HAWLEY, PA — Sandy Kirwan, a member of the Country Gardeners (TCG), gave a talk about organic garlic cultivation recently  to the group.  

Kirwan said that her mother grew garlic, inspiring her to start growing it—and it is very easy to grow.  

Garlic is cultivated worldwide and was used by ancient civilizations primarily for health reasons.  Ancient writings from Greece and India reference garlic as a cure for headaches, pneumonia and stomach problems.  Garlic contains selenium, B6 and manganese. It also has antioxidants, probiotics and prebiotics. It has been studied for its use in the management of cholesterol, blood pressure, and diabetes.  

Most of the garlic in the U.S. is grown in California, Nevada and Oregon.  

Garlic is a member of the amaryllis family, which includes leeks, onions and shallots.  There are two main types of garlic, hardneck and softneck, and Kirwan brought samples of both from her garden.   She said that most gardeners in the Northeast grow the hardneck variety, because the cloves are bigger and they produce scapes, or flower stalks.  Softneck garlic is grown commercially because it produces more cloves and stores longer.  

Kirwan said supermarket garlic is typically grown in warmer climates, such as California, and probably won’t do well if you buy one and try to plant it in this area.  

If you want to grow garlic, it’s important to buy organic garlic from a local grower or a nursery and not in the grocery store.  Lukan’s Farm Resort or johnnyseeds.com, were a couple of places that were recommended. When buying organic garlic, she said, pick the largest bulbs, as their bigger cloves will produce good-sized new bulbs.  If you have grown it before, save your biggest bulb and replant the cloves the following year.  

Garlic should be planted from late September into October to allow the cloves some time to grow roots.  This will protect the garlic when the ground freezes in the winter and moves the cloves around.  

When you are ready to plant your garlic, Kirwan said to separate the cloves.  Find an area with full sun, stick a finger in the ground, make a hole, and drop a clove in, allowing six inches around it.  Adding fertilizer, such as compost, manure, worm castings or fish emulsion, to garlic beds is helpful. Then cover the area with straw.  

In the spring, usually in April, take the straw off and fertilize again.  Bulbs will begin developing underground in May or June. 

At some point in June, scapes will develop, which shows that your garlic is healthy. Scapes will grow like a flower stem, are green and curly, and should be cut off or the garlic won’t develop properly.  Scapes are delicious and can be used for pesto or in dishes that call for garlic.

Harvest garlic when the leaves are beginning to yellow at the bottom and the bottom three leaves are yellow or brown.  You could dig up one plant and check to see how it looks.  If you leave the garlic in the ground too long, the cloves will begin to separate. This does not affect the flavor, but the garlic will not store well.

Kirwan said that the next step is curing the garlic—aka letting it dry.  Carefully dig up the garlic and shake off the excess dirt.  Do not rinse it or wash it off. Allow the bulbs to air dry in a place where they are protected from the sun.  It usually takes around three weeks, depending on humidity and air flow. After the bulbs are dry, cut off the top leafy part and trim off the beard on the bottom. Store your garlic in a basket to allow air flow, in a dark place, such as a basement. Your garlic should last until January, when it might start to sprout.

Garlic cloves can range in taste from mild to hot.  You could choose German red and purple varieties for robust but not hot flavor.  Garlic’s flavor develops when you cut it.  After you cut it, let it sit for 10 minutes, and the flavor will be enhanced.  

Also, garlic cloves freeze well; just peel and store them in a freezer bag.  You can also roast the garlic and freeze the cloves to use later in a variety of dishes, including pasta sauces and soups. 

According to Kirwan, once garlic has been harvested in June, in order to fill up the empty garden space, some gardeners plant string beans.  Food scaping, or planting vegetables and flowers together, is another possible way to grow garlic.

The Country Gardeners will not be meeting over the winter months.  The next event will be on April 2, 2026, at 1 p.m. at the Brookfield Environmental Center, 126 Lamberton Lane, Hawley. All are welcome to attend, and admission is free.