Picture of growing garlic, notice all the mulch. Good idea to help with the weeds.
I noticed the mulch with the garlic planting in this picture. From experience don't mulch too early. One year I mulched when I planted potatoes, onions and all those early spring vegetables. They didn't do well, because the ground really never warmed up. So plant your garlic, and when the soil temperature is up and you will notice that when you weed it for the first time. Then you can mulch the garlic for easier weed control. I would suggest you do that with all your vegetables and plants wait till the ground warms up before you mulch. It means you will have to weed it once at least because when the weeds grow then the soil temperature is warm. Here is some suggestions on planting garlic.
Garlic (Allium sativum L.) is grown for its numerous culinary uses and also for its herbal medical properties. The plant is a member of the onion family and has been in cultivation for thousands of years. It is estimated that there are over 600 varieties currently available. There are varieties for cold regions and more temperate locations. Planting garlic in the spring has its advantages. The plant will suffer less winter damage and survival will be more likely, according to the Government of Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development office.
1. Store garlic at a consistent temperature of between 45 degrees Fahrenheit to 50 degrees Fahrenheit for three weeks prior to spring planting. Keep the cloves in a dry and dark place. I will do this for you when we have the garlic here.
2. Mix a ratio of 50 percent peat moss with 50 percent garden soil. Garlic prefers to be planted in well-drained soil with adequate nutrients. Mix 2 pounds of 10-10-10 fertilizer per 100 square feet into the garden soil and peat moss one week prior to planting.
3. Gently break the large bulb of garlic apart into cloves. Only use large cloves to plant. The larger the clove, the greater the size of the garlic yield. Separation should be done 24 hours prior to planting. Planting cloves within 24 hours of division helps ensure that the root bases are not allowed to dry out or the clove will loose its ability to grow a rapid root system successfully.
4. Space each garlic clove 8 inches apart to allow the plants ample room to grow and produce. Crowding garlic will often result in smaller garlic bulbs. Plant the garlic with the clove tip 2 inches below the soil and pointing straight up.
5. Add 2 to 3 inches of mulch over the newly planted garlic. Peat moss, bark chips, sawdust or leaf mulch are ideal. The mulch will help keep weeds at bay and help the soil retain its moisture content. NOW THIS POINT, I WOULD WAIT TILL THE SOIL WARMS UP. BUT THAT IS ALSO A SUGGESTION.
6. Water the garlic to keep the soil moist but not water-logged. Three weeks after planting, fertilize the garlic using a 10-10-10 fertilizer at a ratio of one pound per 100 square feet. Cease watering the last few weeks before harvest.
7. Harvest the garlic when the leaves begin to die back and turn yellow. Gently pull the bulbs from the ground using your hands with a pair of gloves on. Harvest can usually be achieved six to eight weeks after planting depending on the variety grown. Taken from http://www.gardenguides.com/99045-plant-garlic-spring.html Till next time, this is Becky Litterer from Becky's Greenhouse Dougherty
Garlic (Allium sativum L.) is grown for its numerous culinary uses and also for its herbal medical properties. The plant is a member of the onion family and has been in cultivation for thousands of years. It is estimated that there are over 600 varieties currently available. There are varieties for cold regions and more temperate locations. Planting garlic in the spring has its advantages. The plant will suffer less winter damage and survival will be more likely, according to the Government of Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development office.
1. Store garlic at a consistent temperature of between 45 degrees Fahrenheit to 50 degrees Fahrenheit for three weeks prior to spring planting. Keep the cloves in a dry and dark place. I will do this for you when we have the garlic here.
2. Mix a ratio of 50 percent peat moss with 50 percent garden soil. Garlic prefers to be planted in well-drained soil with adequate nutrients. Mix 2 pounds of 10-10-10 fertilizer per 100 square feet into the garden soil and peat moss one week prior to planting.
3. Gently break the large bulb of garlic apart into cloves. Only use large cloves to plant. The larger the clove, the greater the size of the garlic yield. Separation should be done 24 hours prior to planting. Planting cloves within 24 hours of division helps ensure that the root bases are not allowed to dry out or the clove will loose its ability to grow a rapid root system successfully.
4. Space each garlic clove 8 inches apart to allow the plants ample room to grow and produce. Crowding garlic will often result in smaller garlic bulbs. Plant the garlic with the clove tip 2 inches below the soil and pointing straight up.
5. Add 2 to 3 inches of mulch over the newly planted garlic. Peat moss, bark chips, sawdust or leaf mulch are ideal. The mulch will help keep weeds at bay and help the soil retain its moisture content. NOW THIS POINT, I WOULD WAIT TILL THE SOIL WARMS UP. BUT THAT IS ALSO A SUGGESTION.
6. Water the garlic to keep the soil moist but not water-logged. Three weeks after planting, fertilize the garlic using a 10-10-10 fertilizer at a ratio of one pound per 100 square feet. Cease watering the last few weeks before harvest.
7. Harvest the garlic when the leaves begin to die back and turn yellow. Gently pull the bulbs from the ground using your hands with a pair of gloves on. Harvest can usually be achieved six to eight weeks after planting depending on the variety grown. Taken from http://www.gardenguides.com/99045-plant-garlic-spring.html Till next time, this is Becky Litterer from Becky's Greenhouse Dougherty
