In July I harvested my first home-grown garlic. It was so fun! We are lovin’ adding “our” garlic to recipes. And, I suspect we are safe from vampires … at least for the present time.
I purchased the bulbs from a local nursery. I can’t find the label so I don’t know what variety we have and I hate that because I LOVE knowing the names of my plants. Regardless, I can tell you that now that I have grown my own garlic & have begun to learn about the different varieties of garlic, it will be hard to settle for buying garlic from the grocery store.

This fall I am planting cloves from one of my hardiest “no name” bulbs and Hardneck / Rocambole and Morado Gigante — purchased from The Garlic Store.
PLANTING
- Early October
- Loosen and amend soil to 12 inches
- Plant individual cloves 2 – 4” deep; 6” apart.
- Plant pointy tip facing up!
HARVEST
- In mid July when lower leaves have turned brown but about half of top leaves are still green.
- Dig don’t pull!
- With your hands brush away excess dirt (Don’t wash!)
CURING
- Lay heads on screening or hang to dry for 6 – 8 weeks (more if the season is humid) in a dark, dry area.
- Once cured, cut the stalks down to an inch above the bulbs and trim the roots.
- Again, do NOT wash.
STORAGE
- Store the cured head in net bags in a cool, dry spot.
(Ideal temperature range is 35 – 50 degrees). - Will last for approximately 4 months.
Fun and delicious … a great return on effort and time spent! Since most everyone loves garlic, it is a great “from-the-garden” gift to share! I wrapped a bulb in pretty paper today and gave as a gift. It was very well received!
I still have a lot to learn about growing garlic, so if you have any advice, please share!

Thanks for the reminder to plant garlic! These are great tips.
So excited that you harvested your first garlic, Theresa. It is so much better than anything you can buy in the store. It’s much more flavorful and has a longer shelf life. It’s fun and easy to grow!
Congratulations You will never want store bought Garlic again… You are now officially a home grown Garlic person, no turning back <|;-)
Thanks for sharing your experience and know-how with garlic. We’ll pass it out on our networks. Bummer we have to wait until mid-July next year to harvest again!