We just finished up shipping this years crop and we'll start planting at the farm in VT in the next week or so. We plan to post a video that outlines how we plant.

On most subgroups/varieties you want to wait until they start to coil. I good rule of thumb for most varieties is that when the scape curls and cross the center stem the first time (essentially a 3/4 curl) then harvest. Asiatics, Creole and certain Turban varieties are "lazy" scapers and the rules are a little different.

Just keep in mind every leaf you remove prior to harvest reduces bulb size between 10-15% depending on variety and timing of removal.

@@thegarlicgrower1443 huh, very good to know lol

Too late in the season to fertilize now. In your location we would stop fertilizing early May. You are only a few weeks from harvest and if you haven’t scapes yet will be very soon.

Hi Karen, yellow tips in spring/early summer is typically caused frost/freeze damage on the tips of leaves. Garlic starts growing well before spring frosts end and those early leaves/tips pay the price. The cell walls get damaged from the freezing and when temps warm up and it gets hot the tips dry down. This spring was especially bad due to the unseasonably warm temps in March and April and then a return to cold multiple times. If you look at the pictures on our Facebook page you’ll see a field full of yellow tips. That’s the cause. As far as the fertilizer you applied. Really not ideal for two reasons: 1) way to late in season to apply fertilizer. You should stop fertilizing about 2 weeks prior to scaping. In your location May 15th is a good rule of thumb unless you are in Northern NJ than move to May 22nd. 2). Fertilizer that you used is WAY to high in Nitrogen IMO. In well prepared/composted beds I would be reluctant to use anything higher than 10.x.x. In fact we use 5/3/4 in fall and fertilizer in spring with fish emulsion 3.3.03. What’s going to happen? It’s going to delay your harvest. Plant is going to want to keep growing instead of forming bulb. It could also cause the plant to start “Witches brooming” which is when it grows extra leaves (actually elongated clove wrappers). Nothing you can do now other than wait and see.

As far as harvest, we have a video posted about that but typically harvest is 3-4 weeks after scaping.

@@thegarlicgrower1443 thank you so much for your advice! If only I asked before I did this…ugh…it did rain yesterday afternoon and again today perhaps thst will dilute the fertilizer or carry it away?

Very useful question and response. I'm in NJ, same question about yellowing tips, and same mistake with fertilizing, high nitrogen and too late! Oh, well. I guess we'll see what happens! My garlic was going great, and over the past few weeks it has been looking a bit yellow and wilty (it has really been HOT), but still overall seems healthy. Because the yellow tips were worrying me, I fertilized them with calcium nitrate 8 days ago. Apparently, a big mistake. I have scapes on some varieties, and will soon have more, so at least that's going to be great! It's only my 2nd time growing garlic, and as with all gardening, it's always a learning process. Thank you, The Garlic Grower, for your video and detailed advice!

Typically German White/Extra Hardy will be ready 3-4 weeks after scaping. With that variety we pull a little earlier as it has a tendency to throw HUGE cloves that will bust wrappers if you get rain close to harvest. Always better to be early than late. I’d recommend you try a Turban variety or Rocambole which have deep flavors compare to German White/Hardy. Spanish Roja or Sans Creek are nice Rocamboles and we like Thai Purple, Basque and China Stripe in Turbans.

@@thegarlicgrower1443 TY for responding. Already checked out your website. Will check those varieties out.

Glad that you have an approach that works well for you. As they say, there’s more than one way to skin a skunk.

Really depends on where you are located. Assuming the US you’d be better off waiting until the fall to plant. Make sure to save the bulbils for fall planting as well.

We don’t start selling until Sept and while we don’t limit quantities someone can order we don’t really do bulk/wholesale volumes

@@thegarlicgrower1443 I'm just a backyard grower.. I couldn't find any last season so I used store bought.. I know they are sprayed with something.. these were elephant ? Something.. but I wanted to try so it's in the ground from last October.. stalks not really big.. but I tried

We are now farming in Northern Vermont. The last two years we pulled back to about 40-50,000 because of Covid impacts with festivals and other family priorities. We planned to go back up to normal 100,000 this year but decided to maintain and increase when we plant in fall of 2022.

100k..holy moly..you are the godfather of garlic..thats how its done...

Iam wondering how i can sell 10000 in 2023..let alone 100k..

Garlic in general does not like to have its roots disturbed. Transplanting at anytime is not really a great option but if you have too it’s better to do so when the plant is very young. If more than 4-5 leaves it’s going to set the plant way back. We’ve done some spring planting experiments where we transplanted from cell trays that were about 5 weeks old vs direct seeding cloves and the direct seeded cloves in every variety outperformed the transplants.