skip to main content

Farm Life Alliums garden

Garlic Growing Equipment

5 years ago

Hi Folks! We started growing garlic 10 years ago. We learned a lot during that period. This last fall we planted 10,000 cloves of 27 different varieties of garlic.

Curious how many of you grow large amounts of garlic and what equipment do you use to make it a little easier than hand planting like we did until last year.

Thanks, looking forward to reading your posts on equipment you use.

Ron & Donna

Wix Farms

Featured Answer

LoneJack Zn 6a, KC

5 years ago

last modified: 5 years ago

Hi Ron - Welcome to Garden Web! The most garlic I've ever planted was about 350 so not a large grower by any strech. There used to be several market garlic growers on the GW allium forum but most have moved on or retired, and at least one that I know of has passed away. RIP Bloosquall.

I know there is a post in the archives showing one grower that used a drum with dibbles built in and pulled it along the rows to poke the holes for the garlic then they went back over the field with 2 people sitting in a loader bucket dropping the cloves in the holes.

I think that is as automated as I have seen for hardneck garlic since care must be taken to make sure the cloves are oriented correctly. I've heard clove orientation is not as important for softneck types so I think planting can be completely mechanized.

I'll see if I can find the post I'm referring to and post a link.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (7)

LoneJack Zn 6a, KC
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Ron

Here are a couple threads I found to help ease/speed up planting.

Rolling garlic dibbler

Onion/garlic wheel dibbler
Related Discussions
How do you clean your reservoirs and grow equipment?
Q
Comments (1)
This article explains everything http://easyponic.com/secret-avoid-plant-diseases/
...See More
Growing garlic in Maryland
Q
Comments (8)
I plant when we have our first light frost. Last year we had our first on Oct. 15, so I planted that week. Many people around here wait until Nov., some do it as early as mid Sept. As long as you have enough time before the ground freezes solid I'm sure you'd be fine. That is, if it even freezes solid in MD. I grew Inchelium Red garlic, a soft neck, last year. This year I'm growing Inchelium Red and Elephant garlic. I really can't see any reason for not being able to grow hardnecks in your region assuming z7 winter. If you're that worried about it, some people pre-chill their garlic. I'm not sure how that would work, but you could google it. Heat? Garlic doesn't seem bothered here. We went to Mexico last May, and they had been growing garlic (then harvested), and it was HOT, HOT, HOT down there. It'll likely be ready for harvest before any major heat.
...See More
garlic growing questions
Q
Comments (4)
It's hard to tell in your case because more information is needed. What is your zone? There are over 800 varieties of garlic grown around the world and when to plant, and how depends on variety and location. Most garlic in supermarkets come from California or china. When I learned a lot comes from china is when I started growing my own and could never be happier. It's become the easiest crop to grow but when to plant and what variety for your area are the key points to know for your location. I started with 2 different varieties and only one bulb of each which were certified seed garlic, and from those two bulbs I have 300 bulbs in the ground which will be harvested sometime in July. I don't know your location or what you planted but garlic really doesn't start producing a bulb until the last month before harvesting. Timing is critical to pick when bulbs are full but not so late the cloves start to separate. A week to early and you'll lose 30% of the size. Care to give more details?
...See More
Anyone here growing hardneck garlic??
Q
Comments (2)
I'm growing both "hardneck" and "softneck" garlic varieties. Like @Labradors, I just harvested the scapes, and expect to harvest everything before the end of July. BTW, the reason I used quotes around hardneck & softneck is that those are just categories based upon appearance, and there are several different types of garlic in each category. The hardneck varieties I am growing fall under Porcelain, Rocambole, and Marbled Purple Stripe sub-types. This link will show how to identify the different garlic types. This link (from a former custodian of SSE's garlic collection) gives guidance on when each garlic sub-type should be harvested.
...See More
LoneJack Zn 6a, KC
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Is this your website? Wix Farms

I lost several types of my modest garlic collection this last season I believe because I stupidly put my seed garlic in the fridge for a few months in 2017 and it thought it had already been vernalized, grew excessively last fall then couldn't withstand the -10F period we had last winter.

If that is your website then I might give a few of your varieties a try. I've wanted to try Georgian Fire and Russian Red. Are any of your varieties a Silverskin type? I've not had good luck with Artichokes because they seem to always get neck bulbils in my garden.
Ron Wix
Original Author
5 years ago
Yes, that is our site. O found with Artichokes, I had to find the right variety for where we are. Took some trial by error but we found a few that work well.

I can send you a description of what we are planting this fall. We change every year.

Ron
LoneJack Zn 6a, KC
5 years ago
I saw the descriptions for the varieties you had listed. Do you still have garlic for sale. I couldn't tell if you take online orders or not.
OldDutch (Zone 4 MN)
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Like Jack I grow small quantities: half a dozen or so varieties and no more than maybe three dozen of any of them. I have very poor luck with softnecks here in Minneapolis, but for my hardnecks I use a form with pegs to make the planting holes in 4' wide raised beds. I experimented with 8 x 8 spacing last year and stumbled across a mulching method that completely eliminated weeding. It was not a standard mulch and I hope to be able to repeat it next spring. A rolling dibble should work real well on larger plots. I understand that the Gilroy CA garlic giants machine plant their softnecks. There has to be something in the literature about that, if only from California Extension services. There has to be some kind of drill that handles a standard clove size dropping one every so far in the row(s).

Try Googling 'garlic planting drill'. What I see there doesn't look to be all that expensive considering your volume.
Ron Wix
Original Author
5 years ago
Yes, we still are taking orders for this falls garlic. Orders through website is work in progress. Just send me email and I will send what I have available.

Thanks

Related Stories

COOL-SEASON CROPS Cool-Season Vegetables: How to Grow Garlic

By Marianne Lipanovich

Beloved in a wide range of dishes the world over, garlic thrives in a fall garden and is easy to grow

HERBS Herb Garden Essentials: How to Grow Chives

By Marianne Lipanovich

This decorative and delicately flavored herb from the onion family is easy to grow indoors and out

COOL-SEASON CROPS Cool-Season Vegetables: How to Grow Onions

By Marianne Lipanovich

Essential for a cook's garden, onions come in many varieties and show staying power on the shelf

SUMMER GARDENING How to Grow Basil

By Marianne Lipanovich

Bright color, quick growth and endless uses for cooking make this summer annual a winner in the garden or a pot

HOUZZ CALL What’s Growing in Your Edible Garden?

By Becky Harris

Tell us which fresh crops you look forward to enjoying this summer

FARM YOUR YARD Grow a Kitchen Garden in 16 Square Feet

Got a sunny 4-by-4 space? You can make meals more interesting with your own vegetables and herbs

GARDENING GUIDES Cool-Season Vegetables: How to Grow Chard

By Marianne Lipanovich

A year-round garden favorite with a colorful stem, Swiss chard comes into its own in early spring and in fall

FARM YOUR YARD 6 Things to Know Before You Start Growing Your Own Food

By Abundant City

It takes time and practice, but growing edibles in the suburbs or city is possible with smart prep and patience

CONTAINER GARDENS Little by Little: Why Growing a Bonsai Could Change Your Life

Tap into the gentle and intriguing world of bonsai and let it teach you the joy of patience

EDIBLE GARDENS Summer Crops: How to Grow Tomatoes

By Marianne Lipanovich

Plant tomato seedlings in spring for one of the best tastes of summer, fresh from your backyard

Sponsored

More Discussions

The best colors for a house that has a red roof . The trim is going W

2