Have you tried planting garlic year after year, and waited patiently for it to grow, only to have a disappointing harvest? Garlic is a staple for many in the kitchen and buying fresh garlic, especially local or organic, is costly at the store. Garlic is an easy vegetable to grow in the backyard, but there are several common growing problems that can be devastating to the patient gardener.

Thankfully, many of these are easily rectified with the proper planting techniques and care. Read on to learn the most common garlic growing problem and how you can avoid them and instead reap a bountiful harvest.

Selecting The Wrong Type

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The two most popular types of garlic for backyard gardening are softneck and hardneck.

Softneck garlic produces smaller cloves that store-well and is best suited for milder climates. Hardneck garlic produces larger cloves, boasts a more intense flavor, and is best for colder climates. The most common garlic growing problems will vary depending on the type of garlic planted and your climate.

Garlic Doesn’t Sprout

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Waiting for your first spring bulbs to sprout is an exciting time, but finding out your garlic failed to sprout over winter can be frustrating. One of the reasons garlic may not sprout is rotten bulbs. Although you can plant garlic in early spring (softneck is the best for this), the best time to plant is in the fall around October. Timing this around the first frost, however, can sometimes be tricky, and garlic prefers consistently cold temperatures over winter. If your climate experiences too many thaws or heavy rain throughout the winter this can result in the bulbs rotting.

There are a few tips to avoid this travesty. First, try planting your garlic directly in the ground, instead of a raised bed or planter. Although many gardeners have success with growing garlic in containers, ground temperatures are colder and won’t fluctuate as drastically throughout thaws and freezes.

Second, select your planting site carefully, avoiding locations near eavestroughs or in wet areas of the yard. A plot that receives at least six hours of sunlight daily in the spring months is ideal.

Third, be sure to plant your bulbs at the right depth; the tip should be about 1 to 2 inches below the soil. Plant slightly deeper in climates that experience severe frost and rain and closer to the surface in heavy soil or if you are covering the bed with mulch.

Fungal

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Not only can excessive moisture cause your garlic to rot, but it can also lead to fungal diseases. Basal rot, white rot, and downy mildew are common garlic diseases caused by fungi that can all cause the rotting of the bulbs, in addition to varying symptoms of mold growth on the plant. Leek rust is another fungal disease that causes distinct yellow spots and streaks on the leaves.

Since fungi thrive in wet environments, avoiding overhead watering, and ensuring adequate spacing and weeding around the plants is the best prevention. Soaking your cloves before planting is another preventative measure many gardeners swear by. Fungi take root in the soil, so practice proper crop rotation for at least three years before planting another crop in the onion family. More on that below!

Pests

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Another reason your garlic may fail to sprout or struggle to produce is pests. Squirrels are awful for digging up garlic cloves in the fall before they even have a chance of sprouting. Natural repellants, such as shiny objects, rocks, or chili peppers may help to deter them.

Nematodes, or roundworms, are another pest that is common in garlic and can result in both the clove failing to sprout or pest-eaten and rotten cloves if they do grow. Mites are another common pest that can attack the entire plant, which can result in rotted or brown-spotted cloves. Unfortunately, both nematodes and mites are difficult pests to remove from the soil, and the best course of action is crop rotation.

In order to implement proper crop rotation, you need to be aware about where you place things. Crop rotation is the practice of moving your crops every several years so new crops can absorb and take advantage of nutrients left by the former crop. For example, be mindful not to plant garlic in a bed soon after kale, brussels sprouts, or corn, for example, as they are also susceptible to mites

Pro Tip: If you have trouble with pests, soaking cloves in hot water prior to planting may help, but it can also reduce germination.

Small or Misshapen Bulbs

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If you chose softneck garlic or plant your garlic bulbs in spring, you will have smaller bulbs due to the shorter growing period. However, if you planted your hardneck garlic in the fall and you still have small or mishappen bulbs the following summer, it can be disappointing. Small or misshapen bulbs can be a result of improper planting, overcrowding, weeds, and/or compacted soil.

When planting garlic be sure to plant with the tip pointing up. Provide lots of space between each clove, at least 6 inches between plants and 1 inch between rows. Garlic can grow surprisingly tall by the time it reaches maturity and since it’s a long season crop it takes up a lot of room in the garden.

Be sure to plant it in an area that doesn’t get in the way of the rest of your crops and allows for easy weeding of the area. Although garlic needs very little care, weeds can choke out the plant and affect the harvest.

Garlic Scapes

garlic scapes

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Although not technically a problem, gardeners may wonder what’s going on when their garlic starts sending up scapes. When growing hardneck garlic, garlic scapes, or the flower of the plant can sprout during extreme periods of heat. Despite being a normal part of the lifecycle, it’s important to remove these when you notice them so that they don’t take energy away from bulb production. As a bonus, you can fry up the garlic scapes for a tasty side dish.

Drooping Stalks

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At the end of the growing season, you may notice the yellowing of the bottom leaves, and top-heavy garlic stalks may droop or fall over. This is normal as the garlic nears harvest time and is not an indication that something is wrong. However, gardeners may panic and think their garlic needs more water. This can instead be detrimental to the plant.

It’s crucial for garlic to experience a few weeks of dry weather before harvesting as this will help with the curing process. Wait until the bottom two to three leaves are yellow and dry but the remainder of the stalk is still green and then harvest. If you have rain in the forecast, it’s best to time your harvest around the rain in hopes you miss it. 

Split or Dry Bulbs

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Pulling up your garlic only to find split or dry bulbs is disheartening and is a sign that you harvested too late. Unfortunately, there’s not much to do except try again next year. Pull the rest of your crop, and hopefully, there are a few good heads of garlic in there.

Be sure to harvest your crop as soon as the third bottom leaf on the stalk starts turn yellow. If you're unsure, pull a single plant to test, rather than leaving them in too long and risking the entire crop.

Green Cloves

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If you discover green cloves when you harvest your garlic, you may think it has gone moldy. Green garlic is usually underripe garlic, which is often a sign of late or shallow planting. However, some garlic does appear slightly green when pulled from the ground and will change color during the curing process. Either way, green garlic cloves are safe to eat, they just won’t have as potent of a taste.

Bountiful Garlic

Growing garlic in your backyard garden is rewarding and a lot of fun. Not only can you save money by growing organic garlic at home, but it can also be a neat way to try varieties you can’t find at the store. However, when disaster strikes your crop, it can be especially hard to lose a long-season crop like garlic. With only one shot a year, it may always feel like a gamble whether your garlic is going to come up. Hopefully, these common growing problems will help you identify any issues you are having in your garden before your next crop of garlic sprouts.

Do you have problems growing garlic in your garden? Share your thoughts in the comments.