Hardneck vs. Softneck Garlic
The neck refers to the stalk that grows upward from the garlic bulb.
Hardneck Garlic: The stalk stems from the center of the bulb and turns rigid at maturity. This garlic has more complex flavors than softneck and sometimes will pick up more subtle flavors that denote where they are grown.
Softneck Garlic: These stalks are made up of leaves rather than a central stalk. These leaves stay flexible and soft once mature. This garlic has a more extended shelf life than hardneck and has a mild, mellow flavor. This type of garlic is commonly found in grocery stores.
Planting garlic is very similar to planting tulips. Try to plant it by or around October 20th. Add one teaspoon bone meal on top of each bulb at fall planting. It may or may not start growing before it gets cold, but that's not a problem.
When snow melts and the leaves start growing in the spring, generally early March, top dress the plants with just a sprinkle of fertilizer (16-16-8) muck like feeding chickens. Let the garlic reach 8-10 inches high sometime in April then hit it with some liquid fertilizer like Fertilome All-Purpose (20-20-20). Top dress again in May with 16-16-8 and then in June when it gets hot give it one more shot of liquid fertilizer.
By the first week of July these plants shut down no matter what you do. Wait until about 4-6 of the leaves have wilted and then pull the garlic. Brush off all the dirt and string them together in a braid of sorts and hang them in the rafters of your garage or shed to dry. You want a warm, dry place out of the sun. For approximately 3-4 weeks let the garlic dry. Take them down and twist off the beard or the roots. Cut them off at about two inches and put 6 or 8 heads in a nylon bag. Save some of the cloves for planting next fall and then pick out what you want to use or give away.
If you keep a whole head of garlic unpeeled in a dry, dark place at room temperature, it will last close to six months. A single unpeeled clove will last about three weeks. Refrigeration can help extend the shelf life but can cause sprouts to develop quickly. Freezing is not recommended.
It's best to purchase garlic bulbs from local garden nurseries or through the mail. Garlic bulbs in the store are not very fresh and can be treated for shipping or storage at the retail location and generally won't produce satisfactory harvests.
