As summer ends, gardeners do most of the harvesting to clear land and prepare for new year’s plantations. This is the best time to plant cold, hardy crops that can withstand the frost. During this time, one of the vegetables you can plant is garlic.
Garlic is an easy-to-grow crop for both beginners and gardening experts. If you wish to start garlic gardening, it is imperative to know when to plant, how to plant, and if your garden region supports the growth of garlic.
As a prudent gardener, you will have to do all it takes to ensure you are planting garlic in the best way for you to enjoy when harvesting time comes.
The best time to plant garlic in Colorado
The best time to plant Garlic is in early October here in Colorado, just a few weeks in fall when the soil is still warm to support root growth.
Even though garlic bulbs are usually overwintered, they need adequate warmth for roots to be firmly established in the soil. The Colorado winters give garlic bulbs adequate time it needs to spend in the cold soils before they sprout in spring.
The greatest trick with planting garlic is determining the variety to plant. When choosing which garlic to grow, you will have to visit a farmers market, garden center, a seed catalog, or a garlic farm to purchase bulbs.
Avoid buying planting bulbs from groceries since they are usually treated with anti-growth products that prevent the grocery garlic cloves from growing.
If you are a first-time garlic gardener, you may need to know more about the available varieties. Surprisingly, each variety has its distinct flavor and an average number of cloves for every bulb.
The most common varieties of garlic grown in Colorado.
Hardneck Garlic
This variety has a hard neck or hard stem and grows well in the harsh northern climates of Colorado. Even though it doesn’t store for long, its flavor is intense.
Softneck Garlic
It has a long shelf life and is commonly found in grocery stores. They grow well in mild climates and have a relatively mild flavor.
Elephant Garlic
This is the biggest variety but has a very little to mild garlic flavor. They also do well in mild climates.
To be safe in garlic gardening in Colorado, it is advisable to choose the hardneck varieties since most of Colorado’s climate is harsh.
How to grow garlic in Colorado
Garlic requires adequate sun for bulbs to form and mature; therefore, locate a sunny spot that receives at least six hours of sunlight every day. Prepare the planting site by digging and adding compost to help loosen the soil and improve drainage.
Separate the cloves from the larger bulb and soak the cloves you wish to plant overnight in liquid kelp. This helps the garlic to start growing quickly.
Plant garlic to the ground 4-6 weeks before the first frost falls. It is advisable only to plant the larger cloves and use the small ones for cooking.
Make rows of about 2 inches deep and 12-24 inches apart, and plant the cloves while spacing them 4-6 inches from each clove. Backfill the rows with 2 inches of soil and add a layer of mulch after watering thoroughly to help maintain soil warmth and moisture.
Maintenance tips
During winter, water the garlic when temperatures are relatively warm, and there is no snow.
After the dangers of frost in spring, remove thick mulch from the bed and water the bed.
Apply compost manure or an appropriately balanced fertilizer when the bulbs begin to grow.
Weed the garlic bed to give them adequate space to grow without competition from unwanted weeds.
For the hardneck garlic, check for the scapes— tall flower stalks that emerge and cut them out while still tender. This will help refocus all the energy and nutrients on the bulbs, making them grow larger.
Remember to leave at least one scape intact so that when it unfurls, the garlic will be ready for harvest.
Harvesting tips
When garlic leaves start turning yellow in summer, stop watering and wait for a few weeks for the lower leaves to turn brown.
Once they get brown, you can pick your garden fork and carefully remove the plants from the soil.
Place the freshly harvested garlic in the shade to cure them, and afterward, store them in mesh bags to allow easy air circulation.
Hardneck garlic can be stored for six months, while soft neck garlic can be stored for a longer time.
How to grow garlic in Colorado: Conclusion
Garlic planting is one of the many gardening activities that keep gardeners busy in the fall.
If you are a new garlic gardener in Colorado but do not know when to plant and how to plant garlic here, the information in the above article can help you get the best planting and maintenance tips.