Spring Time Care

Spring Garlic Care | Dick’s Stinkin’ Good Garlic
Dick’s Stinkin’ Good Garlic

Spring Garlic Care

Wake up your garlic right: check mulch, feed, water, weed, and prepare for scapes and harvest.

Early Spring: Check Mulch & Soil

  • Lighten heavy mulch so shoots push through; leave a thin layer for weeds.
  • If soil is soggy, lift mulch temporarily to dry the surface.

Feeding & Water

  • Side-dress with compost or apply gentle liquid feeds (fish/kelp) as shoots reach 2–3".
  • Maintain ~1" of water/week (rain + irrigation) through early summer; avoid waterlogging.

Weeding

Garlic hates competition. Hand-weed or shallow hoe to protect roots and bulbs; keep the mulch doing most of the weed control.

Scapes (Hardneck Only)

Remove once they form a curl to push energy into bulb growth—plus they’re delicious.

Troubleshooting

Symptom Likely Cause What to Do
Yellowing leaves N deficiency or water stress Light nitrogen feed; even watering
Slow emergence Mulch too thick/cold soil Thin mulch; warm soil
Fungal spots Poor airflow & moisture Lighten mulch; improve drainage

What’s Next

After scapes, bulbs size up quickly. Harvest usually follows in 4–6 weeks, when 3–4 green leaves remain.

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