Get Your Garlic Garden Ready for Fall

Fall is garlic planting season, and one of the best things you can do for next year's garlic harvest is start with a properly prepared garden bed.

If you've been wondering how to prepare soil for garlic, when to plant garlic, or which organic seed garlic varieties to grow this fall, now is the time to get started.

At Mad River Garlic Growers, we're right in the middle of fall planting season, and we've got garlic ready to plant now.

From popular varieties like Inchelium Red, Red Russian, Music, and Chesnok Red to Garlic Variety Packs and Grower Packs, fall is your chance to get your garlic in the ground and start looking forward to next summer's harvest.

 

Why Plant Garlic in the Fall?

Garlic is different from many garden vegetables because the growing process begins months before harvest.

In most regions, gardeners plant garlic in the fall.

The cloves begin establishing roots before winter, spend the colder months underground, and then begin growing vigorously again in spring.

That makes fall soil preparation especially important.

A little work now gives your garlic a better environment for establishing roots and developing healthy bulbs later.

How to Prepare Soil for Garlic

Great garlic starts underground.

Before planting your organic seed garlic, choose a garden location that receives plenty of sunlight and has soil that drains well.

Garlic doesn't like sitting in soggy soil, so drainage is important.

Start by removing weeds and old plant material from the garden bed.

Then loosen the soil and work in finished compost.

The goal is to create soil that is loose enough for roots to develop while still retaining enough moisture to support your garlic.

 

What Kind of Soil Does Garlic Like?

When preparing a garlic bed, focus on:

• Good drainage
• Loose, workable soil
• Plenty of organic matter
• A sunny location
• Minimal weed competition

Preparing the bed before your garlic arrives can make planting day considerably easier.

 

When Should You Plant Garlic?

One of the most common questions we hear is:

When should I plant garlic?

In most areas, garlic is planted in the fall before the ground freezes solid.

The exact timing depends on your growing region.

That's also why Mad River Garlic Growers ships garlic according to planting regions. Garlic growers in colder climates generally plant earlier than gardeners farther south.

The goal is to give the cloves enough time to begin establishing roots without encouraging too much top growth before winter.

How to Plant Garlic Cloves

Once your garden bed is ready, planting garlic is pretty simple.

Start by separating your seed garlic bulbs into individual cloves.

Try to keep the papery skin around each clove intact.

Then identify the two ends of the clove.

The pointed end goes:

UP ↑

The flatter root end goes:

DOWN ↓

Place each clove into your prepared soil and cover it.

Each clove you plant has the potential to develop into an entire garlic bulb.

That's part of what makes growing garlic so satisfying.

 

Should You Mulch Garlic After Planting?

After planting, many garlic growers add mulch to the garden bed.

Mulch can help protect the soil as colder weather arrives and can reduce repeated freezing and thawing.

It can also help suppress weeds and retain soil moisture.

Straw is one common choice for mulching garlic beds.

The amount and timing of mulch can vary depending on your climate, so growers in colder regions may use a heavier layer than those in milder areas.

 

Choosing the Best Garlic Varieties for Fall Planting

Once your bed is ready, the hardest part may be deciding what garlic to plant.

There are hundreds of garlic varieties, and they can differ dramatically in flavor, clove size, bulb appearance, storage life, and growing characteristics.

Here are four customer favorites available from Mad River Garlic Growers.

 

Inchelium Red Garlic

Inchelium Red is a popular softneck garlic known for its large cloves, balanced garlic flavor, and excellent storage qualities.

Softneck garlic is often a good choice for gardeners interested in garlic that stores well after harvest.

Inchelium Red is also versatile in the kitchen, making it an easy variety to use for everyday cooking.

Red Russian Garlic

If you like garlic with plenty of flavor, Red Russian garlic is worth adding to your garden.

It's a customer favorite for gardeners looking for a bolder garlic flavor.

Growing several varieties side by side is a great way to compare flavors after harvest and decide which garlic you want to plant again the following year.

 

Music Garlic

Music garlic is one of the most recognizable hardneck garlic varieties.

It is known for producing large cloves and plenty of classic garlic flavor.

Large cloves can also make kitchen preparation easier, especially when a recipe calls for a lot of garlic.

And around here, that's most recipes.

 

Chesnok Red Garlic

Chesnok Red is a beautiful garlic variety known for its rich flavor.

It is especially popular for roasting, when its flavor can become rich and mellow.

Chesnok Red is also part of the purple stripe family, giving garlic growers another interesting variety to add to the garden.

 

Hardneck Garlic vs. Softneck Garlic

If you're new to growing garlic, you'll frequently see two terms:

Hardneck garlic and softneck garlic.

Hardneck garlic varieties develop a firm central stalk and are popular with growers in colder climates.

They also produce garlic scapes in the spring.

Softneck garlic varieties generally don't develop the same hard central stalk and many are known for longer storage life.

Growing both types can give you different harvest experiences and different garlic for the kitchen.

 

Try More Than One Garlic Variety

One of the easiest ways to learn what grows well in your garden is to plant several garlic varieties.

You might discover that one variety grows particularly well in your soil.

Another may become your favorite for roasting.

Another might have the flavor you want for sauces, soups, and everyday cooking.

That's why Organic Garlic Variety Packs are such a good option for both new and experienced growers.

Instead of choosing only one variety, you can compare several.

 

 

First Time Growing Garlic?

Don't overthink it.

Garlic is a very approachable crop for beginning gardeners.

Start with:

• Quality seed garlic
• A sunny garden location
• Well-draining soil
• Proper fall planting
• Mulch where appropriate
• A little patience

Then wait for spring.

When green garlic leaves begin appearing, you'll know something has been happening underground all winter.

 

Why Use Organic Seed Garlic for Planting?

The garlic you plant matters.

Using seed garlic grown specifically for planting gives you the opportunity to select varieties suited to your garden and the way you like to use garlic.

Mad River Garlic Growers offers certified organic seed garlic grown for gardeners who want to grow their own garlic at home.

Instead of relying on whatever garlic happens to be available at the grocery store, you can choose from varieties with different flavors, storage characteristics, and growing traits.

 

Get Your Garlic Bed Ready Now

If fall garlic planting is approaching in your region, don't wait until planting day to start preparing your garden.

Get the bed ready now.

Clear the weeds.

Work in compost.

Choose your garlic varieties.

And when it's time to plant, you'll be ready.

 

We Have Your Garlic to Plant Now

Shop Mad River Garlic Growers for certified organic seed garlic for fall planting, including customer favorites like:

Inchelium Red • Red Russian • Music • Chesnok Red

Or try several varieties with one of our Organic Garlic Variety Packs or Grower Packs.

 

SHOP ORGANIC SEED GARLIC

 

Plant this fall.

Watch it grow next spring.

Harvest your own garlic next summer.