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If you love the fresh, zesty flavor of garlic in your salad dressings, the mouthwatering aroma of pasta rich with garlic or the mild, buttery flavor of baked garlic on toasted crostini, now is the time to plan for your own harvest of this pungent member of the onion family.
There is no need to wait until spring to plant garlic. When planted in the fall, the garlic over winters well and prepares for its appearance in early March.
On a mid-fall day before the ground has frozen, choose a sunny, well-drained spot in the garden. Clear it of this season's vegetable debris, then till the soil, adding compost and the recommended amount of a slow-release fertilizer.
Now it is time to plant garlic bulbs that you have purchased from a reputable garden catalog or nursery.
Divide the garlic into separate cloves. Choose only large, plump cloves, as they yield the strongest plants and largest bulbs. Space the rows 15 to 18 inches apart. Plant the cloves 6 inches deep and 6 inches apart. Now settle in for the long winter and wait for the tender shoots to appear in the spring. If the winter is mild with little moisture, water during dry periods. In the spring, when the shoots are several inches high, cultivate around the plants to loosen the soil and to make furrows for watering. The garlic will appreciate occasional deep watering during the growing season. Check for adequate moisture several inches below ground level and water as needed. In mid-April side-dress the garlic with the same slow-release fertilizer used in the fall. Several weeks before harvest, usually late June or early July, begin withholding water from the garlic. This makes it easier to dig the bulbs and shake off the clinging dirt.
The garlic will be ready for harvest when the leaves are bending over and turning brown at the ends. Harvesting too early will yield small, immature bulbs. If harvested too late, the bulbs will show signs of splitting and sloughing off the outer skin. To remove the garlic easily, dig down the row of garlic loosening the soil on both sides.
When loose, lift the bulb out. Resist the urge to pull as the stem may break off.
When the garlic is harvested, place it one layer deep it in a well-ventilated, shady outdoor area. Let it rest for several days, protecting it from moisture. Then shake off the remaining dirt and rub off the outer layer of papery skin. Do not wash. Cut the roots off slightly below the bulb, then trim the leaves to an inch above the bulb.
For gifts or easy storage, keep the leaves on the bulb, and braid three to five bulbs together. Bend the braid over to the top of the bulb and tie. For a decorative effect, you also can add dried chili peppers or flowers for a decorative effect.
Hang in a dark, cool, dry area for storage. You will have an ample supply of crisp, juicy garlic through the fall and winter months. But, don't forget to save the plumpest, largest bulbs as seed garlic for next year.
For more information on Gardening, contact your
local Colorado State University Extension office.
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