too excited and probably planted the cloves too early.
Yes... it's not ideal but usually not a death sentence unless it grows a lot. It will lose some energy/vigor though. That's why timing is so important!
Now I know how to grow GARLIC thanks a bunch.
Where are you in Southern Wisconsin, or, who is your straw source? I’m outside Cambridge.
She said she’s in zone 4 so that’s not southern Wisconsin, but someplace in the northern half of the state
Can you grow softneck garlic in the spring/summer for zone 4. Ive tried it twice in fall/winter and its not worked for me.
Soft neck garlic doesn't grow near as well here as hard neck. I don't think planting in the summer would help either.
I live in zone 4 as well but I planted my garlic in early summer so was that too early should I just leave them to mature next year?
Hmm... I would harvest what you planted when/if they mature this fall (I don't know if they will have amounted to anything or not). And get new seed to plant at the appropriate time this fall for harvest next summer. It really does need to be planted in the fall here.
@@wholefedhomestead I think I will keep these through the winter under mulch and see what happens ... but I will also plant new ones next month where my onions will have been dug up. Thanks!
Can I use Pine Straw on my Garlic Plantings?
I haven't ever tried it, but I think it's a good option. Better than leaves or hay...
Do you water after you plant?
No, but it rains here frequently
@@wholefedhomestead Thank you.
Did you fertilize firt?
Nope
Thank you
The video I was looking for! Answered all my quuestions!
So glad! 💗
Do you not water the garlic?
It typically rains here in the fall a lot, so no we don't.
They are buried pretty deep from what I’ve seen others and myself do.
What exactly is the method to determine where you put the yellow flags? Just trying to figure out what they represent exactly as I am an extreme novice gardener!😂
Those are just to mark the row so we plant in a straight line 😂
Great video! Just one question, when do you remove the straw?
We don’t!
Dumb question but does garlic need to be watered? The space I want to plant the garlic in doesn’t have water but I can take water over to it. Do you have another video on how and when to harvest it?
I do have that video, yes! And yes garlic needs weekly water.
Roundup is not as dangerous as some people think . It neutralizes as soon as it comes in contact with soil . I have never had any isues. It’s a back saver.
Says who? The sales rep?
What zone do you live in
Zone 4
Pink music
was Jesus a garlic bulb?
That’s a dumb chicken. I am just saying.
She’s actually the smartest chicken I’ve ever met. Why would you chose to “just say that?” What a waste of time and energy.
Wait a minute. How smart are we talking here? Are you whitey?
@@wholefedhomestead can you please make a video proving whitey’s intelligence?
Your comment is pretty dumb so that’s ironic 🤣
Very silly , garlic survive minus - 50 C , Need no straw shit cover
The straw isn't to protect the garlic from cold. It's to insulate the top few inches of soil and prevent the cloves from heaving out of the ground as it freezes and thaws over and over during our fall and spring. (I said this in the video.) Looks like maybe you're the silly one! 😘
no water
Thank you