From Seed to Bulb: 10 Garlic Growth Stages

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Garlic is a bulb containing a central stem surrounded by cloves and a root at the bottom. It also has flat leaves and a basal plate that stores energy and nutrients. Garlic helps with immunity and has many health benefits, so it is worth exploring!

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Garlic is usually planted in the fall, about 4 to 6 weeks before the first frost date in your area. This allows the garlic to establish roots and shoots before the winter. Garlic can also be planted in the spring, as soon as the soil can be worked, but the bulbs may be smaller and less flavorful than fall-planted garlic.

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Stage 1. Planting

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The roots will grow downward into the soil, anchoring the garlic plant and absorbing water and nutrients. The shoots will grow upward through the soil, forming green leaves that will photosynthesize and produce energy for the plant.

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Stage 2. Germination

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garlic plant grows taller and produces more leaves. The number of leaves a garlic plant produces will determine the size and shape of its bulb. Each leaf corresponds to a layer of bulb wrapper that will protect the cloves inside.

Stage 3.  Vegetative Growth

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garlic plant starts to form its bulb underground by swelling its stem base and dividing it into cloves. Bulb development usually begins in early summer.

Stage 4.  Bulb Development

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This optional stage involves gathering some of the garlic leaves for culinary or medicinal purposes. Garlic leaves have a mild garlic flavor and can be used fresh or dried in salads, soups, sauces, pesto, and other dishes.

Stage 5.  Harvesting Leaves

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Stage 6. Flowering

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If you are growing hardneck varieties, the garlic will start to produce flowers that can attract pollinators and produce seeds.

Stage 7. Pollination

This is when the garlic flowers receive pollen from other garlic plants or their own flowers. Pollination usually occurs shortly after flowering.

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Stage 8.  Seed Formation

This is when the garlic flowers develop seeds inside their ovaries after being pollinated. Seed formation usually occurs in late summer or early fall, several weeks after pollination.

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Stage 9. Harvest

The main indicator of harvest readiness are garlic leaves. When leaves have turned yellow or brown and started to dry up, it means that the bulb has stopped growing and is ready to be harvested.

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Stage 10. Next Year Growth

The bulb left behind will break apart into individual cloves. These cloves will then start growing into new garlic plants.

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