The OSU Fall Planting Guide recommends planting garlic from September 1st through October 15th. Many gardeners plant on or near the fall equinox. This year's fall equinox is Tuesday September 23. I used the equinox planting for onions (seed) last year and it worked well. Planted garlic, too but I sacrificed all to have the garden ploughed in spring so I don't know how production would have been.

You'll harvest in early June next year, according to OSU guide.

For Oklahoma the key is getting them into the ground to be established before it gets too cool. Even then, they're pretty tough but it might slow down production. I look forward to my next crop of garlic.
bon

What type of garlic do you recommend for NE Oklahoma?

Hiya devonhubb

I'm not sure. I'm on the bottom of the food chain so I've only planted store-bought bulbs that sprouted (and they grew well until uprooted).

I know - without a doubt - that this question has been covered before but I cannot seem to find the original thread. I can be snappy with keyword searches and it's not appearing. Most garlic discussions are in combination with onions since they run the same growth season. It's probably buried in one of those.

I'm sure someone will come along and offer suggestions. (Ya'll, please do! I'd really like to be reminded, too. I may be able to swing a purchase this year and try some different varieties.)

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Last year we just stuck cloves we got from the grocery store in an empty bed. We got a decent harvest. I know there are 3 basic kinds, hard neck, soft neck and elephant. Hard neck grows better where winters get cold and is the kind most often seen at the grocery. I read a blog recently where a disease destroyed a crop, but I think they were in the Pacific northwest, so different climate. I suspect, however, that seed garlic sold from reputable sources might be safer, like potatoes.

Fall planting is preferred and I tend to plant it later than recommended because often the heat here hangs on even through the end of September. I like to wait a little longer so the soil and air temperatures can cool down a bit. My garlic is happy if it gets planted before the end of November. I'm pretty far south, so people in northern through central OK probably would get great results if the plant before the end of October. Realistically speaking, though, garlic can be planted any day of the year, but you get the best yields if you plant it in the fall.

In order for garlic to produce well, it needs to be planted early enough in fall/early winter for it to get 6 to 8 weeks of the temperatures it needs (below 40 degrees) for vernalization to occur. Once vernalization has occurred, bulbing will initiate once day-length (the number of hours of sunlight in a day) is exceeding 13 hours a day and the soil temperatures are consistently at or above 60 degrees.

The garlic varieties recommended by OSU are Inchelium Red, German Red, Silverskin and Spanish Roja.

Garlic varieties recommended by TAMU often grow well in OK and include California Softneck, California Early, Mexican Purple, French Mild, Elephant Garlic and New York White.

When selecting a type to plant, you need to understand the differences between hardneck and softneck.

Softneck garlic is the type most often seen in the typical grocery store. It stores very well, which is why it is the preferred type sold in grocery stores, and is great for making garlic braids. It has a basic, mild garlic flavor for the most part. With softneck garlics, my own personal opinion is that (at least to my taste buds) all the different softneck varieties are about the same in flavor. Some softneck varieties do store longer than others though.

Hardneck garlic does not necessarily store for as long as softneck, though I have grown some varieties that store for up to 6-8 months. (Three or four months in storage likely is more typical for most hardneck varieties.) I often describe the flavors of heirloom tomatoes as being similar to different wine vintages in the way it can vary from one heirloom variety to another. After I had grown several different hardneck garlic varieties, I came to realize that the flavor of the hardnecks is very similar---it is more complex and deep. One interesting thing is that there is the raw flavor, and then there is the cooked flavor you get after the garlic is roasted. Roasting hardneck types give you a remarkable flavor that is so superior to that of the same variety raw that you'll realize how worthwhile it is to roast it in order to bring out the flavor nuances. So, when you start growing different hardnecks, try their flavor not only raw but also roasted so you can see what a difference in the garlic 'vintage' you get from the roasted garlic. It can help you decide which varieties you think are special and well worth growing and which ones are just average, run-of-the-mill grocery store garlic flavor. (If you've only grown garlic cloves from grocery story garlic, you won't believe how many great variations in garlic flavor exist in the hardneck garlic family.) Another great thing about hardneck garlic is that the skins slip off easily, making it easier to process. I prefer hardneck, not just for its great flavor, but also because I use a lot of garlic in various canning recipes so the ease of removing the skin is a big timesaver.

Elephant garlic is not a true garlic and is more closely related to leeks. It has a very mild flavor but produces huge bulbs (hence, the name).

There are many, many suppliers from whom you can purchase all kinds of garlic seed (not true seed, but bulbs of garlic which you break into cloves and you plant the cloves separately). You can lose yourself in reading all the descriptions of the flavor and color (there are many red garlic and purple garlic varieties with the color referring to the skin of the garlic), and the best companies will try to describe the flavor so you can tell if a given variety's flavor is mild or strong, sweet or hot, etc. Many hardneck garlics are both, with a complex flavor that you may find hard to describe, but very enjoyable to eat.

Some suppliers sell garlic by the pound, and when you first see the prices, you may get sticker shock. However, one pound of garlic will plant roughly a 25' row if you space the cloves 4" apart at planting time. In a good year with adequate rainfall, one pound of seed garlic can provide up to 10 lbs. in yield, so you don't have to plant pounds and pounds of it.

Two of my favorite garlic suppliers are Southern Exposure Seed Exchange and Peaceful Valley Farm Supply. Both give great descriptions of each variety they carry, and both offer garlic assortments so you can try several different kinds without using half your garden space for garlic. They both have extensive garlic growing guides on their websites that will tell you everything you need to know about growing garlic.

To get the best yields, plant your garlic in raised beds (to ensure the cloves don't rot in wet soil in the winter months) in great soil that has a lot of organic matter, and make sure it gets adequate rainfall or irrigation.

Last year I planted quite a few varieties: California Early, Purple Glazer, Russian Red, Purple Italian and German Red among them. So far, the flavor of Purple Glazer has been my favorite, but I'm using all of them mixed together when I make salsa so that the salsa has a rich and complex garlic flavor component.

Since I commonly link Southern Exposure Seed Exchange when we are discussing different seed sources, this time I'll link Peaceful Valley Farm Supply.

Dawn

Here is a link that might be useful: Garlic at Peaceful Valley Farm Supply

Oops, I got hardneck and softneck mixed up as far as grocery store garlic. I guess I should point out the Mother Earth News article I was looking at said that hardneck garlic "adapt" to cold climates, doesn't necessarily grow better in cold climate. Dawn have you ever had any diseade problems with garlic?

Thank you both!

Amy, We all have "opps" moments. Sometimes I think one thing and say or write exactly the opposite. I don't want to blame it on an aging brain, so I blame it on "information overload" from the internet. I do think that hardneck adapts better to cold climates and maybe it grows better in them. I've never lived in a traditional cold climate area.

I've never had a disease issue with any garlic. If you grow in well-drained soil you probably won't have any either. However, some people on GW had a huge issue with aster yellows a couple of years ago, and it is spread by thrips. I don't usually have much of a thrip problem, so I just don't worry about it. If I ever do start seeing thrip damage in a significant amount on onions and garlic, I'll likely start growing them under floating row cove to exclude the thrips.

Bon, You're welcome.

I will add my 2 cents although Dawn has pretty well covered everything. I have grown a wide range of varieties. Some from online sources and some obtained from store purchased or from other growers. Here in extreme SW KS I have planted from early October to Jan. Most years I don't notice much different in bulb size between those planted early and those planted by mid November. As one grower from WI who was my garlic mentor said Dec 31st is the last day you can plant it in the current year. So if a person doesn't get it in the ground early they should never hesitate to plant it in my opinion.

I haven't counted this year but sure I'm growing over 20 varieties. Most are hard necked but not all. What I've found with garlic is it often takes a few years for a variety to adapt to my growing area and conditions. I usually save bulbs from the varieties I like and many times in 2-4 years the bulbs will increase in size and perform better. Last fall I planted from early to mid October and the bulbs seemed to be slow all the way. So far all of the varieties that I have dug have had nice bulb size. I need to dig the rest this weekend. Will leave the elephant garlic a while longer. Among my favorite varieties are Estonian Red, 2-3 heirloom varieties from NM. There are others but I would have to go back and look at their names. I feel the NM varieties are better adapted to my climate.
I have had the Aster yellows but didn't this year. I have more of a thrip problem than Dawn does. If you rotate the location of your garlic I don't feel you will have much if any disease issue except for those that are insect related. And besides controlling the insects there is nothing a person can do.
I'm not sure how much garlic I will continue to grow when I move to my new location. I may have some extra bulbs later. Had some varieties mature by June 1st this year which is very early for my area.

The last year I have seen more hardneck types in at least one grocery store in this area. I was looking at some Wed night while in the store and it was already sprouting. Hardnecks doesn't store as well especially if it isn't kept in a cool, dark place. Jay

Wow! Ask and ye shall receive. I appreciate everyone's contribution. I have been doing a little 'on line' research also, and discovered the little treatise found at the URL below..

Actually, these guys are kinda funny and I ended up reading their entire web site, page for page, just because it was entertaining as well as informative. Still haven't made up my mind what variety I am going to plant, but rest assured I am going to try some.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://greyduckgarlic.com/Southern_Garlic_Grower_Guide.html

I just finished digging all of my garlic except for the elephant this evening. Still have to tie it up and hang it. Overall had some very nice bulbs. Was surprised how dry it was in areas. I had deep soaked the bed at least 3 times this spring and summer and we've had 7 inches of rain since late May. Wildfire is one new variety that sure had some very nice large bulbs. Can't remember my source for it. Will have to look. Will post an update once I hang them and get a better idea which varieties did the best.

Thanks for the link, Pawnee.

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