How do you grow garlic?

Plant garlic when nighttime temperatures begin to fall and after the first hard frost. Provide care for the crop as it grows by providing mulch and inspecting for disease. Harvest the crop when the tops begin to turn yellow.

1. Plant the garlic

   A few days before planting the garlic, break apart the cloves. Leave each individual clove covered in the papery skin. Prepare the soil bed next. For best flavor, plant the cloves after the first frost when soil temperatures have dropped for the season.

2. Provide care for the garlic

   Mulch the plant in climates where temperatures become very cold. Though disease and pests are rare in garlic, watch for signs of disease and the same pests that plague onions. After the danger of frost passes, remove the mulch. Water every three to five days to encourage growth of bulbs. Remove any weeds that sprout after frost passes.

3. Harvest the garlic

   Watch for yellow blades to develop, indicating the garlic bulbs are ready for harvest. Remove garlic from the ground after the yellow tops fall over but before they become hard. Brush any soil off the harvested garlic, and hang the bulbs in a dry, shaded area. Once the garlic is dry, braid the tops together to hang in the kitchen.