There are a few things to consider when thinking about adding garlic to your garden or field. Location, Soil and Field / Garden preparation are key factors to consider prior to planting. Garlic is a very hardy and resilient plant, but making good decisions helps you to grow really nice, robust, healthy bulbs.

Location

The first step in your Garlic growing adventure is to pick the right place in your garden or farm to plant it. While garlic will grow almost anywhere, it is a sun lover so give it as much sun as possible. A flat or slightly sloping southwest exposure is the best situation. While garlic likes to be watered when needed, it also does not care to sit in water so try and avoid planting in hollows, or spots where water collects and pools for long periods of time.

Soil

Garlic will grow just about anywhere in all types of soil situations, however for best results, you should have or try to create a clay or sandy loam soil. Garlic is happiest in loose, well-draining soil.

No-till Bed Preparation

Once you’ve chosen your preferred location and soil type, we use 100% organic compost, it is time to prepare your bed. No-till farming has a whole host of great benefits that can be read about here. To build your no-till bed, you need to have chosen your location well. The soil should have been tilled (this one time only to suppress and prevent weeds). Next, add wood chips or mulch to raise the beds; garlic likes to be grown in raised beds. This allows excellent drainage as well as allowing the sun to warm the soil quicker. Our beds are built on top of at least six to eight inches of wood chips, and then compost is formed into beds six to eight inches deep. Planting can be done directly into these beds as is.