grow Organic DTE Garlic Growing Kit User Guide
- October 28, 2023
- grow Organic
Table of Contents
grow Organic DTE Garlic Growing Kit User Guide
Congratulations on purchasing your Down to Earth Organic Garlic Kit!
This kit has everything you need to start growing delicious organic garlic
successfully.
The kit includes the following:
- 1 pound of garlic or 1 pound of shallots
- DTE Bone Meal Steamed (5 lb box)
- DTE Blood Meal (5 lb box)
- PVFS Liquid Kelp (1 pt)
- Granular Root Growth Enhancer (2 Oz)
- Kelp Meal 1-0.1-2 (0.5 Lb Box)
- Ames Hand Transplanter With Wood Handle
Yield for Your Kit
The pound of seed garlic included in your kit is enough to seed a 25’ row with 6” spacing between cloves. It should yield about 10-12 lb of garlic at harvest.
*Every variety of garlic varies in the number of cloves per bulb and the number of bulbs per pound. Please reference the garlic descriptions on our website to find out the information needed to calculate the number of cloves per pound.
Soil Preparation
Garlic much prefers to be grown in full sun; partial shade is marginal, but full shade will not work. Garlic prefers a sandy and loamy soil with a pH range of 6–7 and good drainage. Test your soil and amend accordingly and make sure it is loose and not compacted. It is recommended to plow or till and amend the area you plan to plant your garlic at least one month prior to planting. Garlic needs room to size up, so make sure to provide adequate room for your garlic to grow. Do not plant in areas where other allium crops (onions, garlic, chives, scallions, shallots and leeks) were planted in the last 3 years. Gophers love garlic, so be sure to protect your crop with gopher wire or gopher baskets prior to planting.
Planting & Growing
Plant by November 15th to take advantage of our Limited Seed Garlic Guarantee (see last page for details).
Your garlic will arrive in full bulbs (exception is the elephant garlic which comes with some cloves separated from the bulb). These bulbs need to be cracked into individual cloves for planting. Plant the cloves within one week after the bulbs were cracked apart. Be careful not to damage the basal plate of the garlic (very bottom). Do not remove the skin from the individual cloves; the skin helps prevent the cloves from rotting in the ground. Separate the cloves by size; larger cloves should be planted for garlic production, the smaller cloves can be planted (or eaten) for garlic greens.
Plant your garlic in slightly moist, well draining soil in the fall. September and October are optimal months to plant your garlic (it should be at least 2 weeks before the first frost in your area). This affords your garlic the best possible chances to withstand winter conditions, by giving it ample time to establish. November is late to plant garlic, and December is marginal. It is best to plant your garlic within a week or two after you received it. Garlic needs to be planted while it is still vibrant.
Some growers like soaking the cloves overnight prior to planting in a solution of PVFS Organic Liquid Kelp (included in the kit-4 Tbs per gallon of water) and baking soda (1 Tbs per gallon of water) to give the cloves a good head start.
Prior to Planting Add the Following:
- Down to Earth Bone Meal –because garlic likes a boost of phosphorus in the root zone at the time of planting. The bone meal will provide adequate phosphorus to contribute to vigorous root growth. Supplement according to the label.
- Down To Earth Kelp Meal is pure Ascophyllum nodosum seaweed from the clean, cold waters of the North Atlantic Ocean and is an excellent natural source of potash and is ideal for giving your garlic vigor and improving the biology in your soil. Supplement according to the label.
- Down to Earth Root Growth Enhancer contains beneficial mycorrhizae fungi which will colonize your garlic roots and improve nutrient and water uptake, increase plant growth and yields as well as decreasing transplant and drought stress.
Plant the cloves with the pointed end up. In warmer climates, plant the cloves 1–2” deep in the soil. In colder climates, plant about 2–4” deep (measured from the top of the clove). Plant in rows no less than 12” apart with cloves planted 6” apart within in their row (allow about twice that for Elephant Garlic). Place a layer of mulch on top of the rows (leaves, compost or straw works best), depths vary based on your climate (up to 8” in the north). To prevent frost damage in extreme winter regions, mulch should always be kept deep enough to prevent the shoots from surfacing. In areas with wetter winters (mild winter regions) a thin layer of mulch can be used.
About four weeks after planting your garlic you can check for germination by digging up (and then replant) a couple of cloves. Repeat as necessary until you see signs of root growth and germination.
In the off-chance that you experience a significant lack of germination (over 50%), contact us within 45 days of receiving your garlic. You may be able to take advantage of our Limited Seed Garlic Guarantee (assuming you planted your garlic by November 15th). See the terms and conditions of our guarantee on this page.
Required Care During Growth
Once planted, water only when the soil dries out (winter rains may suffice at first). Garlic loves water, but do not over-water or it may rot. Do not over fertilize (with nitrogen); this could cause the garlic to grow prematurely before winter, causing it to freeze and die off. During spring, after the last frost, mulching is no longer necessary and you can pull back your mulch. You should start to see green shoots above ground once it starts to warm up in the spring. Fertilizing with a high nitrogen fertilizer is highly recommended. Use the Down to Earth Blood Meal, included in your kit, to give your young garlic a boost of nitrogen to encourage green growth. Additional Down to Earth Bone Meal can be added during the spring to summer as well. Fertilize every few weeks until just before the bulbs swell, around mid-May.
Be sure to keep the weeds away from your garlic; you can grow garlic or weeds, but not both!
If any of the plants start to turn yellow or look sick well before the expected harvest time, pull those plants and keep them separated from the rest of your garlic crop. They could be diseased and you don’t want it to spread to the other healthy plants.
When hardneck garlic stalks start to form scapes (a stem with a little bulge towards its end that will turn into a flower), cut them off when they begin to curl close to where the leaves start to form. This is done to direct the vigor of the plant into sizing up its bulb versus producing flowers, then seeds. Save the scapes. They are great sautéed!
Return Policy
Perishable Items (3-Day Return Policy)
We guarantee the perishable items we sell to be in good, viable condition when
we sell them. Perishable items include, but are not limited to, garlic bulbs,
flower bulbs, seed potatoes, onion sets & transplants, bare-root trees,
vegetable crowns… etc. If your perishable item arrives in substandard
condition, please contact us within 3 days of the purchase date (or delivery
date) and we will provide you with a refund of the purchase price (including
shipping costs), or a replacement. Accordingly, we urge you to open any boxes
marked as “Perishable” immediately upon receiving them. Because some
perishable items can deteriorate very quickly, we cannot accept any claims
beyond the 3-day time frame as it becomes too difficult to determine if these
items were delivered in substandard condition, or if they turned into such
substandard condition because of having been improperly cared for or stored
once delivered.
Limited Product Guarantee
Limitation of Remedy
We warrant to the extent of the purchase price only that the seeds or plants
sold hereunder are as described on the label within recognized tolerances. No
other warranty is given, expressed or implied, of (1) the merchantability or
fitness of the seeds or plants for any particular purpose, or (2) against loss
due to any cause. We cannot accept any responsibility for the many
uncontrollable growing and climatic conditions (soil preparation,
fertilization, weed and pest control, temperature control, irrigation…etc.)
that must be met to insure the success of your crop(s) or plants.
Limited Seed Garlic Guarantee
WHEN PLANTED BY NOVEMBER 15TH
Claim Deadline is 45 Days from Purchase or Delivery. (Claims placed after
December 31st will be denied.)
What We Guarantee
Our only guarantee is that the seed garlic we sell will germinate, provided
you follow the steps listed in this guide. This guarantee is only available to
customers who purchase their seed garlic directly from us.
What We Cannot Guarantee
We cannot guarantee that your garlic will remain alive & healthy, or sizes up
properly, as there are too many variables beyond our control to be able to do
so (i.e. soil preparation, fertilization, weed and pest control, temperature
control, irrigation, etc).
How to Request a Credit
If you encounter a significant lack of germination of your garlic (over 50%),
please contact us within 45 days of delivery. If we determine that your garlic
had a significant lack of germination, we will issue you a credit (not a
refund) for the purchase price of your garlic (excluding shipping).* This
45-day time frame is meant to allow you up to 2 weeks to plant your garlic,
and up to 4 weeks to check for signs of growth.
(*) We reserve the right to not issue credit for items already replaced. We also reserve the right to require photographic evidence of the lack of germination of your garlic.
Keep your soil cool during the summer by applying a thin layer of mulch around the garlic. Garlic bulbs will stop sizing up if the soil temperature goes above 90°F. Rice straw works very well and will also help reduce weed growth and water evaporation.
Harvesting & Storage
As soon as the garlic plants have about 3-4 dried leaves on the bottom (around June or July), stop watering and wait about 2 weeks to harvest. When the 2 weeks is up, your garlic is ready to be pulled from the ground! Cure the garlic in the shade, or indoors. Do not leave in direct sunlight or the bulbs will get sunburned and rot. Make sure there is good air circulation or they may become moldy and rot. A good way to cure garlic is to tie them in bunches, or braid them together (if it is a softneck variety) and hang them in the garage or barn, away from windows.
Elephant Garlic needs to cure for at least 30 days before it is ready for consumption. Other varieties are a little quicker to cure. They will become stronger tasting with age. Most hardneck varieties store well for up to 6 months. Softneck varieties will store even longer. The ideal storage conditions are 50°F with a humidity below 60%.
Peaceful Valley Farm & Garden Supply
P.O. Box 2209 • 125 Clydesdale Ct. • Grass Valley, CA 95945
(888) 784-1722 • Fax (530) 272-4794
www.growOrganic.com
Entire contents © 2021 Peaceful Valley Holdings, Inc All rights reserved. Revised August 11, 2021
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