5 Tips for Southern, Coastal, and Desert Growers

Pushing the zone

Can garlic be grown in hot regions? Let’s look at tips on pushing garlic out of its “comfort zone” a little.

Where Garlic Started

Garlic is believed to have originated in the mountain ranges of south Central Asia along the modern Russian/Chinese border and west into Afghanistan and Iran. Many wild strains of garlic still exist today in remote regions. Garlic is a northern crop, relying on freezing temperatures to trigger sprouting and requiring a long growth-period without excessively high temperatures. It can also, from its place of origin, be assumed to be fairly hardy and drought-resistant. Top garlic-producing states in the U.S. include regions of Nevada and Washington State. China is (or at least, has been...) the primary producer of garlic consumed in the U.S.

The Challenges

So can garlic be grown outside of its native climate? Thanks to its hardy nature and thousands of years of cultivation, garlic can be grown in a variety of climates with some special care.

The primary challenge a Deep South grower or West Coast grower will face is the lack of cold weather needed to trigger germination, and an insufficient LENGTH of winter for the bulbs to fully develop.

The primary challenge for a Desert grower is the wide temperature variance between the hot days and cold nights, causing stress to the plant.

In this article we will look at some important tips for helping garlic to thrive outside its native climate.

5 Tips for Southern, Coastal, and Desert Growers

1) For **southern or coastal growers,** plant **Softneck** varieties. Softneck garlic is much more tolerant of warm winters than hardneck. It has a longer storage life, which helps if you want to hold seed over until the next planting season. Softneck garlic also can develop larger bulbs with shorter exposure to cold weather than hardneck generally does. Choose a softneck over a hardneck for your first try at garlic-growing in the South.

For **desert growers**, choose a **hardneck** variety. Hardneck garlics are more tolerant of the extreme temperatures you may experience, particularly if you have cold nighttime temperatures in your area.

2) For **southern and coastal growers, refrigerate bulbs before planting** to trigger germination. 6-12 weeks of refrigeration (also known as vernalization) may be the trick you need to get the bulbs to begin to sprout. The further south you are, the closer to a full 12 weeks may be needed. Do NOT freeze the bulbs! Vernalization is only necessary if you do not have 6-8 weeks of temperatures below 40-45 degrees F. Our Garlic Growers Guide gives detailed information on vernallization, as well as tips for growing garlic in tropical climates.

3) For **all growers, use deep mulches**. Mulches of chopped straw, wood chips, compost or even newspaper will help moderate the soil temperature and pro-long its growing season. In hot climates, light colored mulches such as straw are helpful to reducing soil temperatures. Darker mulches will heat the soil.

4) For **desert growers**, or growers anywhere with very hot temperatures possible before harvest time, planting where the garlic can receive some **afternoon shade** may be very helpful. Garlic does not need full sun to develop well, and some protection from the heat of mid-day can help moderate its climate.

5) **Plant deeply and water deeply.** Soil temperatures are more stable down deeper, and planting deeply (6" or so) can provide a more moderate haven for the developing cloves. Do not over-water, as this can lead to rot or mold problems. Deep, infrequent irrigation (if needed), is best for garlic. Stop all irrigation 10 days before harvest to let the bulbs begin to dry out for curing.

There they are! I hope these tips are helpful for you folks needing to "push the zone" a little more with garlic. Let me know the tips and tricks YOU discover, and Happy Gardening!