Now that recent rains have softened up the soil it is time to begin planting garlic. I spend a good deal of time and money on beefing up the soil before planting. It pays off with huge bulbs in early summer. A fair amount of compost and worm castings is a good way to start. Then, add the fertilizers.
Garlic is a heavy feeder, especially of nitrogen. I use the holy trinity of natural nitrogen materials: blood meal, chicken manure and alfalfa pellets. Feeding the soil with natural high-nitrogen materials allows for the slow release of this nutrient during the winter and early spring.
Blood meal is a superior fertilizer for garlic soil prep. It averages 10% nitrogen. It is also a good nutrient to apply around March when garlic foliage is really beginning to fill out.
Chicken manure is a great source for nitrogen and calcium. It also adds organic matter. I have good results using chicken manure pellets. They are neat, clean and easy to spread evenly in the garlic beds. The manure pellets still smell like chicken manure, however.
Alfalfa meal pellets are also a good source of plant-based nitrogen, averaging about 5% nitrogen. Alfalfa also contains a natural fatty-acid growth stimulant called triacontanol. Garlic likes this. Alfalfa also adds organic matter to the soil. It is relatively inexpensive as well if purchased from the farm store.
I like to make a mix of equal parts blood meal, chicken manure pellets and alfalfa pellets. Application rate is approximately one pound per 100 square feet. Adding compost and natural sources of nitrogen to the soil not only feeds the plants, it also encourages strong populations of soil microbes, fungi and bacteria. All work together to produce healthy garlic.
When planting garlic, it is best to space each clove, the segments from a whole bulb, with pointed end up. Leave the paper skin on. If the paper skin accidentally comes off, it is usually OK. Plant cloves 1 to 2 inches deep spaced about 6 inches apart. After planting, place a thick mulch of rice straw on top of the entire bed. This will definitely smother any and all weeds throughout the winter. Let the autumn and winter rains do all the watering for you.
Next week: planting garlic in containers. It can be done.
Terry Kramer is the retired site manager for the Humboldt Botanical Garden and a trained horticulturist and journalist. She has been writing a garden column for the Times-Standard since 1982. She currently runs a gardening consulting business. Contact her at 707-834-2661 or terrykramer90@gmail.com.
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