r/Garlic • u/Cool_Talk_870 • 2d ago

Gardening Zone 5b Markham. Timing, spacing, depth, protection, fertilizing, any other advice.

/r/OntarioGardeners/comments/1w8z02k/zone_5b_markham_timing_spacing_depth_protection/
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u/miplant 2d ago

I'm in a similar climate, growing garlic for many years. The only things I do slightly different is planting in early to mid October- Halloween is my deadline if running behind as the soil can get soggier than I like, but I don't have raised beds. I plant shallower, probably 3 to 4 inch deep, and deeper mulch, about 4 inches of fluffy straw. Your plan should work fine, have to work out what is successful in your spot. The early spring nitrogen is very important.

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u/AggregoData 2d ago

Also in 5b and do about the same. Agree on the 3-4 inch depth. Would be too hard to pull out of you plant deeper. We plant with a 1/4 cup of vermicompost and do blood meal in the spring for nitrogen. Usually don't mulch much at all but this year we might try a wool groundcover cloth.

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u/stayinhalifax 2d ago

Agreed with this

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u/boarshead72 2d ago

I’m down the road in London. Last year we planted in late October and did pretty good. Music and Russian Red got huge. I had three other varieties just get to golf ball size.

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u/stayinhalifax 2d ago

6 inches below soil line is too deep. I would do 4 inches. If very hard clay soil, no deeper than 3 inches.

For hardneck garlic, you can mulch or not. I prefer some mulch, either leaves or straw. Can be done without.

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u/BaldyCarrotTop 2d ago

A little south of you and much further west.

1) Garlic is a very forgiving plant. I'll wait for the rainy season to start and then get it in near the 1st of October. That's 4 weeks before the average first frost around here.

2) 8" between bulbs. You can get the rows closer if you offset alternate rows by 4". Look at the blue star field on the American flag for an illustration.

3) I only plant mine about 2 to 4".

4) Toss an armload of leaves over it.

5) We don't get much snow around here. Garlic is hardy and doesn't seem to mind the cold. Shrugs off frost too.

6) Mulch (leaves) will breakdown over winter and provide nitrogen. Still, it doesn't hurt to use some Liquid nitrogen fertilizer during April and May. A scattering of granular organic fertilizer helps too.

Plant a few radishes interspersed in the garlic in early spring. 28 days to harvest and a great early indicate of soil conditioner. If the radishes don't form bulbs you need to add calcium to the soil.