How to Plant Artichoke Garlic

Loosen the soil, using a shovel, in an area exposed to full sun all day. Select a site that drains within one hour of irrigation or average rainfall. Broadcast 3 lbs. of 10-10-10 fertilizer per 100 square feet over the turned soil. Till the nutrient into the ground to a depth of 6 inches.

Dig a 1-inch-deep furrow as soon as the ground thaws in spring. Garlic plants stop developing in the high heat of summer.

Plant the outer cloves of a garlic bulb, which are the largest. Place them three to five inches apart along the furrow. Space multiple rows one to two feet apart. Position the cloves upright with their flat ends stuck in the soil to keep them from toppling. Backfill the furrow with topsoil.

Install a soaker hose two inches from the row of garlic cloves. Irrigate the bed at planting. Keep the soil moist through germination and bulb development. One inch of water weekly is usually sufficient. Keep an eye on the ground. Water it whenever the surface begins to dry. Reduce moisture, allowing the top inch or so of soil to dry, when the foliage begins to yellow -- a sign the bulb is about ripe for harvest.

Apply 2 lbs. of 10-10-10 fertilizer per 100 square feet in a band two inches from the garden plants. This method is known as side dressing. Feed the garlic in this manner two weeks after the stalks poke through the surface, to support bulb development. Keep the nutrient from touching the foliage and water the product in.

Dig the bulbs when the foliage yellows in early summer. Try to take them out by hand to avoid bruising. Lift them carefully with a garden fork if the bulbs are firmly grounded. Remove soil clinging to the bulbs with your hands. Do not wash the garlic. Hang the bulbs in the shade in a warm area to cure for storage. Alternatively, place them on drying racks in single layers. The bulbs are dry when the skin develops the texture of paper, which takes about three weeks.