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Vegetable Gardening

When to plant Garlic THIS year?

exmar zone 7, SE Ohio

12 years ago

OK, we've been growing garlic for several years now, a hard necked variety, French Music. Historically, we harvest, store and then plant next years crop in October. This year we didn't harvest in August but in the first week of July as it was ready then. Here in SE Ohio we've had a very unusual season as in almost non stop rain, high temperatures, etc. etc.

My question is, should we continue to store and plant in October as usual, or plant earlier given the much earlier harvest and considering the viability of the garlic cloves in storage?

There have been other "weird" things going on in the garden due to weather, ALL the sweet corn was ready to harvest at the same time even though there were two sowings, two weeks apart. I could continue, but you get the idea.

Thanks for your time,

Ev

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Comments (5)

kr222
12 years ago
I am in zone 6b here in PA. I plant several types of garlic, but mostly German Extra Hardy and Music. I always aim for October 15th no matter when I harvest the garlic. After curing it, my garlic lasts well into the new year. So I wouldn't worry about how the bulbs will hold up until planting time. They should be fine. I have never been disappointed with mid-October planting.
Kim

Here is a link that might be useful: My Garden
stuffradio
12 years ago
In my area, we can start around the first of September. I live in SW BC Canada.
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I have been growing garlic for many years, albeit in a slightly cooler climate here in WI. I plant in October, mulch heavily to keep down weeds, and dig ripe garlic in July. Your garlic doesn't actually "die off", but rather goes dormant, and comes back when conditions are favorable for growth. You can grow garlic as a perennial if all you are interested in is the greens, but if you want the actual cloves, when it goes dormant you need to dig it up. Then just before your cooler wetter weather starts, replant individual cloves to grow for the next season. Always plant the very best and largest cloves, and eat the smaller ones. If you don't dig each season, the cloves will become smaller and smaller, and the tops more grass-like. Good luck! Steve
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I know that I'm a zone colder than OP, but I wait until it's going to snow soon! As for mulch, I was always taught to not lay mulch until after a couple of hard frosts, or rodents will use it for their winter home. Telling a person to plant a few weeks before the ground freezes can be very iffy with our new weather patterns. Last winter, I could dig Jerusalem artichokes and salsify right through February...unheard of here...but as another poster said...garlic really isn't picky...it will survive..even if you plant it too early, but I would wait as long as possible.
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nygardener
12 years ago
Early to mid October. The bulbs should still be fine for planting (and eating).
exmar zone 7, SE Ohio
Original Author
12 years ago
Thanks for the reassurance. The bulbs are fine, and should stay that way, it's just this year has been so "upside down" for gardening and farming around here I thought I'd ask.

Ev
glib
12 years ago
My garlic, too, was ready July 20, when almost every year I pick it Aug. 5 - Aug. 10. What is funny, this was, in Ohio or MI, the coldest spring on record, yet garlic grew vigorously though it. The bulb size was fine, probably above average. I plant garlic where tomatoes were, so it depends on first frost and other things (how many toms on the vine, probability of ripening, etc). But no planting change for me.

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