We planted 1,248 cloves of garlic this year. Those cloves will most likely turn into 1,248 bulbs of garlic, at least a few hundreds pounds. That’s a lot of freaking garlic. And it’s a big task. We get asked a lot about garlic planting, so here’s how it all goes down around here.
Garlic gets planted in the autumn. Typically around the end of October. This year we planted it a few weeks later than normal because climate change. And we use biodynamic planting guide (planting according to astronomical cycles) so that put us at the very end of October, and we were still planting in 68 degree weather.
Our seed stock includes four kind of garlic: German Extra Hardy, Russian Red, Elephant and Kiva – a local garlic domesticated from wild Yooper garlic a friend gave us.
We keep and plant the largest bulbs. Usually about 45 pounds. All those bulbs have to broken up into cloves for planting. It takes strong hands to break up 45 pounds of garlic bulbs. That’s the Boss’ job.
The Boss dividing the garlic seed bulbs into cloves for planting.
Before we can put those cloves into the ground. The beds get prepped — which involves a few loads of manure, some compost, rock picking, tilling and raking. That too is the Boss’ job. He preps each of the six garden beds with precision. PRECISION. Then we dibble.
Dibbling ensures that all cloves are perfectly spaced when planting. It’s a team effort, creating a precise 6 in x 6 in grid of garlic, and it is also an exercise in couples’ communication.
This dibbler was made by Rick’s nephew and it saved our relationship. 😉 At least when it comes to garlic planting time. No room for a willy-nilly planter like me to get off course, especially while planting 1,200 cloves.
Once the holes are made, we plant — probably the easiest part of the entire process — pressing 1,248 cloves into the holes. Tips up!
After all the beds are planted. They get raked one more time to fill in the holes. Then it’s time to wrangle leaves for mulch and cover the beds.
That’s it. Now it quietly does its thing underground while the world turns cold and dark all around. We’ll be welcomed home in the Spring by the first sights of green as the garlic sprouts emerge into the light.
You have to tuck the garlic in nice and tidy for the winter so the bulbs don’t freeze. Our garlic gets a thick blanket of leaves. Don’t forget to pull the leaves off in the spring.
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Eden of Garden 
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