Growing at the Speed of Life - A Year in the Life of My First Kitchen Garden

Height: 12 – 2 4"

Width: 6–8"

Depth: 4– 5 "

Garlic

Perennial/Cool Season
Wat e r : Low
Sun : Full
Companion Planting :
pro: Beets, cabbage family, lettuce, tomatoes, straw­
berries
con: Beans, peas
Pests : Aphids, nematodes, thrips
Diseases : Botrytis rot, white rot
Soil: Good drainage; benefits from rich composting
(if possible, keep onion discards out of the compost used
for garlic)
Fertilizer: Moderate

pH: 4.5–8.3

Varieties : The small clove comes from the lily family;

the elephant clove is related to the leek (Allium scorodo­

prasum) and is, in my opinion, too mild to be called

garlic; silverskin (soft neck for cool regions) is my favor­

ite to date

Zones : 5–10

Planting : Late summer, autumn; cloves, 2 inches deep,

6 weeks before last frost; 4–8 inches apart

Germinate: 7–14 days (needs 55ºF for germination)

Harvest: 90–100 days

Rotation: Don’t follow onion crops

Edible: Cloves and scapes

GARLIC • 155