Growing Garlic in Florida for Beginners

Garlic can be challenging to grow in Florida or other warm climates. From picking the right variety, to knowing the proper time to plant, when to harvest, and curing your garlic to ensure that it lasts as long as possible in your pantry. In this video I’ll review the steps that it takes to grow garlic successfully in your Florida garden. None of the steps are difficult, but there are several things to consider.

Be sure to stay tune to the end of the video where I will talk about the various ways I plan on preserving my Garlic which includes freezing, dehydrating into a powder, and curing the whole head of garlic until they are dried and shelf stable.

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TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Growing Garlic in Florida
00:38 Garlic Varieties
01:05 Timeline for Planting Garlic
01:30 Vernalization or Cold Treatment of Garlic
03:25 Preparing your Bed for Garlic
03:53 Garlic Sun Requirements
05:06 Planting Garlic Cloves
08:18 Fertilizing your Garlic Plants
10:04 Knowing When Garlic is Ready to Harvest
12:51 Curing your Garlic for Storage
14:36 Other Ways to Preserve your Garlic

[FlowersBees.VeggiesMe]

Thanks for the information. I plan to try growing them this year (2024). 💚

[permit]

Thank you! I failed at my 1st uneducated try. I wrote down your method.

[elizabethmcgowan]

First time growing garlic in Florida - I appreciate your video 😃

[gygy]

Here in NY (zone 6B, ) I plant in the fall, like other bulbs. They vernalize over the winter and start sprouting in the spring.

[-jd]

Who knew growing garlic requires so many steps. I have a new respect for an old favorite.

[quiltedladibug]

Keep going I’m here with you in central Florida

[christinereoch]

Your video was very helpful! Wasn’t sure when I would pull them. First time grower. I will mulch them next year! I just planted the gloves that grew in my closet!

[johnliberty]

Omg! I thought I would have to give up garlic. Now I know there is a possibility I can grow it

[tinal]

Awesome video! Planting my garlic in grow bags today!! Love the olive oil&garlic ice cubes :)

[lindajustmyself]

Thank you for this video. Lots of info and tips. Garden buddies are cute!

[dougknowlesjr]

Planting in Odessa, FL zone 9b. Thanks for the tips!

[jchurch]

PS I forgot to say you don't actually apply 200 pounds of the product you choose to use. Example. Feather meal is rated at 13-0-0. I use 50 pound bags. To figure out how much nitrogen is in that bag multiply(.13x50)= the pounds of actual nitrogen in that 50 pound bag.

[hzkvjsl]

Its nice to see that you didn’t give up on growing garlic. This is my first year trying to grow garlic. I planted mine in December and I did stratifie my garlic in a baggie filled with dirt in my freezer for about 2 months. So far some of the garlic is doing good. I started with organic clovers I brought from the grocery store.

[allfruit]

Hello. Have you grown elephant garlic? If so, did it give you bigger or better cloves/heads?

[jchurch]

Hello I hope this reaches you before you plant this year. I'm here in N.C. in a 7a zone so I can only help a little. Your on the right track with the organic fertilizer but due to the warm soil temps the nitrogen that is being added in your organic fertilizer is being rolled over and consumed by microbes. I have the same problem here with some of my later maturing varieties. In late October I start bed prep and will address my nutrition as recommend by a soil test through Logan Labs. I strongly recommend getting the test with extras to address micronutrients. However that doesn't address nitrogen. Start looking at applying feather meals, soy bean mills and alfalfa meals or pellets from your feed store. Since I incorporate a high carbon cover crop I usually aim for 200pounds per acre of Nitrogen to be incorporated when I make my raised beds. That figure is based off a 6 inch soil depth. Now I cannot stress enough how important that this has to be in a form of organic fertilizer not synthetic or urea based. The three I mentioned above will have be broken down by soil life before they are available that will buy you a little more time. Also think about a foliar feeding plan using liquid fish and seaweed. The ratio is not that important for the meals but I would research them.

[JohnSmith-gmkz]

IMAX chickenshit fish and I take vegetables scraps and I put them in water let them start producing gas teaspoon of chicken water teaspoon freshwater half a cup of the vegetable scraps fermenting in a gallon every 10 days

[labellanuts]

What caught me is the fence or guard that surrounds a the swimming pool. Safety first. 😊

I havent tried growing garlic in a tote

[lindaxx]

Again TY never planted garlic, late start this yr so fall will work well. I saved your video. Lot’s of info/ideas. Oh I live in Spring Hill, Fl

[kayceb]

Great video! I'm central Florida zone 9b/10a and grew garlic for the first time this year. I used grocery store garlic and didn't refrigerate before planting. I didn't get nice size bulbs like yours, but smaller ones at least. I have been vernalizing for about a month for planting out. I was thinking in October, but maybe November is better. Been growing in Florida quite a while, but including more edibles the last 5 years, Unfortunately the giant eastern lubbers are also interested in my plantings...I'm still finding them.

[julielevin]

Can you grow garlic from the store? I have covered cloves with damp paper towel and planted when shoots formed. I wasn't committed. I think one grew but v small. I have had great success with green onion scraps. Just planted the root from the store and tbey did well. Also did the same with sweet onion roots and I got one huge onion.
For calcium additive to home made soil for pots and raised beds I gather washed egg shells over time then grind to a powder in the coffee mill.
Finally I have realised the necessity of covering South Florida soil in summer.
My inground area is still v sandy as it is only a year old. I have been blessed with free wood chips. So ive been burying kitchen scraps bit by bit with seaweed ( live close to beach) and chopped aloe and lemongrass( figuring all the nutrients would help) . soaked black beans and planted them also.Then covering the lot with wood chips. In time I know ill have good soil.
David the good suggests cardboard also. He says you can poke a hole through when ready to plant established plants. In 2 months the buried bits will be broken down.
I will not dig anymore but keep adding mulch year by year, even chopped lemongrass works as it was something readily available before I had the wood chips.
In my raised beds i have sweet potato vines as a cover crop. Sweet potato and luffa, zinnias marigolds are the only plants that are thriving. Luffa healthy but no fruit just leaves. Oh well!
Thanks for all your great info. You are motivating me to get more organized!!