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Southern Growers Guide (Texas, California and the Deep South)

We used to garden and live in Houston, Texas so we know the challenges you can face! We would like to hear about your experiences with garlic growing so that we can give the best advice to our Southern growers.

Does hardneck garlic need vernalization (exposed to cold)?

Garlic requires vernalization (exposed to cold) before or after planting. Garlic needs cold temperatures to stimulate it to sprout and grow a bulb. You will get bigger garlic bulbs in Southern areas after cold exposure. For best results, the garlic should be at 40-50 F for 6-8 weeks during the winter to stimulate bulb formation.

When you buy bulbs from a Northern grower, often the bulbs have received some cold treatment already (it gets pretty chilly in the garlic barn at night). If you live in a really warm region where winter temperatures stay above 40-45 F you should inquire how much cold treatment your seed garlic has received. If needed, supplement it with a little time in the refrigerator. Ideally, serious commercial growers would want to store the seed garlic in a cold room at 50 F and 55-65% humidity.

 

For home growers several extension sites recommended between 2- 6 wks refrigeration. Only try this if you live someplace where winter temperatures won’t get at or below 40-45 F for 6-8 weeks. To check out your average winter temperatures go to an internet weather service like msn weather and click on averages. There will be a chart showing the average highs and lows for a year in your area. Remember that soil temperatures will likely be a bit lower than air temperatures. You can also ask your local extension agent about your average winter temperatures and soil temperatures.

 

CAUTION: Garlic can rot or mold if it is kept too moist so make sure to keep your cloves or bulbs dry in the refrigerator (and check on them often). Don’t freeze the garlic, put it in the warmer part of the refrigerator. We have never used this technique but some Southern extension services and growers recommend it. We would love to hear about your experiences with vernalization via refrigerator.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What garlic varieties should I try in the South?

Garlic growing is a little more unpredictable in warm climates. Some varieties require more vernalization than others. Softnecks, like Thermadrone, don’t need much at all which is why they are preferred in Southern climates. It is worthwhile trying a garlic variety more than one year.

 

Garlic varieties that have grown well for Southern growers:
Thermadrone
Siberian
Georgian Crystal (most years)
Romanian Red (in years when winters are cooler)

Take your microclimate into account:

General Southern Growing Tips:

See our Garlic Growing Page for more information.

Planting:
Lucky Southern growers can plant up until December. Most commercial garlic growers try to get their garlic in by October or November since the longer winter results in bigger bulbs. The garlic will come up and grow during the winter. Southerners will be able to harvest their garlic a month or more before Northern growers!

Plant cloves 4-6 inches deep and make sure to place the top upward. The top of the clove is the pointed end, and if it is not facing up the bulbs will be deformed. Some southern garlic sites recommend planting only 2 inches deep but in our experience deeper planting results in much larger bulbs. The soil will be cooler further down will help prevent bulbs from maturing too soon.

Soil:
If your soil is that special Southern variety known as ‘gumbo’ (basically clay/concrete), you may want to plant garlic in raised beds. Garlic needs loose well drained soil with lots of organic matter. It can rot in poorly drained heavy soil.

Mulching:
Unless your soils are very wet, mulch with straw or compost to keep the ground cold longer. Hot soil forces the garlic to mature faster and results in smaller bulbs. If your soils are soggy or underwater most of the year, garlic will do much better in raised beds.

Weeding:
Garlic competes poorly with weeds. Too many weeds = very small garlic. Mulching can help control weeds.

Scaping:
Garlic produces false seedheads or scapes before it starts to bulb. Scapes can be left on or removed. Removing scapes may result in bigger garlic bulbs since the plant then devotes all its energy to the bulb. Many people consider scapes a delicacy and they can be eaten. Scapes have a mild garlic flavor.

Harvest:
Harvest hardneck garlic when about half the leaves have turned brown. For us in Idaho, this is around August. For Southern growers it will likely be in June or July. Garlic will stop growing and mature when the soil temperature reaches 90 F. If you have a really hot, early summer the garlic will be ready to harvest sooner (and will have smaller bulbs). Harvest softneck garlic when the lower few leaves are starting to turn brown.

To harvest plants can be carefully dug or pulled if the soil is loose enough. Remove loose soil from bulbs and roots but leave the stalks on. If you live in a high humidity area trim off the dirty roots leaving about ¼ inch roots on the bulb. Removing the excess root and dirt will help prevent mold or rot on the bulb. Handle bulbs carefully to avoid bruising your crop. Garlic is delicate. IMPORTANT: Garlic can sunburn. When harvesting garlic bulbs make sure to take them out of the sunlight and put in a shaded area.

Curing:
Curing garlic will take 4-6 weeks. Bulbs and stalks can be hung or placed on racks in a shady cooler area. Spread bulbs out so that they can dry. Use fans if needed to move moisture. Curing removes the green garlic taste and adds a more complex flavor to the bulb. When garlic is dried it can be removed from the stalk, roots trimmed to about ¼ inch and the bulb cleaned carefully by removing the dirt on the outer wrapper.