We know a lot of you all read or at least casually glance at our articles each week and it’s probably the active gardeners that read them and those who would like to be gardeners who give them a glance. If you are in that first group, here’s some info on a crop you never have thought about growing and to those in the second group, this one is probably one of the easiest crops you can grow. So, let’s talk about growing garlic.

One of the best things about growing garlic is of course, you get garlic, and garlic helps bring many of our favorite dishes to life. The second-best thing is that once you get your garlic and get it planted, it’s pretty hands free. Another good thing is that many of us have garlic that has been in the fridge too long and is already starting to grow (see photo). These little garlic cloves are just begging to be planted.

If you don’t have one of these garlic bulbs bursting with life in your refrigerator, now is the time to purchase some garlic to plant. One downside to planting refrigerator garlic is that you probably don’t know the variety, or if that variety will do well in Oklahoma. But rather than throw it away, why not put it in the ground and give it a shot.

If you are wanting to be a little bit more intentional with your garlic, some of our local garden centers have a variety of garlic options in stock. Online sources oftentimes have a greater variety to select from, but either way, garlic for planting usually sells out fairly quickly. Planting time for garlic is now through about mid-October.

When trying to decide what variety of garlic to plant, OSU recommends German Red, Spanish Roja, Inchelium Red and Silver Skin since they are known to do well here in Oklahoma.

Once you have your garlic to plant, you’ll need a location that gets full sun with well-drained soil. Before planting work a little nitrogen into the soil.

When you get your garlic, break apart the bulbs into to cloves. You’ll want to use the larger cloves for planting. Garlic is planted similar to bulbs. Place them in the ground with the larger side down in a hole about 2 inches deep and about 4 inches apart from one another.

After placing them in the hole, cover them with soil and a couple of inches of mulch. Garlic may push up some small green shoots early on, but most of the action will be underground during the winter. Be sure to mark where you planted your garlic, so you won’t disturb the area in the spring. And don’t forget to keep them watered during the winter. For garlic to grow properly, they will need at least 30 days of temperatures between 32 and 50 degrees which is why they are planted in the late summer/fall.

Somewhere in late June or early July next year, you will notice the leaves on the plants starting to turn brown at the bottom. This lets you know it’s harvest time.

To harvest, just dig up the garlic using a trowel or garden fork. Once harvested, you will want to let your garlic “cure” for 4 to 6 weeks in a dry shaded area. After curing is complete, remove the stalks but leave that protective “skin” intact. At that point you are good to go, and your homegrown garlic should be fine in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 weeks. Good luck!

You can get answers to all your gardening questions by calling the Tulsa Master Gardeners Help Line at 918-746-3701, dropping by our Diagnostic Center at 4116 E. 15th Street, or by emailing us at mg@tulsamastergardeners.org. Photo: Tom Ingram