From Seed Cloves to Curing: A Simple Garlic Timeline
About three weeks ago, near the end of June, I harvested armloads of garlic. It was grown from two pounds of seed garlic that the family planted in the garden last October. Since then, it’s been curing in a dry, shaded spot on the north side of the house to boost shelf life. Today, with a good audiobook and a fan to cut the heat, it was finally time to trim it all up.
This year’s crop includes Romanian Red, a trusted favorite, and Georgian Crystal, a new variety I’m trialing. Both are hardneck types that produce large, easy-to-peel cloves—a total win in the kitchen. They also store well, ideally carrying us through winter (unless we fly through it all making sauces, soups, and pesto - which is what typically happens).
That’s where the similarities end. Romanian Red packs bold heat and sharp flavor—great raw or in hearty dishes—while Georgian Crystal is milder and sweeter, perfect for roasting or more delicate uses.
If you’ve never grown garlic, it’s one of the easiest and most satisfying crops. You plant it in fall, enjoy garlic scapes in spring (a tasty preview of what’s to come), and then harvest beautiful bulbs by summer. And nothing beats the flavor of homegrown garlic.
FROM PLANTING TO COOKING: THE TIMELINE
October: Plant seed garlic 2-4 inches deep, 4-6 inches apart (tip: use the hang-loose hand sign for easy space measuring - from pinky to thumb)
February / March: Walk the garden and if any cloves have peaked up above the soil, tuck them back in for spring.
May / Early June: Keep your eye out for garlic scapes. Cut them down at the base so that the plant continues to focus on producing large flavorful cloves instead of directing it's energy to creating seeds.
Use the garlic scapes like you would green onions where garlic flavor is called for or make them the featured item on your plate with something like garlic scape pesto.
Late June / Early July: When half the leaves have started to die back and are brown, they are most likely ready to harvest. Brush the dirt away from the top and check the size of a few. Turn off the water for 2-3 days to allow them to dry a bit for easy pulling. Harvest gently so as not to break the neck.
Place out of the sun in cool area with good air circulation and hang upside down until all the leaves, roots, and wrappers are completely dried.
Trim up the roots, brush off any remaining dirt, and cut the stem so about 1-2 inches remain. Store in a cool, dry, well ventilated area till ready to enjoy.