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Glorious garlic! This amazing herb has been used in cooking, medicine and folklore for centuries. It is one of the oldest known foods -having been traced back as far as 3000 BC. Garlic comes from the same family as onion, leeks and shallots. The botanical name is Allium sativurn.
Garlic is easy to grow and the taste of fresh, home harvested bulbs is incomparable.
What to plant: Garlic growers refer to what they plant as "seed." This is really the clove of garlic, separated from the larger bulb, which contains many cloves. Cloves are divided and planted individually.
How to plant: Plant cloves in a sunny area, using loose, well-drained soil. Press garlic cloves into soil 2 - 3 inches deep with the small (pointed end) up. Cover with soil. Space cloves five inches apart and allow 18 inches between rows. Water deeply at planting time and once weekly thereafter. Cover with dried leaves or grass clippings.
When to plant: In Colorado, it is best to plant garlic in the fall before the ground freezes, early to mid October is ideal.
Success in growing great garlic begins with excellent soil. To promote good bulb formation, the soil must be loose rather than hard and compacted. Our clay soil must have peat, or well degraded compost added to it to grow a good bed of garlic. Prepare soil by choosing a sunny spot, turning the soil, and adding organic matter until the earth is loose and crumbly. Till the soil 8 - 12 inches deep. Use the "snowball test" to check soil for the right consistency. Pick up a handful of soil. Pack it gently into a small snowball shape. Now break it open again. If the ball yields and crumbles when you lightly press on it, you have soil consistency that is perfect for garlic!
Garlic planted in fall will not be ready until the following summer but it is certainly worth waiting for. One clove of planted garlic becomes a bulb with many cloves during its growing time. The plant itself grows to be about two feet tall, has grayish green leaves and sports a small white flower. Garlic is ready for harvest when the tops of the stalks begin to turn brown. Watch your garlic and do not allow it to flower as this takes energy away from the production below ground. If this starts to happen, simply break the stem.
To harvest garlic, dig up the bulbs carefully, brush off the loose soil and spread out on the ground to dry. Leave them until completely dried, (or until a rain comes) then bring them into the house and store at 60 - 70 degrees. You may make garlic braids, store in brown paper bags or on an open shelf.
There are many interesting varieties of garlic. Some popular types are "Northern White", with large easy to peel bulbs; "German Red" with their hot, spicy flavor, and "Old Fashioned Black", a favorite at the Larimer County Farmers’ Market. Elephant garlic, named for its large size, is very mild in flavor and is not true garlic - but rather - a leek! Still, it has its followers and is very easy to grow. Decide for yourself, plant a variety.
Garlic is used in all types of cooking, and is a staple in the Mediterranean diet. Add it to stews, sauces, soups and vegetables. Mix with butter or olive oil and spread on crusty bread, or discover its marvelous flavor by roasting. To roast garlic, choose a clean bulb and peel off only the outer skin. Slice one fifth off the top (the pointed end). Place the head on a square of aluminum foil (or use a garlic roaster if you have one). Drizzle with 1 tsp. of olive oil. Seal foil loosely, or cover with roaster lid. Bake in 350- degree oven (preheated) for 45 minutes. To serve as an appetizer, remove cloves with a small knife and spread on a baguette or crackers. Allow one bulb per person. Enjoy!
For more information refer to Fact Sheet: #7.222 - Soil: The Key to Successful Gardening and 7.217 - Fertilizing the Organic Garden.
Q: I have herbs growing in containers on my patio. Will they live inside the house during the winter months?
A: Absolutely! Place your pots of herbs in a sunny indoor location and enjoy parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, chives and others all winter. Use herbs to add zest to stews, soups and baked goods. The aroma of your indoor herb garden will delight your senses during the cold winter months. Simply water regularly, fertilize lightly and pinch off tops to encourage growth.
Q: Will green tomatoes ripen indoors during cold weather?
A: Yes. Pick light green, firm tomatoes before frost and place in boxes in single layers. Be careful to keep fruits from touching. Cover with newspaper and store in a cool area between 55 and 60 degrees. Check often for ripeness and use as needed.
Q: Should I rototill my garden in the fall or wait until spring?
A: Do it now! Clear away plant debris, weeds and sticks from the garden. Compost and grass clippings that have been added during the growing season can be tilled under allowing decomposition during winter months. The spring garden soil will be well prepared and richer for your effort.
Q: I miss my garden during winter. What can I do to keep my love for gardening alive until next spring?
A: Turn to houseplants! Repot, trim, fertilize, water, divide and enjoy the wonderful plants that thrive indoors. Buy a new specimen or start new plants from clippings of favored older ones. Share with a friend! Force winter blooms from tulips, narcissus, amaryllis and daffodils. Local nurseries have bulbs, instructions and supplies. Indoor gardening can bring color and joy to many a cold winter day.
Pruning the branches of trees with a flush cut is not recommended. Prune outside the collar and branch bark ridge, a natural swelling at the branch base.
Remove broken branches “canes” of shrubs all the way to the ground. Shearing the plant will stimulate new growth that will be damaged during our next freeze.
Avoid pruning the top leader in evergreens. Spruce and fir trees with multiple leaders are more prone to storm damage from the weight of heavy snow.
The authors have received training through Colorado State University Cooperative Extension's Master Gardener program and is a Master Gardener volunteer for Larimer County.
Fact Sheets are available at the Larimer County Extension Office, 1525 Blue Spruce Drive, Fort Collins, Colorado, telephone (970) 498-6000, or contact us by e-mail at larimer@coop.ext.colostate.edu
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