Garlic Planting Frequently Asked Questions
Posted by Chris Wong on December 11, 2012 0 Comments
Garlic is an easy to plant and easy to grow crop. Read what you need to know on how to plant to ensure a great harvest for next year's growing season.
Q. When Do You Come To Plant Garlic?
A. Garlic planting in the GTA starts in early October. Planting for the season finishes by the end of the month.
Q. How Long Does It Take to Grow?
A. Garlic planted in the fall will be ready to harvest the following year in late July or early August. In the spring, you will be able to harvest some of the garlic scapes, but the main bulb remains in the ground and continues growing until July/August.
Q. How Much Garlic Should I Plant?
A. The amount of garlic you want to grow depends on how much garlic you and your family typically eat and how much garden space you have. Garlic needs around 6” of space on all sides, which means we can plant 4 cloves per square foot. A bed that will produce 100 heads will need an area of 25 square feet. Previous YUF customers with our raised beds can fit up to 64 cloves in each 4'x4' or 2'x8' Raised Bed.
Q. Can I Purchase Individual Bulbs From You To Plant Myself?
A. Yes, please email us with your request no later than September 15th.
Q. What Variety of Garlic Do You Grow?
A. Our favourite variety of garlic to grow in Toronto is called Music and it is especially suited for our harsh Canadian winters and hot summers. Each organically-grown clove that we plant will eventually grow into a medium sized head with around 5-7 cloves per head. It has a white parchment skin with a slight blush of pink colour.
Q. Under What Conditions Does Garlic Grow Best?
A. Garlic grows best in rich, well-drained soil. We recommend adding in additional compost to ensure a large, well-formed head of garlic. After planting in October, garlic needs a cold, dormant period before restarting its growth in the spring. Please see of our Garlic Growing Guide, which can be downloaded as a pdf.
Q. Why Should I Add Extra Compost Once My Garlic Has Been Planted?
A. Garlic is considered a heavy feeding plant, which means it needs lots of nutrients and organic matter in order to get best results. For those of you with a composter or worm composter, you can add your own finished compost directly on top of your garlic. We can also supply our own unique blend of soil, that will help in the growth and development of your garlic plants.
If you have a question that isn't answered below, please email us at info@youngurbanfarmers.com. For information on how to care for the garlic once it has been planted, read our Garlic Growing Instructions. Want to order garlic and have it planted for you in the spring (GTA only)? Order your fall garlic planting service today.