Southeastern U.S. Vegetable Crop Handbook - 2021 - 73

Spacing. Garlic should be planted 4 by 4 inches apart in triple
rows or multiple beds 16 to 18 inches apart. Between-row spacing
depends on the equipment available. Clove tops should be covered
with 1 to 1.5 inches of soil. The cloves must not be so deep that
the soil will interfere with the swelling of the bulbs, nor so shallow
that rain, heaving from alternate freezing and thawing, and birds
will dislodge them. Vertical placement of cloves by hand gives
optimal results. Cloves dropped into furrows are likely to lie in all
positions and may produce plants with crooked necks. Garlic has
also been grown successfully in Kentucky using plastic mulch as
this helps reduce weed pressure during the long growing season.
INSECT MANAGEMENT
Thrips: During hot, dry weather, the population of thrips increases
following harvest of adjacent alfalfa or grain. Thrips could
therefore present the most serious insect problem on garlic. (See
" Onions " in the Insect Control section of this publication). Read
and follow specific label directions for use on garlic; if not listed,
do not use. Treat if thrips counts exceed an average of 5 thrips per
plant.
HARVESTING AND STORAGE
Garlic is ready for harvest in mid-May to mid-June-it must be
harvested when around 30% of foliage is starting to yellow or the
bulbs will split and be more susceptible to disease. When a few
tops fall over, push all of them down and pull a sample. There are
only about 10 days to 2 weeks for optimal garlic harvest. Before
then, the garlic is unsegmented; much after that period the cloves
can separate so widely that the outer sheath often splits and exposes
part of the naked clove. Picked at the proper time, each clove
should be fully segmented and yet fully covered by a tight outer
skin.
Run a cutter bar under the bulbs to cut the extensive root
system and partially lift them. The bulbs are usually pulled and
gathered into windrows. Tops are placed uppermost in the windrow
to protect bulbs from the sun, and the garlic is left in the field
for a week or more to dry or cure thoroughly. Curing can also be
accomplished in a well-ventilated shed or barn. The bulbs must be
thoroughly dried before being shipped or stored. Outdoor curing is
not recommended where morning dew can keep it too damp. Bring
in for drying immediately from field. Emphasize gentle handling.
Cure for about 6 weeks.
After curing garlic, discard diseased and damaged bulbs.
Clean the remaining bulbs to remove the outer loose portions of
the sheath, and trim the roots close to the bulb. Do not tap or bang
bulbs together to remove soil. Braid or bunch together by the tops
of the bulbs, or cut off the tops and roots and bag the bulbs like dry
onions.
When properly cured, garlic keeps well under a wide range of
temperatures. Storage in open-mesh sacks in a dry, well-ventilated
storage room at 60° to 90°F is satisfactory. However, garlic is best
stored under temperature and humidity conditions required for onions
[32°to 35°F and 65% relative humidity]. Garlic cloves sprout
quickly after bulbs have been stored at temperatures near 40°F, so
avoid prolonged storage at this temperature. Garlic stored at above
70% relative humidity at any temperature will mold and begins to
develop roots.
Marketing. New growers should develop a local retail market
(roadside stands, night markets, gourmet restaurants), wholesale
shipper, or processing market before planting. The demand for garlic
is increasing due to recent reports about the health and medical
benefits of garlic. The main markets are New York, Philadelphia,
Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., Chicago, and St. Louis.
The markets of the northern and eastern United States will
take the bulbs trimmed like dry onions and known as " loose garlic. "
Frequently, 30 to 50 bulbs are tied in bunches. Bulbs should
be graded into three sizes-large, medium, and small. Each string
or bunch should contain bulbs of uniform size and of the same variety.
First-class
garlic bulbs must be clean and have unbroken
outer sheaths. Many of the larger vegetable markets, such as the
large chain stores, could retail garlic in the form of clean, uniform
cloves, two dozen to a mesh bag. Processors are not particular
about having the cloves enclosed in a neat sheath and occasionally
accept sprouted bulbs.
Garlic-growing can be very profitable when freshness is
stressed and if the tops are braided, tied together, or placed into
long, narrow, plastic mesh bags so they can be effectively displayed
at roadside or night-market stands
2021 Vegetable Crop Handbook for Southeastern United States
73
Southeastern U.S. Vegetable Crop Handbook - 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Southeastern U.S. Vegetable Crop Handbook - 2021
