Garlic Seed & Planting Tips

Joe's Gardens Seed Garlic

• One Pound Bag $9.99  
• Bulb Bundle - 25 bulbs $39.99
• Joe's made garlic braids $14.00 per pound

Joe's Italian Silver soft neck garlic has been cultivated from the original Silver soft neck garlic that Joe Bertero (Joe's Gardens namesake) brought from his family farm in the 1920's. Soft neck garlic is known for it's flavor and storability...and braidability! 

You can plant your seed beginning in September or November or as late as early March. If you experience very cold or very wet ground/soil conditions, it is best to wait until February or March for planting to avoid seed stress and potentail rot. 

Planting:

1. Separate the cloves from the bulb (you do not need to remove the skin from the clove, just the papery husk). 

2. Plant each clove, pointy side up, 3-4 inches deep with a 6 inch spread per row. 

3. Mulch with one inch of compost if planting in autumn. This will help keep weeds down and insulate the garlic from the cold. 

Pending your plant date, your garlic should be visible above soil in April. Fertilize with a quality multi purpose fertilzer when green stalks are visible. 

Keep the soil moist and weed free. 

When the tops begin to turn brown and fall over, it is time to harvest (usually mid-July). 

Joe's Gardens prep and process for garlic braiding:

Upon harvest, we thoroughly wash our garlic crop to remove soil. We then dry the garlic in our greenhouses...it's quite a spectacle in July to see our greenhouse full of beautiful garlic! This drying step is important to ensure your garlic does not mold and begin to rot. 

Once the garlic is dried, we "dry clean" it; we remove any loose material, being careful not to break or damage the dry, delicate neck. 

We then wet the garlic down again and cover it with a tarp for a few hours. This softens the neck and makes it pliable for braiding. Now, you are ready to braid! 

Storage:

Whether you are braiding your beautful crop of garlic or just want to store it for use through the winter, it's important to find the proper storage area. We reccomend storing away from kitchen heat and moisture. Dry, low light conditions are ideal with ample air circulation. 

Enjoy!