How We Plant Garlic in Ontario
How We Plant Garlic at Shnab’s Inc.
Growing quality Ontario garlic begins long before the first green shoots appear. At Shnab’s Inc., we use a carefully planned process to prepare, plant, and nourish our Music hardneck garlic on a commercial scale. The following describes how we planted and cared for our Ontario garlic crop, which typically covers between 70 and 90 acres.
Separating and Preparing the Cloves
We begin separating the garlic bulbs into individual cloves in early September. Healthy cloves are selected for planting and treated with an approved agricultural crop-protection mixture according to the current product label. After treatment, the cloves are allowed to dry before they are planted.
Preparing the Soil
Good soil preparation gives garlic roots room to develop. Before planting, we work the field so that approximately five inches of soil is loose. This creates a suitable planting bed while helping the cloves establish roots before winter.
Planting Time, Depth, and Spacing
We prefer to plant our garlic in September. Each clove is planted approximately three to four inches deep and spaced five to six inches from the next clove. Our rows are spaced 20 inches apart. This spacing provides each plant with room to grow and form a healthy bulb while still allowing us to manage the crop efficiently.
- Planting depth: 3–4 inches
- Clove spacing: 5–6 inches
- Row spacing: 20 inches
- Preferred planting period: September
Our Custom Nine-Row Garlic Planter
To plant efficiently on a commercial scale, we modified a corn planter and converted it into a custom nine-row garlic planter. The machine plants nine rows at once, helping us cover many acres during the fall planting season.
Because our garlic is mechanically planted, we do not position every clove by hand with the pointed end facing upward. The planter drops the cloves into the soil in different orientations. The garlic will still grow, although a clove planted with its pointed end up will generally produce a straighter stem.
Winter and Spring Growth
After planting, the cloves begin establishing roots before the ground freezes. The plants remain protected in the soil through the Ontario winter and resume active growth when temperatures rise in spring.
Spring Fertilization
Spring is an important period for leaf growth and bulb development. As a fertilizer-rate reference, our 2026 records for 70 acres show blended fertilizer applied in two stages: the first spring application was made on April 21, followed by the second on May 21.
Our records show 3.99 tonnes for the April application and a combined 13.395 tonnes for the May application. Altogether, 17.385 tonnes of blended fertilizer—approximately 548 pounds per acre—supported the crop during its active spring growing period. The fertilizer blends are selected to help the plants develop strong leaves, healthy roots, and well-formed bulbs.
From Our Farm to Your Garden
Our commercial equipment allows us to plant large fields efficiently, but home gardeners can follow the same basic principles: use healthy seed garlic, prepare loose and well-drained soil, plant at the proper depth, and provide enough space between cloves. Gardeners planting by hand should place the flat root end down and the pointed end up to encourage a straighter stem.
Ready to grow Ontario Music garlic? Explore our seed garlic and choose the bulb size that fits your planting project.