Planting Garlic in Fall

Best planting times

Garlic is best planted in mid-October for a bountiful harvest next summer. Exact best days vary depending on if you are in Chicago city (in Zone 6a, plant Oct. 17 to 31) or suburbs (in Zone 5b, plant Oct. 13 to 21), Garlic sprouts in spring and is harvested in July. Don’t plant garlic after the first day of freezing temperatures around Oct 30th. Check latest weather predictions of first night time freeze. Garlic is relatively care-free when given a well-drained site, our compost as your soil, with full sun, good air circulation and worm castings as fertilizer.

Grow Hardneck garlic in Zones 5 and 6

Hardneck garlic is the preferred choice for Chicago area climates because it needs a significant cold period to mature. Plant in late fall (October/November) to ensure it gets the necessary weeks of cold exposure. It produces a stiff central stalk and has a more robust flavor, with large, easy-to-peel cloves. 

Softneck garlic can grow in Zones 5 and 6, but may struggle. Most Softneck varieties are more suited to warmer climates (Zones 8-12), but you can find some softneck varieties that are suitable for colder temperatures and can be grown in Zone 5 and 6 - for example: Inchelium Red, Nootka Rose, and Pioneer. Be sure to plant them 4-6 weeks before the first frost.

Best cloves to plant: It’s worth the extra dollars sowing the biggest and healthiest organic garlic and shallot bulbs you can find. You’ll reap that much more when you harvest. There is a direct relationship between the size of bulbs and cloves you plant the size of the bulbs and cloves you’ll harvest.

Buy garlic to plant from farmers markets: Locally grown garlic is the best. We get our planting cloves from our current year’s crop or from a farmers market - using only the largest bulbs and large cloves. Last day for Oak Park Farmers Market is Oct. 25 in 2025.

There are many varieties of garlic. A few good varieties are Carpathian, Inchelium Red, Idaho Silverskin and Persian Star, and the best sources of planting stock are mail-order and internet specialty seed companies and diverse garden centers.

Growing Tips

Soil: Best to use our 100% microbe-rich compost as your soil. Every fall enrich the soil with 2 inches of our microbe-rich compost. Don’t work it into the existing soil. Tilling and digging your soil for any reason other than planting seeds and seedlings damages microbial structures and the  health of your soil. Add a half cup of worm castings as a fertilizer in each planting hole.

Planting: Best to plant large garlic cloves about 5-8 inches apart, root side down and pointy end up. You can plant a single row or several rows with four to eight inches between plants, planting at least 3 inches below the surface. Mulch with a good four inches of straw or shredded leaves. If you're not planning to mulch, sow at least five inches deep.

Care: In spring and early summer weeds can be invasive and should be controlled. Mulch the soil with straw or other organic materials soon after planting. This will also help to alleviate winter soil frost heaving that can damage new roots. Remove the straw once top growth is evident in the spring, or excess moisture may rot bulbs.

Remove any flower stalks (scapes) that emerge, as they can divert energy away from the bulbs. If allowed to mature to seed, they can reduce bulb size. Young garlic scapes are considered a garden delicacy and can be chopped into fresh salads.

Watering: Garlic needs consistent moisture to develop strong bulbs, especially during dry spells. Water deeply when the soil begins to dry out, but avoid keeping the soil soggy, as excessive moisture can cause rot. Fertilize with worm castings in early spring to boost nutrient availability. Once the bulbs begin to mature in early summer and the lower leaves start to yellow, stop watering completely to help the bulbs cure and prevent splitting.

Harvest: Harvest garlic before the tops completely die down, preferably with 4 to 6 green leaves still attached. Dig up the bulbs carefully, being careful not to damage them.

Storage: Remove excess soil, but do not wash, and lay whole plants on screens or hang in small bunches to dry. Allow it to cure completely in a warm, well-ventilated room, but not in direct sunlight. Watch for rotting bulbs, remove these and increase air circulation if needed using a box fan.

Curing will take about 4 to 6 weeks. After that, roots and tops can be trimmed, and outer dirty skins can be removed. Store cured garlic in a cool dry place. Remember all garlic varieties taste the same at harvest time, but after curing and a few weeks of storage time, individual variety flavors will come out.

Join the Deep Roots movement

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Stay in the loop: Signup for our email newsletter. If you also provide your phone number you will get text message updates that link to our best blog posts.

Get involved: Attend a free workshop, become a volunteer, grab a raised bed, or simply follow along for expert tips. Contact our support team any time you have a question at 708-655-5299 and support@deep-roots-project.org.

Learn. Share. Grow. Volunteer: We invite you to be a part of our sustainable movement right here in our own backyards! We want all our volunteers to have fun and learn while they contribute to expanding the Deep Roots community. We can customize a volunteer assignment to your time, interests and skills. Learn more on our Volunteer page

Dive Deeper

Click on the Blog Posts below for more about our Innovative methods.

Beautify Your Garden with Our Cedar Raised Beds!

 Our Deep Roots handcrafted cedar raised beds are designed to endure outdoors while adding a touch of style to your yard. As a bonus, they are the perfect depth to hold just the right amount of our nutrient-rich compost growing medium, which comes free with each bed.

Deep Roots Supports Gardeners

We provide our gardeners with the best products for success – like cedar raised beds, microbe-rich compost and microbe-rich worm castings.

Call our customer support team with any questions or help with calculations. Then place your order online. If you need help or have a question contact us at support[at]deep-roots-project.org and 708-655-5299.

See our online store for details about prices, ordering and delivery of raised beds, planter boxes, microbe-rich compost, worm castings, leaf mulch and more. We don’t sell traditional soil, since we use 100% compost as our growing medium. Our online store has 2 sections

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Plant Spinach Seeds in Fall

Plant seeds Nov. 15 to 30 for spring germination

Get a larger crop with much less work if you plant the seeds in November for germination in the spring. Early November is unpredictably warm. Better to plant in late November when temperatures are reliably colder. Spinach seeds like the cold and snow. You can also plant more seeds in late February/early March.

It’s important to remember that Mother Nature does not have formulas that work every time because the temperature and climatic conditions change from year to year. Gardening teaches you patience, flexibility and adaptability.

STEP-BY-STEP growing your spinach:

1. Spread 2 inches of our microbe-rich compost before planting your seeds. If your bed is mostly traditional soil spread 3 or 4 inches of our compost.

2. Our favorite variety is Bloomberg spinach. Store your extra seeds for next year in an airtight plastic bag in the refrigerator with moisture absorbing pouches.

3. We suggest planting seeds in rows or small clusters. Add worm castings in the seed holes or seed furrows.

4. Sow seeds one at a time, ½-inch to 1-inch deep and 5 inches apart.

5. When you have finished planting your row of seeds, lightly sprinkle some compost over them so that the birds don’t eat them.

6. No watering needed. Spring rains provide the water to make them happy.

7. In spring harvest before the warm weather starts to avoid leaves “bolting” and turning bitter. Bolted leaves have pointy tips. Start by harvesting the biggest leaves one at a time,

Benefits of Eating Spinach

Cooking spinach drastically reduces oxalic acid. Since raw spinach contains more oxalic acid than other leafy greens, eat spinach both cooked and raw. Too much oxalic acid causes kidney stones in some people. Learn more about its nutrients and the best way to cook spinach.

Rich in Nutrients: Spinach is a powerhouse of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, magnesium, and iron. Spinach is loaded with antioxidants like quercetin, which can combat oxidative stress and reduce inflammation in the body.

Eye Health: Spinach contains lutein and zeaxanthin, two carotenoids known to promote eye health and reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration.

Heart Health: The potassium and magnesium in spinach can help regulate blood pressure levels, thus promoting heart health.

Bone Health: The vitamin K in spinach plays an essential role in bone health by helping in calcium regulation and bone mineralization.

Cancer Prevention: Spinach contains compounds like chlorophyll and other antioxidants which have been studied for their potential cancer-preventative properties.

Improved Digestion: Spinach has high fiber content which can aid in digestion and promote a healthy gut.

Blood Building: Iron content in spinach can assist in red blood cell formation and combat iron-deficiency anemia.

Skin and Hair Health: Vitamins A and C in spinach promote healthy skin and hair. Vitamin A is necessary for sebum production, which keeps hair moisturized.

Red Malabar - A Heat Loving Spinach Alternative

Red Malabar is a spinach alternative that is pest-resistant, heat loving, and can grow all summer long. See our blog post for more details: Red Malabar Spinach.

Since Red Malabar is a heat loving plant and not a true spinach, it is not suitable for the fall seed spreading technique described in this blog post. Red Malabar seeds should be directly sown, or seedlings planted only after the last frost has passed in the spring. 

“Grow Your Own Food” blog posts

See the full list of our Grow Your Own Food blog posts. Each post is assigned ”tags” which are under the post title. If you need a quick answer to a gardening question give us a call or send a text to our customer support team – support[at]deep-roots-project.org AND 708-655-5299.

Deep Roots online store

See our online store for details about prices, ordering and delivery of raised beds, planter boxes, microbe-rich compost, worm castings, leaf mulch and more. We don’t sell traditional soil, since we use 100% compost as our growing medium. Our online store has 2 sections – (1) raised beds and planter boxes and (2) compost, worm castings, fertilizer.

Please contact our customer support team before placing an order online so we can assist you with the details and answer your gardening questions. You can pay by credit card in the store or by check.

(708) 655-5299 and support[at]deep-roots-project.org

Please leave your cell phone number when you sign up for our eNewsletter, if you want text message announcements now and then.

Donations help us provide organic kitchen gardening education to individuals, organizations, and entire communities. Thank you in advance for contributing to our community and for sharing our website and blog with friends and family.

Growing squash in a suburban garden

Growing squash in a suburban garden in zone 6a can be highly rewarding with the right approach. Here are some tips to help you succeed, along with information on pollination and improving it.

Tips for Growing Squash in Zone 6a

1. Choose the Right Varieties: Select varieties of squash that are well-suited to your growing season and climate. Both summer squash (like zucchini) and winter squash (like butternut) can thrive in zone 6a.

2. Planting Time: Plant squash seeds or seedlings after the last frost date for your area. In zone 6a, this is typically around mid-May. Squash seeds can be started indoors about 3-4 weeks before transplanting.

3. Soil Preparation: Squash prefers well-drained, nutrient-rich soil. Amend your soil with plenty of compost to ensure it is fertile and retains moisture well.

4. Spacing: Squash plants need plenty of space to grow. Space them about 3-4 feet apart to allow for proper air circulation and growth.

5. Watering: Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Squash plants need about 1-2 inches of water per week. Water at the base of the plants to avoid wetting the leaves, which can lead to disease.

6. Mulching: Use mulch around the base of the plants to help retain moisture, suppress weeds, and keep the soil temperature consistent.
   Support: For vining varieties, consider using a trellis to save space and improve air circulation around the plants.

7. Storing: Winter squash is best stored at temperatures between 50°F to 55°F (10°C to 13°C). This range helps preserve the squash for several months, allowing it to stay firm and flavorful. Store the squash in a cool, dry place with good ventilation, such as a basement, cellar, or pantry, where humidity levels are relatively low to avoid rot. Make sure to keep the squash off the cold floor and avoid storing it in the fridge, as temperatures below 50°F can lead to faster spoilage.

Squash Pollination

Squash plants produce both male and female flowers. Male flowers typically appear first, followed by female flowers, which have a small swelling at the base that will develop into the fruit once pollinated.

How to Improve Pollination

1. Attract Pollinators: Squash is primarily pollinated by bees. To attract more bees to your garden, plant flowers that bloom throughout the growing season. Native wildflowers, marigolds, and sunflowers are great choices.

2. Hand Pollination: If natural pollination is inadequate, you can hand-pollinate. Use a small paintbrush or simply pick a male flower and gently transfer pollen to the stigma of the female flower. This is best done in the morning when flowers are fully open.

3. Avoid Pesticides: Minimize or avoid using pesticides, especially during the flowering period, as these can harm pollinators.

4. Companion Planting: Planting herbs like basil, mint, or flowers like marigolds and nasturtiums near your squash can help attract pollinators and beneficial insects.

5. Provide Water Sources: Pollinators need water. Provide a shallow water source in your garden, such as a shallow dish with stones for the bees to land on.

By following these tips and ensuring good pollination practices, you can enjoy a bountiful squash harvest in your suburban garden.

“Grow Your Own Food” blog posts

See the full list of our Grow Your Own Food blog posts. Each post is assigned ”tags” which are under the post title. If you need a quick answer to a gardening question give us a call or send a text to our customer support team – support[at]deep-roots-project.org AND 708-655-5299.

Deep Roots online store

See our online store for details about prices, ordering and delivery of raised beds, planter boxes, microbe-rich compost, worm castings, leaf mulch and more. We don’t sell traditional soil, since we use 100% compost as our growing medium. Our online store has 2 sections – (1) raised beds and planter boxes and (2) compost, worm castings, fertilizer.

Please contact our customer support team before placing an order online so we can assist you with the details and answer your gardening questions. You can pay by credit card in the store or by check.

(708) 655-5299 and support[at]deep-roots-project.org

Please leave your cell phone number when you sign up for our eNewsletter, if you want text message announcements now and then.

Donations help us provide organic kitchen gardening education to individuals, organizations, and entire communities. Thank you in advance for contributing to our community and for sharing our website and blog with friends and family.

Community Building - planning your plant community wisely

“Community Building”

We are not talking about a community of people - but of plants. Deep Roots Project (DRP) likes to use this term when making reference to the types of plants that you decide to grow together. Most garden organizations refer to this as companion planting - but our crop advisor and horticulturist team member shared her wonderful vision of a plant community - each contributing something different and unique, just like people!

Have Fun & Be Creative

When we tell our new kitchen gardeners that they really don’t have to grow in rows - it’s an “aha moment”. But it is true - you can plant in any pattern that you want - as long as you give some though as to the plant community you will be building - and which might be friends or foes. Besides allowing you to be innovative and artistic, growing in a less-restrictive way offers some benefits.

Helpful Tips

When you decide which plants to grow together in your raised bed - you need to take into consideration which plants, such as legumes, can contribute to puttinng key nutrients into the soil (nutrient enrichment) and which plants can act as an insulator and give additional protection to the soil from the sun, beyond what any mulch you are using might provide (canopy enhancement). The most common crops used for this reason are nasturtium (flowers), and herbs like thyme and oregano.

Other considerations when choosing which plant to add to your raised bed:

• Amount of sunlight or shade

• Growing period (time to maturity)

• Encouragement of predatory/beneficial insects

  NOTE: if you are transplanting your seedlings on very hot days - be sure to wait until 1 hour before sunset - so the sun will not be too extreme. Your seedlings need a restful and cool night in their new home - and be sure to water in the morning on their first day in the raised bed. On hot days - always water at least twice. Some of our blog readers mentioned a broken link for our new, updated watering post - please view it here.

Tall & Short of It

When you have harvested all of one crop and you want to plant another one in its place - think about how much shade is in the area where you are planting. If you are planting near tomato plants that will become very tall - plant seedlings that can grow well in partial shade like lettuce, basil or beets next to them - they can grow in shadier areas .

Some extra tips (tomato-friendly plants).

• Plants that need more sun should be further from the tomatoes.

• These sun-lovers should not be north of the tomatoes since the sun comes from the south, east and west.

• Lettuce, carrots and beets and most short veggies need more sun than herbs.

• Some herbs can be near the tomato and like more shade. Basil likes more sun than other herbs.

BEETS- A DRP FAVORITE: Many of our kitchen gardeners have discovered the delicious greens made from the leaves of this colorful, versatile plant. The greens and the stems offer a welocome substitute for spinach, swiss chard and other leafy greens. So when you are cleaning the beets - remember that the beet greens are not only delicious, but full of vitamins - so don’t toss them! MORE.

Friendly Neighbors

Some flowers like marigolds and nasturtiums discourage preditory insects and certain native plants that grow in your area might encourage beneficial insects - we will have an entire webinar discussing this topic.

Great Gap Fillers

As you start eating more of your harvest and find empty spaces in your raised bed - - consider filling the gaps with herbs like basil, dill, and green onions. Pay attention to the sun exposure for each herb . You will never tire of them and learning new recipes where you can experiment with spices is exciting when they are fresh from your garden and not from the store!

New Service

Get your lists of questions ready…

We are very excited to be able to offer customers personalized garden mentoring with our new team member and Kitchen Gardening Guru, Rafa Crevosay, Horticulturist and Certified Crop Adviser. We will send details about our Soil Health/Garden Coaching services soon. If you’d like details ASAP, write lesley[at]deep-roots-project.org an please put “coaching” in the subject line.

During the pandemic, we will continue to offer door-to-door delivery of our Store products - but no pick-up.

New Text Messaging Service

To SUBSCRIBE for text messages announcing recent blog posts, gardening tips and special offers please send a message to this new number: 708-655-5299.

You can UNSUBSCRIBE at any time by sending “unsubscribe” to the same number.

NOTE: sometimes there is a delay in the UNSUBSCRIBE process. We try to do our best, but if you continue to get text messages after you have asked us to unsubscribe you, please send an email to Customer Support at the email address listed below.

Questions? Comments? Suggestions?

Please write our new Garden Support Manager at: rosita.deep.roots[at]gmail.com

Donations help us provide organic kitchen gardening education to individuals, organizations, and entire communities. Thank you in advance for contributing to our community and for sharing our website and blog (DRP News) with friends and family.

Deep Roots connects you to the earth and connects us to each other.

Special TIP for cabbage family crops.

Before you read this blog post - please click on the button below to see why our DRP CORE METHOD is so innovative.

Chicago-area kitchen gardeners have learned the hard way - it’s essential to cover cabbage family crops all season from cabbage worms and cabbage moths with floating row cover. Estelle has become an expert cabbage pest warrior with her use of “floating row cover” which she can explain more about, should you decide to buy these plants. READ MORE.

WARNING Broccoli Lovers!

Many food growers try to fit broccoli into their planting schedule because it is incredibly healthy. It is a good source of Vitamin A, potassium, folic acid, iron, and fiber. BUT – if you live in the Chicago area – think twice. You might have some major challenges. We want to at least give you proper warning – and then, you decide if you’re a risk taker!
Broccoli is attacked by multiple pests and diseases in our area. Many local home gardeners have given up growing broccoli and focus instead on other greens like kale, Swiss chard, Chinese cabbage, Chinese broccoli and Bok Choy. See a visual guide to 10 varieties of Asian greens at https://www.thekitchn.com/a-visual-guide-to-10-varieties-of-asian-greens-98840 Article “What is Chinese cabbage?” is at https://www.thespruceeats.com/chinese-cabbage-info-694681

Prevent clubroot: Broccoli is prone to a root fungus called clubroot that can be prevented by careful planting and planning.

WARNING: clubroot fungus is extremely contagious and can be spread to other plants with hands, tools, and anything that comes into contact with it. Also, it can come with seedlings that you purchase from garden centers - and once you have it in your raised bed, there is no way to get rid of it. Don’t worry about it attacking other plants in your bed - they are safe, So, beware of these risks and consider if it might be worth it to consider an alternative veggie.

Chicago-area customers can always call/text our team for cabbage family garden coaching (708-655-5299).

To UNSUBSCRIBE text messages: Please send our team (708-655-5299) a text message if you DO NOT wish to receive the telephone text messages that we now send to announce special offers and new blog posts that we don’t want you to miss.

Broccoli Growing Tips

Before you read this blog post - please click on the button below to see why our DRP CORE METHOD is so innovative.

Broccoli is a cool-season crop that loves the sun! It is best grown in the spring or fall and food growers try to fit it into their planting schedule because it is:

• Incredibly healthy

• A good source of Vitamin A, potassium, folic acid, iron, and fiber.

Once you harvest the main head of a broccoli plant, it will often keep producing smaller side shoots. Summer heat can cause bolting, so grow in spring and fall.

Broccoli is attacked by multiple pests and diseases in the Chicago area. Many local home gardeners in or around Chicago have given up growing broccoli and focus instead on other greens like kale, Swiss chard, Chinese cabbage, Chinese broccoli and Bok Choy. See a visual guide to 10 varieties of Asian greens at https://www.thekitchn.com/a-visual-guide-to-10-varieties-of-asian-greens-98840  Article “What is Chinese cabbage?” is at https://www.thespruceeats.com/chinese-cabbage-info-694681

Prevent clubroot: Broccoli is prone to a root fungus called clubroot that can be prevented by careful planting and planning.

WARNING: clubroot fungus is extremely contagious and can be spread to other plants with hands, tools, and anything that comes into contact with it. Also, it can come with seedlings that you purchase from garden centers - and once you have it in your raised bed, there is no way to get rid of it. Don’t worry about it attacking other plants in your bed - they are safe, So, beware of these risks and consider if it might be worth it to consider an alternative veggie.

Plant in a space that was not previously used for a cabbage family crop. The fungus stays in the soil over the winter.

Sterilize the soil to kill the clubroot fungus if your broccoli planting area is small and you don’t have other spaces you can use instead. Heating the soil to 200º should work.

New Service

Get your lists of questions ready…

We are very excited to be able to offer customers personalized garden mentoring with our new team member and Kitchen Gardening Guru, Raffa Crevosay, Horticulturist and Certified Crop Adviser. We will send details about our Soil Health/Garden Coaching services soon. If you’d like details ASAP, write lesley[at]deep-roots-project.org an please put “coaching” in the subject line.

To UNSUBSCRIBE text messages: Please send Estelle (708.616.6473) a text message if you DO NOT wish to receive the telephone text messages that we now send to announce special offers and new blog posts that we don’t want you to miss.

During the pandemic, we will continue to offer door-to-door delivery of our Store products - but no pick-up.

Questions?

Contact our team at 708-655-5299 and support[at]deep-roots-project.org.

Your purchases help us provide organic kitchen gardening education to individuals, organizations, and entire communities. Thank you in advance for sharing our website and blog (DRP News) with friends and family.

Happy Worm Day – oops – EARTH DAY!

Mother Earth’s Best Friends

If they could tell us, earthworms would want a day dedicated entirely to them. They really do kind of deserve one –  but to us Earth Day and Worm Day are practically the same thing! Which is why we created this banner (be sure to check our store soon for our popular (sold out) Worm Friend posters).

Worms and Soil Health. Our Health. Planet Health.

We know the link between the future of the Earth and earthworms is not obvious to everyone – but we want a new generation of organic kitchen gardeners to “get it”. We want growers of food to understand the interconnectedness of Soil Health. Our Health. Planet Health.

On this Earth Day and every April 22 each year – we want growers of food (urban and rural) to ask themselves this question:

Would there be a future for Mother Earth without earthworms?

Mother Earth’s future is linked to choices that individual “growers” will make about the way they prepare (and respect) their soil. From farmers tending to large industrial agribusinesses to individual rural or urban kitchen gardeners – if they practice what Raffa Crevoshay, our DRP soil guru, calls transformative agriculture – the planet will have a chance.

If we can encourage eaters who care to grow some of their own food and follow natural processes that use earthworms to replenish the earth with a diversity of microflora – there is hope for Mother Earth. And for the future of Humankind.

On April 22 each year – Deep Roots Project will create stimulating and fascinating educational materials that will help DRP organic kitchen gardeners, students in elementary school, high school and universities and restaurant chefs, ordinary organic kitchen gardeners – and ordinary citizens too -  to admire worms’ contribution to soil health – and Mother Earth’s future and to our future!

Let’s make every Earth Day – Worm Day too!

Read more the Holy Grail of organic farming.