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Why Garlic Earned a Permanent Spot in our Garden
- Glauci
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
If there is one crop I wish I had started growing sooner, it’s garlic.
This is only my second year growing it, and I honestly can’t believe how easy it has been.
When I first started gardening, garlic seemed intimidating. The idea of planting something in the fall and waiting until summer to harvest it felt like such a long commitment. But after trying it for the first time, I quickly realized I had been overthinking it.
Fall of 2024, I planted 75 garlic cloves in a single 4x8 raised bed. I tucked each clove into the soil, hoping for the best.
At the time, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I figured garlic would require more attention or present some unexpected challenges along the way. Instead, it settled into the garden with very little effort on my part and steadily grew through the changing seasons.
As the months passed, I was amazed by how effortlessly garlic fit into my gardening routine. What started as a simple experiment quickly became one of the most rewarding things I’ve grown.
One of my favorite parts of growing garlic has been sharing the experience with my son. He had a blast helping plant the cloves in the fall and harvest them the following summer. There’s something special about growing food together and watching months of patience turn into a harvest.
What surprised me most was how little work garlic required. Once planted, it quietly grows through the seasons with very little attention. While most of the garden winds down in the fall, planting garlic gives me a reason to stay connected to the garden and look ahead to the next growing season.
As a busy mom, I especially love that garlic is already growing when spring arrives. Instead of adding another task to an already busy planting season, it’s one less thing I have to think about.
And then there’s the flavor.
Homegrown garlic tastes nothing like store-bought garlic. The bulbs are fresh, flavorful, and incredibly satisfying to use in the kitchen.
We use ours in all kinds of ways:
• Fermented honey garlic
• Garlic-infused olive oil
• Homemade tomato sauce
• Everyday cooking throughout the year
If someone asked me what crop gives the biggest reward for the least amount of work, garlic would be at the top of my list.
Over the last two seasons, I’ve learned a few things about garlic that I wish I had known when I first started growing it, so I will share them with you while you still have time to plant your garlic this season.
A Few Things I Learned About Growing Garlic
Don’t Buy Just Any Garlic.
One of the biggest things I learned is that not all garlic is the same.
For the best results, look for seed garlic from a reputable local grower or organic garlic farm. I personally purchased my garlic from a garlic farm, the garlic grew amazingly well in my backyard. I knew I was growing something that was well suited to New England.
Garlic from grocery stores is frequently treated to stop sprouting and might not be ideal for your local growing conditions.
Before growing garlic, I had no idea there were different types.
Hardneck garlic is ideal for colder climates and produces garlic scapes in early summer. It typically has larger cloves and a richer flavor.
Softneck garlic stores longer and is the type most commonly found in grocery stores.
Living in Massachusetts, I’ve had great success with hardneck garlic.
One of the unexpected bonuses of growing hardneck garlic is the garlic scapes.
Before the bulbs fully mature, the plants send up curly flower stalks called scapes. These should be harvested to help the plant focus on growing larger bulbs.
They’re also delicious!
One of my favorite ways to use them is garlic scape pesto, which has a fresh, garlicky flavor and freezes really well
Why Garlic Needs Winter
Garlic actually benefits from cold weather.
The bulbs require a period of cold temperatures, called vernalization, to properly divide into the cloves we harvest the following summer.
Without enough winter chill, garlic may not form large bulbs.
That’s why garlic is typically planted in the fall and harvested the following summer.
Free Mulch from the Backyard
One of my favorite things about growing garlic is how inexpensive it can be.
After planting, I simply cover the bed with mulched fallen leaves from our yard.
By the time most people are cleaning up leaves and putting the garden away for winter, I’m tucking garlic into the soil and using those same leaves as free mulch.
The mulch helps:
• Protect the cloves during winter
• Reduce weeds
• Hold moisture
• Improve the soil as it breaks down
And best of all, it doesn’t cost a thing.
Lately, garlic stores beautifully, which means the harvest continues to provide long after the garden season ends. After harvesting, the garlic isn't quite ready to use or store just yet (although I couldn't resist and used my first fresh harvest garlic right away!).
The bulb needs time to cure, or dry, which helps them to develop the flavor and improves how long they will keep. I hang mine in bundles inside the greenhouse, where they can dry for 3-4 weeks with good airflow, but any other drying rack would work. Watching rows of garlic hanging overhead is one of my favorite sights of the gardening season. It is a reminder that months of patience have finally paid off.
Once the outer wrappers become papery and stems have dried, the garlic is ready to be cleaned up and stored for months ahead.
As a busy mom, gardener, homeschooler, and nurse, I appreciate crops that don’t demand constant attention. Once planted in the fall, garlic quietly grows through winter and is already well on its way by spring, when the rest of the garden season becomes busy.
For me, garlic has become more than just another crop. It keeps me connected to the garden when most of the beds are winding down in the fall, rewards me with a beautiful harvest in the summer, and continues to feed my family throughout the year.
Garlic has earned a permanent spot in my garden, and I can’t imagine a season without it.
Whether you are a seasoned gardener or planting your very first clove in the fall, I hope this encourages you to give garlic a try!
Thank you for following along on our homesteading journey. If you enjoy gardening, chickens, food from scratch, and handmade finds, I'd love to have you join us on Instagram @islancustomcoops, where I share daily glimpses of life in our little New England backyard.
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