How to grow garlic with the Paperpot Transplanter

Paperpot settings for garlic

Use 6″ paper chain pots, plant one clove per cell by hand, and transplant 5 rows on a 30″ bed, 6″ apart. Plan on about 4 trays per 100′ bed.

Paper chain pot	6″
In-row spacing	6″
Rows per 30″ bed	5 (6″ apart)
Trays per 100′ bed	4
Kwik Klik top plate	None (by hand)
Seeds per cell	1 clove
Seed per 100′ bed	950 cloves (about 13 lb) (+/-)
Cultivars	Music, Siberian
Germination	n/a
Days to transplant	1 day
Days to maturity	255 days
Harvest window	14 days
Harvest unit	Head
Yield per 100′ bed	950 heads

Bed figures are for a 100′ x 30″ bed. From the Paperpot Co. Growers Notes, developed with farmers Erich Schultz (Steadfast Farm) and Seth Davis. Adjust for your climate and conditions.

Bed preparation

• Broadfork the bed to aerate and loosen the soil.
• Smooth and shape the bed with a bed prep rake, removing any debris.
• Garlic needs fresh compost before planting: layer on 1-2″, enough to cover the native soil.
• Irrigate for 10 to 14 days* to germinate weed seed, then flame weed once the weed cotyledons are up.

Planting the trays

• Set a germination tray with 6″ paper chain pots.
• Plant one clove per cell, root end down, pointed end up.
• Cover the cloves with compost, working it around them and into the cells.
• Water heavily and let the trays sit for 24 hours before planting.

Transplanting

• Set the Paperpot Transplanter to its deepest setting and fold back the tamping wheels.
• Water the trays thoroughly before heading to the field.
• Plant five rows of garlic with the Paperpot Transplanter: 6″ between rows, 3″ from the outer rows to the bed edge.
• A quick pass with a flex tine weeder afterward smooths the bed and buries any exposed chain.
• Mulch with about 6″ of weed-free straw.
• New to the transplanter? See the how-to guide and videos.

Bed layout

Irrigation

• Water the bed in thoroughly with overhead irrigation or four lines of drip.
• Frequent, shallow waterings support steady bulb growth.
• Stop watering a few weeks before harvest to cut down on rot while curing.

Cultivation

• The straw mulch does most of the weed control. Expect to hand weed once or twice through the season.
• Use weed-free straw so you don’t seed the bed with weeds.

Harvest

• Cut scapes for extra income once they’re 6″ or longer with curled ends.
• Garlic is ready when 3-4 leaves have yellowed and dried. Harvest on a dry, sunny day.
• Trim the roots and cut the stems to about 2″.

Curing and packing

• Cure on tables at 80-85°F for 10-14 days with plenty of airflow. In a greenhouse, shade the garlic to prevent sunscald. Uncrowded harvest totes work too.
• It’s cured when the neck, stem center and outer skins are dry. Peel one outer layer for market.
• Store at 38-50°F and 65-70% humidity. Save about 13 lb per bed for next year’s seed.

Garlic in paper chain pots: FAQ

Other crops

basil · beets · bunching onions · cabbage · cilantro · dill · fennel · head lettuce · kohlrabi · leeks · Little Gem lettuce · mesclun mix lettuce · onions · snap peas · salad turnips · spinach · storage radishes · summer crisp lettuce. All crops in one table: the Paperpot growers notes.