Frequently Asked Questions about choosing garlic planting stock, planting garlic, how to grow garlic and much more.

Andrew from Lock Haven, PA asks about the tips of his garlic plants turning brown.                                                                                                     4/23/10

Hi there, I bought some garlic from you all last fall and planted it as instructed. It's starting to green up around here and the garlic has been looking pretty good. However, I started noticing that the leaf tips are beginning to turn brown and die back a bit. It seems a bit early for that.
Does is sound like some sort of deficiency or something? What should I do?

Terri's answer about the garlic plants turning brown...                         4/24/10

Hi Andrew, Don't worry, that happens a lot. It may have just gotten burned by some frost but there is no harm done. Have a great weekend. Terri

Deborah in Great Lakes Region, Up State New York asks about how much garlic to plant.                                                                                         4/14/10

I would like to start a small plot for market sales 20x20 ft.  Using crazy farmer math I figured I could plant about 1200 cloves in this size.  How many pounds would that translate to?

Answer from Terri about how many pounds of garlic Deborah needs to plant.

Hi Deborah, You will need approximately 20-25 pounds or 1200 cloves of garlic seed to plant.                                                                                          4/14/10

For market sales I would suggest that you try a few different varieties...the Turbans are great because they are the first garlic to harvest and get to market, the Purple Stripes are noted to retain their flavor even after cooking. The Porcelains have huge easy to peel cloves and have a high content of allicin. The softnecks have a long storage life. The Creoles have a long storage life for a hard neck....

Artichokes (softnecks) generally have 60 to 75 cloves per pound.

Purple Stripes have 50 - 60 cloves per pound.

Porcelains have 35 -45 cloves per pound.

Asiatics have 60 - 65 cloves per pound.

Turbans have 60 - 65 cloves per pound.

Creoles have 35 -45 cloves per pound.

Marbled Purple Stripes have 35 -45 cloves per pound.

Armando from Austin TX asks is there such thing as garlic seeds?         3/30/10

Answer from Terri about garlic seeds.                                                    3/31/10

Hi Armando, Garlic seeds are actually the garlic cloves themselves.                See How to Grow Garlic - Step #1
Also see the Garlic Calendar - "Choosing organic seed stock". I hope that answers your question. Have a great day, Terri

Bonnie from Piedmont, NC asked about "popping garlic".                      3/20/10

Last year I purchased garlic from you for planting. I was just revisiting your site and going over the wonderful pictures,along with great explanations. While reading I ran upon a term I am not familiar with "popping garlic". I think this is a very important step and do not want to get it wrong. So, if someone would please explain that term, I would greatly appreciate it.

Answer from Terri about "popping garlic."                                             3/20/10

We use the term "popping garlic" when we are breaking the cloves away from the bulbs, just prior to planting. We call it popping, because it takes quite a bit of force and truly makes a popping sound when it finally breaks free. See The Garlic Calendar (June) for more information.

Evangeline from Bellingham, WA asks about 2 sub varieties of garlic that are almost identical.                                                                                     3/10/10

I would like to order the Siberian and Brown Tempest varieties.

Answer from Terri about garlic sub-varieties                                         3/10/10

May I make a suggestion though ....unless you really have your heart set on the Siberian and the Brown Tempest, I would suggest that you try a different sub variety. Both the Siberian and the Brown Tempest are Marbled Purple Stripes and they are very similar. There is actually a study called "Big News For Garlic" , (here is the link. ..Big News for Garlic.com  ) it states that garlic within sub-varieties are almost identical and in fact share the same DNA. So therefore I would suggest that you try a different hardneck sub- variety like a Porcelain, Purple Stripe, Turban, or Asiatic. ...

David Wright from, Taylors, SC, asks about new plant growth going into winter months.                                                                                      11/24/09

I planted my variety pack of garlic about 3 weeks ago and it is already 8" - 10" high. We have had a very mild Fall. Do I do anything with them? I was not expecting this until the spring.

Answer from Terri about new garlic plant growth in winter months   11/24/09

Hi David, No need for concern. Garlic is very hardy and the green growth can handle even the coldest of winters. It is a good idea to have a nice layer of mulch for the coldest winter months. Just remember to thin it out in the spring time to allow the plants to get maximum sunlight. Have a happy Thanksgiving. Terri

Gary from Bowling Green, OH asks what is the most important thing about growing great garlic.                                                                               7/14/09
Hi Terri, It was nice talking to you. if you had one piece of advice what would you say the single most important factor to growing a nice crop, what would it be?

Answer from Terri about Growing Great Garlic.                                     7/14/09
Hi Gary, The most important thing is your soil health. Having loose loamy soil is the best way to grow nice large bulbs. And keeping it weed free helps too! (oops that's 2 things)

Vernon from Fowler, CO asks why we use Buckwheat as a cover crop  7/09/09
I would like to know why you plant buck wheat. Is it to improve the soil? We don't have a very large area to plant our garlic so we would like to keep the soil at it's best. I love my garlic this year!

Answer from Terri about buckwheat cover crop for garlic                    7/09/09

We plant buckwheat because it grows very fast, so it inhibits weed growth. It puts Phosphorous back in the soil. Then when you till it in, it adds organic matter to your soil. Buckwheat is a good quick cover crop, that does not need to be over wintered. (clovers should really be in the ground over the winter). So you basically plant the buckwheat after harvest, let it grow through the summer, then whack it down with a weed whacker and till it into the soil, prior to planting next years garlic.                                                                   This is a very good rotation for up to 3 years. After the third garlic harvest, it is good practice to completely rest that plot. That's when you can plant the clovers or legumes for up to a year. I hope that helps, Terri

Margaret from Midelboro, MA asks about the garlic bulbils                    7/08/09

Part of my garlic row has started to grow a bulb about 12" up from the ground.  Does this mean harvest soon or is it normal for some varieties.   Margaret

Answer from Terri about garlic bulbils.                                                  7/12/09

Often times what happens is that the garlic is under stress, it is actually bolting. So yes it does mean that your garlic is ready for harvest. What the plant is actually doing is sending out a seed and that seed is called a garlic bulbil. Plants do that automatically when they think they are dying, it is their way of avoiding extinction.

Dan from Battle Ground WA asks about tips for growing garlic in soggy wet climate.                                                                                                   5/22/09
I live about 20 miles NE of Portland in SW Washington. We are about 500 ft
MSL and in a rain belt that is even wetter than Portland. In the winter, it
seems  as though it rains almost every day and the garden gets and stays
soggy all winter. I hope to do better planning with next year's crop and I would like to know if there are any special considerations for growing in our wet winter climate.

Answer from Terri about planting garlic in wet climates.                      5/22/09
Hi Dan, Garlic actually does well with wet winters and lots of rain. It is also very cold tolerant so it likes the cold spells. The main recommendation that we have for you is to plant it in raised beds, with good drainage. Obviously you do not want standing water on the garlic because it may rot. As far as the varieties go, since you are so close to Hood River, all of our garlic should acclimate fine for you.

Don in Rexford, NY asks about planting garlic bulbils.                            5/22/09
If I let a few go to seed, and then plant the seed, will this give me good garlic maybe an extra year later?

Answer from Terri about growing garlic bulbils from seed.                   5/22/09
Hi Don,If you let the garlic scapes bloom and go to seed, what you will have will be garlic greens. They look just like chives and they come up in the early
spring. You would snip them with scissors and eat them just like you would
eat chives. There is a very complex science to planting the bulbils, that I believe would take many years to get decent sized bulbs from. It also requires
manual pollination.

David in Meridian, Idaho asks about shipping garlic to Idaho.                 5/11/09
What brand of garlic would you recommend for growing in the Boise Valley (Idaho) climate. We are considered High Desert here.

Answer from Terri about growing garlic in Idaho.                                  5/12/09
There is quarantine for all alliums sent to Idaho counties along the water shed areas of the Snake River and Malheur County, Oregon. It is forbidden to ship all alliums (garlic and onions) to this area due to the quarantine of the onion white rot disease (Sclerotium cepivorum).  The counties included in the quarantine are all counties that have river drainage into the Snake River. These include:  Ada, Bingham, Blaine, Boise, Bonneville, Canyon, Cassia, Elmore, Gem, Gooding, Jefferson, Jerome, Lincoln, Madison, Minidoka, Owyhee, Payette, Power, Twin Falls and Washington counties of Idaho, as well as Malheur County, Oregon. 

We are able to ship garlic if you live in the counties above the Snake River. These counties include: Adams, Bear, Benewah, Boundary, Bonner, Butte, Camas, Clark, Clearwater, Custer, Freemont, Idaho, Kootenai, Latah, Lemhi, Lewis, Nez Perce, Shoshone and Valley.  As well as counties below the Snake River:  Bannock, Caribou, Franklin, Lake, Oneida and Teton.                               

For garlic seed in the quarantined counties, try bigger nurseries. The garlic seed needs to come from true seed of a sterile plant, that has been sent to the University of Idaho for testing and comes out sterile. Good luck! Terri

Rene in Miami, Florida asks what is the difference between hardneck garlic and softneck garlic.                                                                                 5/05/09
Hi Terri what is the difference between the Softneck and a Hardneck and at what time of the year can I plant them ? I do grow Onions and I have to plant them in early November because of the rain and the heat.

Answer from Terri about what is the difference between hardneck garlic and softneck garlic.                                                                                        5/05/09
Hi Rene, The difference between hardneck garlic and softneck garlic:
Hardnecks grow well in cold climates. They are characterized by a hard woody
stem. They tend to be hotter in flavor than softnecks. They are more desired by chef's because of their exceptional flavor and large easy to peel cloves.  Hardneck garlic have a shorter shelf life than softneck garlic. Softnecks grow well in warmer climates. They are more common and easier to grow than hardneck garlic. Softnecks are typically the garlic that is sold in super markets. They have large outer cloves surrounded by smaller inner cloves. They have a soft stem and are used for braiding garlic. Softneck garlic has a longer shelf life than hardnecks. They are also milder flavor and heat.

Cari on Maui, Hawaii asks what garlic to plant on Maui.                         4/29/09
What garlic would you recommend for Hawaii? 

Answer from Terri regarding what garlic to plant on Maui.                   4/29/09
Garlic is not a tropical crop because it needs to cure in a dry area. The islands of Hawaii and any other tropical island is too humid and the bulbs would get moldy during curing. Sorry to disappoint you ....I know ginger and avocados grow great over there. Best of luck, Terri

Vicki in Chico CA asks about hardneck or softneck garlic.                    4/25/09
I live in Chico, CA. Do I want hard or soft neck garlic?                                 

Answer from Terri Regarding hardneck or softneck garlic for California.
The softneck garlic would be a better choice for you in Chico. If you want to try a hardneck, try the Turban varieties: Shantang Purple and Red Janice.

Dinitia in Bend, OR asks if her garlic plants are the right size and height for this time of year.                                                                                    4/08/09
Hello Terri! I am a bit worried as my garlic is only just barely emerging (from .5” to 3” at the most, so far). I removed the rest of the mulch yesterday. We still have some rain and snow on the way for the next week. HELP! Thanks, Dinitia

Answer from Terri regarding proper height for garlic plants in April.   4/08/09
Hi Dinitia, Do not worry. We have had an unusually cold spring and the garlic is just waiting for some warm weather and sunshine to get growing. It was good that you uncovered the mulch from the plants, that should really get them to start growing. Just be sure that they are not completely uncovered of mulch. Now that the days are getting longer, the extra daylight should really help your plants to leaf out. Good luck, Terri

Leora from Buffalo Grove, IL asks what varieties of garlic will grow best in a cold winter climate.                                                                                3/31/09
Can you tell me what kind of garlic will grow best in the Chicago, Illinois area?

Answer from Terri about garlic that grows best in northern states.     3/31/09
Hi Leora, The best garlic for growing in your Chicago area would be any of the hardneck varieties. A few sub-varieties that really thrive in cold climates are; the Purple Stripes, Marbled Purple Stripes and the Porcelain varieties: I would recommend Chesnok Red, Siberian and Music. There are a few of the softneck varieties that do well in cold climates too; I would suggest the Artichoke varieties; Susanville, Red Toch or Transylvanian.

Tammy in Springdale, WA asks if it is necessary to remove excess mulch off her garlic plants in the spring.                                                              03/28/09
I purchased my garlic from Hood River and this is my first growing experience in the inland northwest (northeast Washington). The threat of snow is now pretty much over although temperatures are still in the 20's and 30's at night, and 40's and 50's during the day. I mulched when I planted with about 6" of straw and it compacted quite a bit from the snow and I am worried about the garlic not growing properly. Can I now safely remove the straw with the temperatures still so cool at night...or is it even necessary to remove it? Any assistance you could give me would be greatly appreciated! Regards, Tammy

Answer from Terri about mulching garlic plants.                                 03/28/09
Hi Tammy, It sounds like your garlic is right on track. We do not recommend that you remove the straw completely; it helps keep weeds down and also helps keep the moisture in later in the spring/summer. You may want to remove any straw that is compacted over individual plants, sometimes it helps just to move the straw around a bit. You may find a few plants  that are buried under the straw and deprived from sunlight, these plants may look yellowish, but should green up as soon as they are uncovered. Good luck, Terri

Tom in Eagle, CO asks if deer will eat his garlic plants.                       03/25/09
I am considering turning a large portion of my back yard onto a vegetable garden. I have a large herd of mule deer and elk in the area and deer often bed down in the back yard in the winter.  Are deer a problem growing garlic?

Answer from Terri about deer eating garlic plants.                             03/25/09
Hi Tom, That sounds terrific that you are turning your back yard into a garden.  About your question about deer eating garlic. No, in general deer do not bother alliums. In general deer do not eat onions or garlic (both are alliums).

Vanessa in Hood River, Oregon asks how tall her garlic should be in the beginning of spring.                                                                               03/24/09
Hello Terri just wanted to say that my garlic is about 6 inches tall, is that too soon for it to come up?  Vanessa

Answer from Terri on how tall her spring garlic should be.                03/24/09
Hi Vanessa, No, the height is perfect!  Look at the Garlic Calendar on our web site, here is the link. .. www.hoodrivergarlic.com/garlic-calendar.htm
You will see that 6" is just perfect for this time of year. 

Gene in Mosier, OR asks how to store garlic properly.                        03/13/09
How should I best store garlic? I live above Mosier and heat with wood which creates a dry atmosphere. Some is being lost too soon. THANKS, Gene

Answer from Terri on how to properly store garlic.                          03/13/09
Hi Gene, The best way to store your garlic is to keep it cool and dry. Away from any direct heat source and out of direct sunlight. A basement is a terrific place. You need to protect it from freezing, so an unheated garage is too cold in winter months. Try to find the coolest spot in your house and store the bulk of your garlic there. Then just have one bulb at a time on your countertop. Also see our Garlic Tips page for how to store garlic in olive oil and butter in your freezer! 

Henry in NC asks about the tips of his garlic plants turning brown.    03/13/09
Our garlic is about 6" high and the tops look like they are dead. Light brown and pale looking. A friend gave me some bulbs last year from you. I planted them in November 2008. Help.

Answer from Terri regarding brown tips on garlic plants.                  03/13/09
Hi Henry, Not to worry. The tops often turn brown from some early frost
damage. It does not effect the growth of the plant in any way, so your garlic is just fine.  Have a great weekend. Terri

Michael in Oregon asks about late season garlic planting.                   02/16/09
Is it too late to plant the garlic seed for harvest in late August? I am anxious to get started, but I want to make sure I have allowed enough time for garlic growth to get the best possible harvest. Thanks, Michael

Answer regarding planting garlic late in the season.                          02/16/09
Hi Michael, Well it is too late for optimum yield of garlic at this time. However, you may try to plant some garlic and see how it will do for you. If you plant now, you will harvest in late summer/fall. I suggest that you do an experiment and plant some now, then plant some more in the fall....that way you will have some sooner and later. Just be sure to order some of our premium Hood River Garlic seed stock for your fall planting, that way you will be sure to have a bountiful harvest next summer.

Jim in Wisconsin asks about separating garlic bulbs that are already planted in the garden.                                                                                          02/15/09
Last year, I ordered 3 elephant garlic bulbs (not from Hood River Garlic) and planted them during October (I live in zone 4). I failed to separate the bulbs into cloves and planted the entire bulb I am NOW aware of my mistake. ......... my question is: *How will this impact my garlic growth/yield? *Is there anything I can do now other than wait until fall?

Answer regarding separating garlic bulbs that are already planted.  02/15/09
Hi Jim, I would suggest that you carefully remove the bulbs from the dirt. Being as careful as possible not to disrupt the roots as much as possible.   After separating them, you can replant them in their own holes.  Good luck!

Follow up question from Jim.                                                               02/16/09
Thank You for your timely response. Since I live in zone 4, the ground cover is still very much frozen-I cannot dig up the elephant/bulbs  cloves for careful separation.  The bulbs will have to be left alone until spring. 

Answer from Terri                                                                                 02/16/09
It sounds like you should probably leave them alone until the ground starts to thaw. Even if you dug them up now, and thawed them indoors to separate them, they would not get settled into their new holes with frozen dirt. 

Bob in Connecticut asks about planting garlic in containers.               02/02/09
I ordered some garlic from you this fall, and never got around to planting it.  Now in Connecticut we have a foot of snow on the ground. Will the garlic bulbs keep to be planted in the spring?  Do I pot them up and put them on a windowsill?  Or do I make scampi?

Answer from Terri about planting garlic in pots.                                 02/02/09
Hi Bob, You ordered the 1/2 lb variety pack, which includes 1/4 lb ea; Chesnok Red and Susanville. The Susanville should be fine for planting in the spring, but the Chesnok Red may be past it's normal shelf life expectancy. Look at the bulbs, and feel for firmness. If it feels or looks inferior then how it looked when it arrived I would suggest that you eat the Chesnok Red ( Scampi time!).  You should have good success by planting the Susanville in March, you will harvest in late summer-early fall. Terri

Follow up question from Bob about window sill garlic planting.        02/03/09
Can I pot both up in a windowsill?  That is, do they develop big onion-like root systems, or will they hang out happily in a pot until I can bring them outside in (crossing fingers) 8 weeks or so and re-pot them?  This is the first garlic I've grown garlic and I was after garlic scapes as much as bulbs. Any advice is most appreciated.

Answer from Terri about planting garlic in containers.                       02/03/09
Hi, You can plant in containers, and certainly until the spring thaw. Just make sure when you remove the garlic from the pots, not to disturb the roots too much.  Your pots are going to have to be rather large. Garlic like 5 to 6 inches all around it, and at least 5 inches deep. Keep evenly moist, in full sun. Since you are going to stick it in the ground anyway, break apart the bulbs and really feel for firmness of the cloves that you are going to plant. I would only plant the firmest cloves. Good luck, Terri

Rob in Oregon asks about cold snap and young garlic plants.              12/25/08
Hey this is Rob down in Jefferson, OR, I purchased 5 lbs. of your Oregon Blue garlic in November and planted just after Thanksgiving, with grass mulch on top, about 3 inches.  Any concerns or techniques you guys recommend with our recent cold snap?

Answer from Terri regarding mulching garlic in cold weather.            12/26/08
Hi Robb, No worries about the cold. Garlic is very cold hardy and does just fine in the cold winters. If you have any reason for concern, you can always cover it with more mulch. Happy New Year. Terri

John from Lemont, IL asks how often he should apply foliar feed to his garlic plants.                                                                                                  12/13/08
Hi, what a great web site for garlic lovers! I found your web site through Fine Gardening. I grow 1200 plants of 7 varieties. Most of the originals were probably your garlic seed as they came from Territorial Seed Company. My question is how often should I apply foliar feeding to my garlic plants? I have been using soybean meal applied in fall and spring. Thank you, John

Answer from Terri about how often to apply foliar feed to his garlic plants.                                                                                                                12/13/08
Hi John, we start applying foliar feed in the spring, around mid April, when the garlic plants have grown about 10 inches tall. Then we apply another foliar feeding when the garlic plants grow another 5 inches in May.

Robin in Texas asks what is the best garlic seed for Texas.                 11/17/08
According to my planting guide from the local ag. extension office  it's time to plant garlic, I thought Dec. but now is great too - what  variety do you sell that would work best here?  I am in Central TX  near Austin. Thanks Robin

Answer from Terri about warm climate garlic planting stock.           11/17/08
For growing in Texas and other hot climates I would suggest any of the softneck Artichoke varieties; Susanville and Red Toch are excellent choices. Also the Turban varieties; Red Janice and Shantang Purple since they are early to harvest, you can harvest before the extreme heat sets in. Terri