Best conditions for garlic?

[nekomi]

Hi everyone,

I'm just getting my raised bed (SFG) built, which I will be using for garlic. I'm wondering what is the ideal light conditions for growing garlic (full sun, part sun, shade, etc.)?

Also, in the Square Foot Garden book, Mel says you can get away with 6" depth in the raised beds (I hear he used to recommend 12" but now recommends 6"). For garlic, would you lean towards 6" or 12"?

Can anyone advise? Thanks!

 

[bills]

Are you planting the garlic outdoors? If so light conditions really don't come into play till the spring anyway. (If you plant them in October, which is traditional). You won't see any green for months.
By spring the lengthening daylight hours will stimulate their growth. I have mine in full sun, and they seem to do good. I do have to water them during the hot spells, as like onions they love a drink. Just don't drown them.. I also hold back on watering a week or so, prior to harvest

The planting depth depends a lot on your winter weather I would think. If your ground freezes hard, several inches down, plant them slightly deeper. The raised bed will warm quicker in the spring, and should provide good drainage through the spring rains, but will allow frost penetration deeper than a standard garden bed. If you do plant them 6" down, and have hard frosts, I would plant them in the dead center of the bed, not in rows close to the edge of the bed, as they would be better insulated.

 

[patandchickens]

Full sun, for sure. Reasonable soil. If your raised beds are native soil underneath, even if it's not *good* soil, (as opposed to being built on like concrete or rock ledge), then I do not personally think that 6" vs 12" depth would make much difference, except possibly if you live in like the Yukon where you have to be careful about how cold the top of the soil freezes.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat