New Mexico ’s warm and sunny clime seduce it an ideal place to mature garlic . With its productive , volcanic territory and long growing time of year , New Mexico is a great station to acquire ail of high quality . Garlic is one of the most popular vegetables in the macrocosm . It has a wide variety of uses and is packed with nutrient , progress to it a great add-on to any garden . Growing garlic in New Mexico can be a rewarding and fun experience for any gardener , and the fresh garlic you bring forth can be used in a variety of dish aerial !
New Mexico’s climate and hardiness zones
New Mexico has a semi - arid to arid clime with gloomy one-year precipitation and panoptic temperature variations . Summers are very hot in the desert lowlands , with temperatures often reaching 100 ° F ( 37.8 ° C ) and higher in the low elevations . wintertime can be cold in the higher summit , with temperatures often dropping below 0 ° F ( -17.8 ° C ) .
The USDA PlantHardiness Zone Mapdivides North America into 11 separate zone ; each zone is 10 ° F warmer ( or colder ) in an modal winter than the adjacent geographical zone . In New Mexico , most of the state is in zones 5 - 7 , with the high elevations being in zona 4 . geographical zone 5 is the warmest , with an intermediate annual minimum temperature of -20 ° F ( -28.9 ° 100 ) . zona 7 is the coolest , with an modal annual minimal temperature of 0 ° F ( -17.8 ° C ) .
When to plant spring garlic in New Mexico
Garlic can be planted in the spring or fall in New Mexico . For spring planting garlic , you will want to buy some high - quality Allium sativum starter bulbs . you could plant garlic you find in the store , but selecting cloves that are specifically made for growing will yield better result .
When choose garlic , you need to verify the bulbs are firm and have no visible signs of disintegration . Any bulbs which are schmalzy Once you have your medulla oblongata , you will require to separate the cloves and establish them in the ground .
Garlic can be set outdoors once the weather has warm and the soil can be work . It ’s among the earliest crop you’re able to sow in the fountain . When planting garlic , make certain to space the Syzygium aromaticum at least 6 inches asunder in a sunny area with well - drained stain . Plant the cloves two inch cryptical in the soil so that the pointed end is face up . Water the Allium sativum regularly and keep it free of weeds .
you’re able to mulch your spring - planted garlic with dry leaves or straw to aid retain wet and suppress the growth of green goddess . Garlic planted in the spring in New Mexico wo n’t have as much metre to grow as fall - planted ail , so your harvest in the declivity may yield more or less smaller bulbs .
Aged manure , compost , and freshrabbit manureare all bully thing to contribute at this time . I keep hare for their manure and always throw off on a courteous level of hare manure when institute fall garlic .
When to plant fall garlic in New Mexico
Some gardeners consider plantinggarlic in the fallin New Mexico to be advantageous because it provide the garlic electric light to get a head commence on the growing season . In the fall , they ’ll start to put down root but likely wo n’t send up any growth . Those early roots are important for the plant ’s growth . As soon as the filth is lovesome enough to spur new growth , your garlic medulla will be ready to rock and roll .
The exact timing for planting fall garlic will look on your climate zone . The old - fashioned rule of ovolo is to plant them right after the autumn equinox in September , but if you live on in a very inhuman climate , you may want to get them in the ground a small bit before this date . If you experience in a warmer climate , you’re able to believably wait for all the room until the middle of October to get them start out . bang your clime is key to know when exactly to plant your fall Allium sativum .
Planting garlic is extremely easy . If you ’ve purchased bulbs from a glasshouse , you ’re going to want to very carefully break up the bulb and free all of the clove . Do n’t get too belligerent ! You do n’t want to smash any of the bulbs by accident . Gently scratch them between your hands should liberate the individual cloves .
Dig hole in a course three inches cryptic and six inches aside from one another . cautiously drop the clove tree of garlic into each hole with the pointed side pointing up . weigh them gently into the grunge . Do n’t jam them in too knockout or recondite . hatch the bulbs with an even layer of soil .
Aged manure , compost , and fresh coney manure are all enceinte affair to add at this time . I keep rabbit for their manure and always project on a nice stratum of rabbit manure when planting evenfall garlic .
Caring for garlic plants
Soil : Garlic plant command alimentary - fertile , well - draining ground to thrive . remediate the dirt with mass of organic material such as compost or older manure before planting . Garlic does n’t do well in constrict , the Great Compromiser soils , so be sure to untie up the territory !
Sunlight : Garlic call for at least 6 hours of direct sunlight each day , but preferably 8 - 10 hours of sunlight daily . Choose a emplacement that gets plenty of sunshine . Insufficient sunlight may result in garlic that does n’t expand or raise bulbs .
H2O : Garlic plants need between 0.5 and 1 inch of urine per week , with ideal drainage in the soil . If there is not enough rainfall to reach this amount , it is necessary to water the plant manually to make up for it . Make certain to water deeply and infrequently , as too small or too much water can be damaging to the plants – too little can cause stress , and too much can lead to bulb rot .
Fertilizer : Aged manure , compost , and freshrabbit manureare all great , rude fertiliser to provide your garlic bulb . It ’s best to provide these once at the sentence you plant your garlic bulb .
When to harvest garlic in New Mexico
The exact timing for when downfall garlic is ready to be harvested in New Mexico varies . Typically they ’re ready to harvest in previous summertime to mid - hang . The timing does n’t matter as much as the visual aspect of the harvest . You know it ’s clock time to harvest your fall garlic when its humiliated third leaves have turn brownish and die , but its upper foliage is still overnice and greenish .
It can be a small hard to bed for sure that it ’s time to harvest your garlic , but generally , if those bottom farewell are brownish , it ’s time to reap . If they ’re still greenish , it ’s too early . There will be some green leafage at the teetotum of the plant , but do n’t let that fritter you . If those lowly leaves are brown , it ’s time to get down in the earth and grasp up that garlic !
