Green sprouted garlic is somewhat of a delicacy and is usually only found at farmers markets, but is also very easy to grow! It grows fast and adds an incredible, fresh flavor to any traditionally garlic-laced meal.
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In this episode, we discuss:
The difference between green garlic and bulb garlic
How to plant and grow green garlic
Green garlic vs. garlic scapes
Important Take-aways:
Typically garlic cloves are planted in late fall and then harvested as a full head the following summer. However, it is also possible to plant garlic cloves in spring in order to produce a green shoot during that same season, which we call “green garlic”
Green garlic and garlic that you plant in the fall come from the same source - garlic cloves planted in the ground - but they yield much different results.
If you are growing green garlic, which means growing the crop for a thin, fresh shoot rather than a bulb for storage, the planting, timing and care of your crop will be a bit different from what you would expect when growing garlic for bulbs.
Green garlic is a short season crop, so it’s great for gardeners who didn’t get a chance to plant garlic the previous fall, or who are gardening in smaller spaces.
It's safe to start planting green garlic as soon as the ground has thawed and because of its growth habit, there is a long window of planting opportunity each season, so there is no rush
To plant green garlic:
Separate all the cloves for your head (or heads) of garlic
Loosen the soil in the area where you plan to plant
Plant each clove (pointy side up) about 3" deep, and 1-2" apart
Cover with soil
Fertilize with a balanced liquid or granular fertilizer once plants emerge
Your garlic should start to sprout a few weeks after planting (depending on soil temperature), and is ready to harvest at any stage of its growth! We usually like to wait until the plant is around 6-8" tall so that the stalks long, but still tender. If your stalks start to become tough, trim them off.
Green garlic vs. garlic scapes: Green garlic is an entire young garlic plant that is harvested early in the season before the bulb is fully formed. Garlic scapes are the flowering stalk that the plant sets towards the end of it's lifecycle.
Two Excellent books on growing garlic!!
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