Plant Your GARLIC Now

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Pull bulbs gently from the soil with your hands or lift them with a garden fork. Brush off as much dirt as you can with your hands. Bulbs harvested from dark soils with high levels of organic matter may be harder to clean. You can wash them with water, but before you do, you should know that this is a controversial practice - some people feel washing the bulbs makes them vulnerable to storage diseases. Extension researchers at the University of Minnesota did not find this to be true. To play it safe, allow the bulbs to dry, then rub off any re maining soil along with the dirty outer layers of skin.

The bulbs should be cured in a well-ventilated storage area out of direct sunlight for three to four weeks. Hang in bundles of 10 to 15, or braid softneck varieties if you prefer. After curing, trim the roots so they don't continue to draw moisture from the bulb. You can also cut back the stalks at this point, unless you're planning to braid them.

Before you move your harvest to the kitchen, set aside the biggest bulbs for next season's planting stock. Garlic adapts to the conditions it's grown in, improving in size and quality when you save the best bulbs for replanting each year. Store the rest of your bounty in an airy spot at room temperature, not in the refrigerator.

Garlic: Hardnecks, Softnecks, but no Rednecks

G arlic is divided into two basic types: those that send up a flower stalk (the hardnecks) and those that don't (the softnecks). There are many different subgroups and varieties within these two basic types. If you want to get really serious about growing great garlic, check out the Filaree Farm's catalog (see sources on the right) - it offers more than 100 varieties. The Filaree folks offer special packages that include several kinds of garlic, chosen to suit your region.

SOFTNECK GARLICS contain a cluster of small cloves in the center surrounded by larger cloves on the outside, just like the petals of a rose (hence garlic's alternate nom de plume, "the stinking rose"). The most frequently grown type of garlic, softnecks store well and adapt to a variety of growing conditions.

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