Garlic quietly overwinters underground, planted in fall and left to develop through the cold months before pushing up green shoots that signal a coming summer harvest.
One of the easiest and most rewarding crops for a home vegetable garden, garlic is typically grown from individual cloves rather than seed, and many gardeners also plant it among ornamentals, since its strong scent is thought to help deter certain pests.
Garlic wants full sun and loose, well-draining soil, and is typically planted in fall, about six weeks before the ground freezes, so roots can establish before winter dormancy. It's harvested the following summer once the lower leaves start to yellow and dry.
Save your largest, healthiest cloves from each harvest to replant in fall — over a few seasons this naturally selects for garlic that performs well in your specific garden conditions.
