How do I grow and care for garlic?
How do I grow and care for garlic?
Fertilization
Garlic requires more fertilizer than many vegetables. Apply and incorporate 1 to 2 pounds of an all-purpose garden fertilizer, such as 10-10-10, per 100 square feet of garden area prior to planting. Lightly incorporate one additional pound per 100-foot row of the all-purpose garden fertilizer in a band 4 inches to the side of the developing plants 3 to 4 weeks after plants emerge in the spring.
Watering
Garlic requires 1 inch of water each week. Irrigate garlic once a week during dry weather. Stop irrigating in late July to allow the foliage to die down prior to harvest. This also helps reduce disease spread and staining of the paper covering on the bulb.
Weed Control
Garlic has a shallow root system. Control weeds with shallow cultivation or by applying a mulch, such as straw or grass clippings, between rows. Mulch will also help to conserve soil moisture.
Links to this article are strongly encouraged, and this article may be republished without further permission if published as written and if credit is given to the author, Horticulture and Home Pest News, and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. If this article is to be used in any other manner, permission from the author is required. This article was originally published on . The information contained within may not be the most current and accurate depending on when it is accessed.