Prepare and amend your soil with compost or manure.

In a spot that gets 6-8 hours of sun, mark where to plant the garlic with a measuring tape or tool. Check the spacing recommendation for your garlic variety. Most garlic varieties need 6"-12" between plants and 12" between rows for large bulb growth. Elephant garlic will need more.

I used a 2"x6" to imprint vertical rows in the soil 6" apart.

Then, I used the 2"x6" to mark horizontal rows 12" apart.

Where the lines intersect, dig a small hole about 2" deep.

Place one clove (not the whole bulb) pointy-side up in the hole.

After planting: Make sure your newly planted garlic gets about an inch of water per week.

Overwinter: As winter approaches, there isn't much need to water your garlic because it goes dormant.

Springtime: When the temps begin to warm up, resume your regular weekly watering.

Summer: Reduce the watering around June and harvest the garlic when the soil is completely dry. Harvesting wet garlic can cause the garlic to rot when curing.

Fertilizing Instructions

Planting: Fertilize the soil when planting.

Spring: In the spring, when the garlic sprouts, reapply fertilizer according to the packaging instructions.

Before Harvesting: Stop fertilizing the garlic 6 weeks before harvesting.

Harvesting Instructions

Look for brown leaves: Garlic is ready to harvest when the bottom two or three sets of leaves are brown and dry. This is usually in July, but it depends on your location and growing conditions.

Let the soil dry: Make sure the soil is dry before harvesting. Harvesting wet garlic can lead to mold during the curing process.

Dig the garlic: Dig, don't pull! Loosen the soil with a towel or garden fork and lift the garlic out.

Brush the dirt off: Gently brush off as much dirt as possible. But don't worry about getting it totally clean. Do not wash your garlic!

Drying Instructions

Clean up: Pull the lowest green leaf off of the bulb. This creates a nice clean bulb for curing.

Store: Find a cool, dry place to store your garlic. I cured mine on the bottom shelf of my pantry.

Ventilate: Make sure it has plenty of ventilation. It doesn't necessarily have to be in a single layer. I plopped mine in a basket with plenty of holes for ventilation.

Wait: Let the garlic do its thing for 3 weeks or so until there is little or no green inside the stem.

Storing Instructions

Tidy up: Trim off any excess leaves, stems, and roots.

Store: Place garlic in a ventilated container or basket. Even a brown paper bag will work.

Temperature: Keep your garlic in a cool or climate-controlled space with plenty of ventilation.

Air Flow: Try to store your garlic where it doesn't get too much airflow (like under an air-conditioning vent).