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Since the bulb is what we eat, we recommend cutting the scape. Plus, scapes are delicious and can be used just like garlic, but they are ready a month or two before the garlic bulb. Win, win! To cut your scape, wait until the center stalk completely forms and grows above the rest of the plant.

Organic mulches will protect the cloves from cold winter temperatures to some extent. It is also possible to use thick row cover to protect garlic over the winter, even a double layer of row cover in very cold areas - whether or not you use mulch..

Garlic needs full sun and well-drained soil. If wet soil is a problem, try it in raised beds. While some gardeners apply foliar fertilizer, garlic usually doesn't need feeding. Thanks to its deep roots, garlic doesn't need a lot of watering either, unless your soil dries out some 3 or 4 inches deep.

Garlic grows best in well-drained, moisture-retentive soil with pH between 6.0 and 7.0. Improve your soil's organic matter content by adding well-rotted manure or compost in spring or fall. Do not use fresh manure as it may contain harmful bacteria and may increase weed problems.

Creoles, a Silverskin subvariety, have purple cloves and beautiful bulbs. Sometimes called “Mexican Purple” garlic, unlike other garlics, these varieties prefer a mild winter climate. Sweet tasting and long-lasting.

1:12 2:40 How to Care for Garlic - YouTube YouTube Start of suggested clip End of suggested clip Quality overall really absolutely in case you're unfamiliar with garlic scapes they're a long hardMoreQuality overall really absolutely in case you're unfamiliar with garlic scapes they're a long hard stem that shoots up from the center of the plant. And forms a curlicue kind of like a pig's tail.

When establishing a perennial garlic bed, growers should only take the large plants each year, leaving the smaller ones to die back so they can sprout again next spring. If some garlic is always left in the ground, more will come back next year: Perennial production.