Planting Garlic in Fall September 14, 2018 01:35 10 Comments
In late summer or early fall, most gardens are full of delicious vegetables ready for the table and winter storage. This time of year can be one of the most rewarding times for gardeners as the fruits of their labour are fully paying off. As a result, one of the last things on their mind is preparing the garden for planting garlic in the fall.
Most vegetable growers or gardeners do their garden planning during the winter or very early spring. This means that they often overlook the fact that garlic should ideally be planted in fall. In climates like Canada and the northern United States, fall planting of garlic produces strong flavoured, hardy garlic bulbs that can grow to impressive sizes. With a bit of special attention, garlic can be planted and overwintered in almost any region, including the North.
Three most important steps to planting garlic in the Fall:
Planting Date
The best time to plant garlic in the fall will depend on your location and climate. The goal is to have the cloves develop as much root growth as possible before winter, without having the garlic emerge from the ground and ending up with green top growth. This means that the date of planting can range from mid-September to as late as the end of November depending on where you live and how long you want your cloves to grow roots before winter.
Generally speaking, it is recommended that garlic in Canada be planted around October 15th every year. This conventional wisdom, however, is a very broad recommendation and is not always ideal for every location.
In colder zone 2 & 3 regions such as Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Northern Ontario and parts of BC where winter comes early, garlic planting can start as soon as September 15th and go as late as the end of October (or until the ground freezes).
In warmer regions like southern Ontario, Quebec, coastal B.C, the Maritime provinces, and much of the Northern United States, planting can range from early October until the last week of November. If garlic is planted early in the season and some green top growth occurs above the soil line going into winter, it is not the end of the world. The green leaves may die back over winter, but the cloves will re-grow new leaves in spring.
Planting Depth
Generally, garlic planting depth ranges anywhere from 1" to 3" inches deep. How deep you should plant your garlic cloves will depend on a couple of factors.
The first thing to consider is the type of soil you have. On poorly drained soils like clay, or regions that generally receive very high amounts of rain, planting deeper than 1" or 2" can cause the garlic to decay over winter, in early spring or during wet periods. In sandy or very well-drained soil, planting less than 2" or 3" can lead to drought stress during hot or dry periods.
On occasion, some growers plant deeper than 3", however, this only works in very dry sandy soils. Generally, any deeper than 3" is considered excessive and will force the garlic plants to use valuable energy when emerging from the soil which can limit the size of the harvested bulbs come fall.
The second factor to consider is the climate of the area. The deeper a garlic clove is planted, the more winter protection it has. In warmer regions like the west coast where winter conditions are mild or in areas with very high snowfall, planting depth is less of a concern. In very cold climates like the prairies or locations that have a lot of freezing/thawing cycles, planting on the deeper side can help protect the cloves over the winter. At at a depth of 2" garlic is usually deep enough to survive the winter. However, 1" can easily have winter kill on the more exposed areas without a thick mulch cover.
Winter Protection
In the colder regions of Canada and some northern states, covering the garlic with a mulch such as straw, hay or leaves is highly recommended to protect the bulbs over winter. In milder regions like southern Ontario, mulching is not essential, however, can still help protect the garlic from freeze/thaw cycles, as well as keep the soil warmer to allow the roots to continue growing into early winter.
Mulching should be delayed until late fall (usually November) when the weather has turned colder. This delay will help prevent the bulbs from rotting under warm and wet soil conditions. In very wet regions where the winters are mild, mulching is not generally recommended (especially on clay soils).
In spring, remove the mulch covering as soon as possible. The ground will usually still be frozen, and the removal will help warm up the soil quickly. Mulch can either be thrown into the compost pile or put back over the garlic as a summer mulch once the temperatures increase.
If you have experience or some thoughts about planting garlic, Leave a Comment Below! We'd love to hear what you think!
Comments
John on January 27, 2019 14:19
Laura,
If you’re looking for good quality seed garlic, all our of our varieties are cold hardy and good for Zones 2 or higher. Everything is grown in southern Manitoba which has a very similar climate to central Alberta. We start taking pre-orders in May and the garlic becomes available starting in August for fall planting (GarlicSeed.ca).
As for your existing garlic, it’s hard to say exactly how each variety will do without knowing exactly what type of garlic you are growing (garlic names are notorious for being inconsistent). My guess is that they would do very well planting in the fall and end up growing much larger. The Russian Red hardneck for sure and the Ukranian Softneck probably.
In Alberta, it can be a bit tricky to overwinter garlic in the ground because of the occasional warm spells that can melt all the snow cover. If you plant in the fall, I would make sure that there is a very thick cover of straw protecting the garlic for the winter. Also, there is no rush to dig up your spring planted garlic. The bulbs can be replanted well into October or even November, as long as the ground hasn’t frozen yet.
John on January 27, 2019 13:20
Marti, there aren’t too many critters that like to eat garlic, however, the odd one occasionally will taste a few here and there. We’ve had deer and woodchucks eat some plants in the past, but they do not usually find the garlic to be very appealing. Chances are that they won’t eat much more, however, you may want to fence the garlic off.
Laura Kos on January 27, 2019 13:07
I am researching starting a commercial garlic business in central Alberta. I have summer planted Russian Red and soft variety Ukranian garlic for years with good success. and always replant my original garlic. Can I summer plant my garlic, pull it earlier than usual to dry, then replant the same garlic for Fall planting? It is stored in a cold room in my garage and keeps well over the winter. I also have Elephant garlic that was given to me that should have been planted this past fall but we got frost here early and I wasn’t able to get it in the ground. Also, because we are a cold climate, where do you recommend that I purchase my commercial farm starter package of garlic as I need the other recommended varieties that grow well in Central Alberta?
Marti on January 27, 2019 13:07
Hello, I am growing a few dozen garlic plants in my own garden here in BC, and have done for 3 years now. But when I went out to admire them today one was pulled out and several had the tops chewed off. Would you know what this might be and what I can do about it?
Thanks in advance,
Marti
John on October 29, 2018 23:35
Northern Ohio is pretty similar to southern Ontario. Planting is usually best around the third week of October and covering with mulch is a good idea. Nice long growing seasons so make sure the fertility is high so that you get BIG bulbs.
Beverly Johnston on October 29, 2018 23:21
Any suggestions for planting in Northern Ohio?
Murray Donovan on October 26, 2018 01:27
Thank you John Boy! Just finished planting 5 lbs of fat bulbs.
John on October 10, 2018 11:22
Hardneck garlic does really well in Alberta. Hardy and lots of flavour!
Jack dumais on July 13, 2018 23:26
What s garlic is the best for growing in alberta
Ella on February 22, 2018 21:08
Any vegetables got straight from the garden to cook, tastes colorful and this in itself is a prime inspiration to grow our own vegetables. Peas unquestionably have a harmonious association with the nitrogen settling microorganisms and along these lines, they are high in protein content. To add to it they are extremely delectable too.