Growing Great Garlic (cont) By: Robert Kourik Garlic Growing
Know-How There are three problems when growing garlic: drainage,
gophers, and onion root maggots. Though the plants love regular
irrigation, they don't like heavy or waterlogged soil. In
Aaron's experience, the roots need 16 to 24 inches of well-
drained soil. After rain or irrigation, if water is visible when
you stick your finger in the soil, the soil is too wet, and the
garlic will rot. Aaron's farm has few drainage problems, but his
land, like most gardens in his area, teems with ravenous gophers
who seem to crave garlic as avidly as any gourmand. Onion root
maggots can also be a problem. These maggots of tiny flies lay
eggs in soil around developing cloves. The maggots then find the
garlic and tunnel inside, spoiling it. Onion maggots thrive in
alkaline soil. Aaron's solution to all three problems is to grow
garlic in raised beds. He built 60 raised beds, each one about 4
feet wide and 10 feet long and spacious enough for 130 to 180
garlic plant