Growing Hard Neck Garlic at Home (This is a good harvest!)

[@loris3002]

Including your growing tips as you harvest was so appreciated. Nice garlic!!!

[@najwaseiya]

Good job, good sharing👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@amyschmelzer6445]

I live in central Ohio. My zone, last frost, and first frost are similar to yours. I plant both softneck and hardneck garlics. The softnecks keep well enough that I am still using last year’s harvest. But I love the size of the cloves on the hardnecks. I have been harvesting my garlic this week too. Like you said, July 4th is typically when I harvest, but the weather has been different this year. I use my own harvest as seed for the next year. So if you find a variety you like, there’s no need to buy it year after year. I do like to try new kinds though. The last two new kinds I bought at the farmers market from a guy who was selling them to eat. Montana Giant is a hardneck that lives up to its name with huge heads with large cloves. I also bought Music from him but it’s not as large.

[@SoilandMargaritas]

I am definitely taking notes for new varieties and yes, a couple of my music heads were already building a second head underneath... it was definitely the right time to harvest for me, the warm-wet spring pushed them to grow faster.

[@gardeningwithprincess]

I maximize my garlic bed space by growing spinach in between the bulbs during the same time the garlic is growing (fall, winter, and spring). After the spinach is done in late spring, I plant beans with the garlic. That way it doesn't seem like that space is going to waste since garlic takes so long to grow. Since beans grow fast, I get to harvest the beans right before I harvest the garlic.

[@SoilandMargaritas]

This is genius! Do you give garlic a bit more space in between cloves so you can do this kind of interplanting?

[@gardeningwithprincess]

@SoilandMargaritas I plant my cloves about 6 inches apart. As the spinach grows, it acts kind of like a cover crop/mulch.

[@shahdalnashed7783]

that's amazing..can I do that in ottawa zone 5a? I'm new to gardening

[@SoilandMargaritas]

@@shahdalnashed7783 yes you can.

[@RainBow-pg1xs]

"THOUSAND DEGREES!" I was cracking up! Loved how you elaborated at the end how nature watered the garlic.

[@SoilandMargaritas]

Thanks so much!

[@naurekk]

I'm about 3 weeks behind you and at the scape stage of hardneck purple Russian. Always wishing I had planted more in the fall!

[@lesliebehrens7252]

Great video. I appreciate it so much when the progression of the growth is included. Loved the music, the shot of you holding the scapes like a bouquet of flowers was adorable. Congratulations on your harvest🎉

[@SoilandMargaritas]

Thank you!

[@daiseegray9110]

I may have to try garlic 🧄 this year. Love how you show beginning to end! 🐝🌼

[@Edu_Kate]

Do it! It's the EASIEST crop. I'm on my second season and I just used cloves from my first season harvest.

[@SoilandMargaritas]

Yup, it is super easy, just remember you won't have that space available until later in the season, so plan accordingly.

[@lisac.8266]

I feel your pain on heat and humidity. Good job on garlic. 😎

[@SoilandMargaritas]

Yes! Thank you!

[@shaannette1]

I planted soft neck Couldn’t find any garlic this was my first time growing I found organic garlic at Walmart planted and mulched with leaves it did good I would like to try hard neck I live central Indiana also on east side. My leaves have turned brown and I pull them this week

[@SoilandMargaritas]

Sometimes farmer markets have good options for garlic and you get to choose each piece.

[@dustyflats3832]

We are about 2 weeks behind your season Z5a, WI. Two years ago I planted about 5 varieties. I have no idea what kind I ended up with because that year was a bad year. Planted too early for this warm weather we are getting and it grew too much and froze in spring. Last year I planted about Halloween but I covered loosely to prevent growth and took it off in spring when I seen growth and they are really big now. Mine has some purple strip I think in most. Could be red Chesnick, Musik, German Porcelain, but all are hard neck. You had a good harvest! Our hard neck keeps well through at least March. Keep some of the largest bulbs to replant in October so you don’t need to buy more-it’s expensive. I give nitrogen just like onions to get them started and switch to more P and K later. The rain is concerning and we are getting more now. Not complaining after that long drought we had, but the mosquitoes!😮😮. It was sweltering at noon and this storm popped up briefly and now it will be just like a rain forest. Mildew and other fungus will be an issue soon for many soon. I ripped out the poppies as they were crowding and no air flow. I left only a few for seed but probably didn’t have to 😅. Will be planting those out in the field from here on.

[@SoilandMargaritas]

Unfortunately I mixed both varieties as I was getting them to dry out, so I will have to get more music just to make sure I have the right varieties. I do want to try some of those red skin varieties. We could use some rain here right about now, the consecutive 90s have been hitting my plants hard, I have been watering daily.

[@dustyflats3832]

@@SoilandMargaritas it is amazing how fast it dries out. I thought the same thing and checked the soil and some things needed water.

[@lovinglife8097]

So nicely edited from start planting to harvest. ❤ Thank you so much for sharing.. love garlic. I'm planting garlic this fall. Zone 6b Western Pa.

[@SoilandMargaritas]

So nice of you!

[@LifeHomeandGardenwithAnaRica]

Great video and the garlic are looking good.

[@Youdoingnothing]

So informative! I have planted garlic before, unsuccessfully. I will try again this fall-your video has encouraged me!

[@SoilandMargaritas]

Good luck!

[@debichats8634]

Beautiful harvest!!! You’ve got an incredible talent and green thumb!!! ❤❤❤

[@SoilandMargaritas]

Thank you so much 😊

[@Edu_Kate]

You're the second person who mentioned Music as a good variety. (Erin from The Impatient Gardener was the other.) Garlic is so easy to grow! I'm on my second season growing it. I haven't cut the scapes yet. I just noticed their appearance. Waiting is sort of like Christmas. We won't know the size until harvest. I ordered mine from Keene's in Wisconsin (I'm in Minneapolis area). I still have bulbs from my first crop and that's after sharing the bounty with friends and family...all from TWO heads of two varieties. First year, I soaked the cloves in water with some rubbing alcohol (per their website instructions), but last fall, I just skipped that part after seeing everyone planting the papery cloves. What recipes do you follow for the scapes? I sauteed mine last year and the taste reminded me of asparagus. But gassy! Whoooowhee! 😆

[@SoilandMargaritas]

Lots of things one can do with the scapes and I had plenty to try a few recipes!

[@terridee9637]

That’s a lot of garlic!!!

[@SoilandMargaritas]

You know, I bet it won't last me until next year.. I use garlic like its sugar... the more the better lol

[@jasminelouisefarrall]

Fantastic job they look amazing 🥰🥰

[@SoilandMargaritas]

Thank you 🤗

[@DragonflyArtz1]

We have 1,000* all week this week! I'll just pray for afternoon rain! Love your Garlic harvest! Do you need to cover them if it snows and green is showing? Colorado can sneak in some late snow. I've never grown Garlic, so this was good information for me.

[@laurelrosegardens6454]

I grow hardneck garlic in Minnesota zone 5a and have never had issues with late season snow hurting them. If we are getting late season cold temps below about 20 degrees, which is common here in April, I might cover them or put extra leaf mulch on top to protect them from the cold air. But they don't mind some snow, especially if temps are warmer. 😊

[@DragonflyArtz1]

@@laurelrosegardens6454 Good to know. Thank you. I appreciate that.

[@SoilandMargaritas]

Not in my experience, the hubby used to grow garlic in a field (not here) in large quantities and the snow here in Indiana (even super late in the season) was never a problem for garlic. You should definitely give it a try.

[@DragonflyArtz1]

@@SoilandMargaritas Wonderful! Thank you!

[@lovingchange2761]

Awesome harvest. I'm in zone 6a Chicago; thank you thank you for this very informative video. I plan to try growing garlic for 1st time this fall. Can you show how & where you're hanging your garlic outside????

[@SoilandMargaritas]

Its simply hanging in little bunches (5-7 heads) outside, in the open but protected from the rain... its hanging from the roof of my back porch... think of drying herbs but outside.

[@lovingchange2761]

@@SoilandMargaritas thanks ❤️ ur videos

[@dawndawn6946]

Nice harvest! I havrested my garlic crop a month ago. I only had one plant that grew a scape. Are they all supposed to do that? Oh, I didn't give them fertilizer mid-season. I grew half of the crop on the high tunnel and the other half outside. The ones outside definitely did much better!

[@SoilandMargaritas]

Hardnecks are the ones that grow scapes.. I hear people fertilize them quite often during the spring but I only did it once, I am very happy with the size of my garlic.

[@annaizak8639]

Great garlic! Can you share the link for pine needles from Tractor Supply? Thank you!

[@SoilandMargaritas]

Sure! Here is the link, one bag goes a long way because it comes compressed... to give you an idea, for all of my raised beds I probably use 3 whole bags. www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/pennington-penn-compressed-pine-straw-100528744

[@willettecampbell3592]

Hello, my garden friend in central Indiana, I'm in northeast Indiana also zone 6! Question: do you also start your onions in October or at the same time as your garlic? Also do you grow from seed, your own seedlings, or purchased starts. I started onions from seed for the first time thru the winter sowing method, planted them out in late March. Although they did not bulb even though being bulbing onions, I was able to harvest nice size green onions. My husband and I love the freshness of these green onions and I will try again. Any tips. I'm not able to start any seeds indoors, I don't have room nor patience! It's either winter or direct sowing for me. Store bought onions are the worst!

[@SoilandMargaritas]

I start about 80% of my plants (veggies and some flowers) from seeds, I do have a setup indoors and I REALLY enjoy doing that so it gets easier, I also shop for a lot of starts too. Onions I get now online, because it took too much time for them to fully mature to get outside, the one year I got them at a local store they did really bad, now I purchase mine from Dixondale farms, they have amazing info online on how and when and all the things. Check them out.

[@Flower_hoarder]

🪴🧄🪴🧄🪴🧄🪴

[@donnaflagg333]

You did fantastic Roxana! I’m going to try some garlic this fall ✨🫶🏼💚☘️💚🫶🏼✨

[@SoilandMargaritas]

Good luck!