The Story of Allium Sativum

Garlic most likely formed around the Tien Shan Mountains of Kazakhstan and Kirghizstan 6000+ years ago, evolving from the wild species that produced flowers and pods but no bulbs. In warmer climates the garlic began to produce more cloves and no flowers (scapes). Crusaders returning from the Middle East brought back shallots from Ascalon, a town in South Palestine. They have a mild sweet taste and are considered an epicurean treasure!

How to Grow and Harvest Garlic

• Plant from Oct. 1st to Nov 1st or anytime right after the first killing frost. Garlic may be planted in early spring, but yields will be greatly reduced.
•  Leave garlic bulb intact until you are ready to plant, then break into cloves.
•  Plant cloves in rows, 4-6 inches apart. Place in soil with root-end down. Cover with 2-3 inches of soil. Roots will grow before winter.
• Keep weeds under control as early as possible - Garlic does poorly with competition. As you can see from the picture above, we use straw mulch. You can buy bales of straw very cheaply at many farmstands in the fall. You can also use your own yard leaves as long as they don't blow away over the winter. The mulch also helps reduce frost heaving in the winter, which can push your cloves right out of the ground.
• When scapes appear (flowering shoots) cut off and eat! They are considered a  culinary delicacy and removing them refocuses the plant’s energy on producing larger bulbs.    
• Garlic needs ample  water while it grows in Spring.  However, the last couple of weeks before harvest, garlic does not want water, so let your ground dry out.
• About soils: Garlic grows best in soils that contain high organic matter, are well-drained, and have a neutral pH.
• Harvest when leaves begin to yellow/brown at tips, usually in late June or early July. Do not leave in ground too long or bulbs will begin to separate. Dig out garlic carefully as not to bruise it. Shake off dirt, let lay in sun 3-5 days to dry. Bundle 15-20 plants together and hang in an airy place to dry for 5-6 wks.

• You can store your garlic all summer and fall, use what you need and plant some in November. Garlic will store well until about March by which time it has dried out or molded... then it's time to eat green garlic (immature garlic plants) from your garden, then scapes, then your next garlic crop!

Benefits of Garlic

Information about the Long Island Garlic Festival

• GENERAL INFORMATION, DATE, TIME
• DIRECTIONS
• VENDOR LIST
• MUSIC SCHEDULE
• COOKOFF INFORMATION

VENDORS ACCEPTED!