Question 1

When is the best time to purchase seed garlic?

Accepted Answer

If you're looking for high quality seed garlic online, you know that many varieties sell out early.
Our seed garlic pre-orders open up April 1st, and many varieties will sell out before shipping season.  To be sure you have the best selection, we recommend ordering your seed before August.

Question 2

Can I grow hard neck garlic in the Southern states?

Accepted Answer

Growers in warm areas, without prolonged cold temperatures during the winter, will need to vernalize their garlic before planting.  Place it in a paper bag, into the fridge away from other fruits and veggies.  Give 6-12 weeks of cold temperatures before planting.

Question 3

Is your garlic Certified Organic?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we are continuing with our Organic Certification.  We did have a brief period in early 2026 when a nasty bout of paperwork induced hysteria had us tempted to leave the Organic Program and maybe become mountain valley hermits.  Cooler heads prevailed; we're still a Certified Organic farm.  Phew!! That was close lol

Question 4

When can I expect my garlic to ship?

Accepted Answer

Garlic orders start shipping in September for our Alaska customers who need to plant early. For everyone else, shipping begins in October. Orders are fulfilled in the order they’re received, so order early to get the biggest bulbs!

Question 5

How much garlic should I plant?

Accepted Answer

For every pound of garlic you plant in the fall, expect to harvest 4–7 pounds the next summer. Each clove grows into one bulb, so plan your space accordingly. Leave at least 6 inches between bulbs and 10–12 inches between rows. Bigger cloves usually yield bigger bulbs, so order early to get the best selection.

Question 6

What is your return policy?

Accepted Answer

We strive to send you the best product available but if you are unhappy with your garlic, please reach out within 2 weeks of receiving your order to let us know of your problem.

Question 7

What’s the best time to plant garlic?

Accepted Answer

Plant garlic 3–4 weeks after your first frost or anytime before the ground freezes. In colder climates like zone 5b, consider adding a heavy mulch for protection. Good mulch options include grass clippings, dried leaves, weed-free straw, or alfalfa. Alternatively, you can skip mulch and plant your garlic deeper (3–4 inches).

Question 8

Do you soak your garlic with anything before planting to help prevent and/or control mite damage or white rot or anything else that would destroy a garlic crop?

Accepted Answer

We've tried a lot of different things over the years, but we've settled on this routine for quite a few years now.  If this all seems like a lot to you, skip down to the last paragraph.

- There are no soaks that can help with white rot.  Start with clean seed and rotate your garlic regularly around your garden.

- Mites are the biggest pest we deal with, so we do a pre-planting soak of castile soap and Cinnerate (an organic cinnamon oil based miticide). There are a lot of misinformed suggestions online but soap (actual soap, not surfactant) is one of the only reliable methods to kill mites. It works by disrupting their cell membranes and dissolving their outer wax layer leading to water loss and death. The cinnerate (or other oil based insecticide) works by smothering them in oil leading to suffocation. Bleach or vodka will not kill mites. The hot water treatment can be effective, but it has to be done in a very precise manner or it's either ineffective if too cold or you risk cooking your garlic if too hot. The difference is only a few degrees.

-We also do a pre-planting soak in Oxidate 2.0. This is to kill off any bacteria or fungus that may on the surface of the clove. Alcohol (rubbing or drinking) can be used but it must be 65-75% in order to be effective. Anything else risks spreading problems from 1 variety to another. Typical vodka is only 40% and cannot be an effective sanitizer.

-Lastly, we soak in T-22 and micronized Mycorrhizal fungi to inoculate our garlic with lots of good stuff after the first two soaks. It's like taking a pro-biotic after taking an anti-biotic.

There is a LOT of poor information out there that is not based in research. I think you're better off doing nothing other than watering at planting time, than some of the routines I see promoted.  Make sure you're purchasing clean, healthy seed and rotating your garlic into a new place as often as possible.

Question 9

What are the benefits to using Certified Organic seed garlic?

Accepted Answer

Our organic seed garlic has been grown for many generations under organic growing conditions.  Each year, the best of the crop is saved and replanted; this results in genetics that are healthier, have stronger natural disease resistance, and have better tolerance to the environmental extremes we experience here in Northeast Washington.

Choosing our Certified Organic seed garlic support a small family farm that is passionate about growing really great garlic and supporting others in their organic gardening journey.

Question 10

Best fertilizers/soil amendments and how often?

Accepted Answer

We are a certified organic farm, focusing on regenerative agriculture. Our first line of fertility is to grow successive cover crops to build our soil and increase its nutrient value. We then use composted chicken and cow manure as a top dressing right before planting in the Fall. We will often spray liquid fish and/or worm tea in the Spring to promote biological activity.

I recommend getting a soil test and following their recommendations. We like Western Labs for testing, but your local university extension is a great resource too.

Question 11

How should I care for my garlic for success?

Accepted Answer

For more information on growing great garlic, check out our Growing Information page at:  www.mountainvalleygarlic.com/growing-information

Question 12

How do I know when my garlic is ready to harvest?

Accepted Answer

To know when your garlic is ready to harvest, check the leaves. Once about 60% of the leaves have turned brown, it's time to harvest. For example, if your plant has 10 leaves, harvest when 6 have browned. Avoid leaving garlic in the ground too long, as the bulb wrappers may split, reducing storage life. If rain is forecasted or you're planning to be away, harvest early if the garlic is nearly ready. Timing is key to maximizing bulb size and quality.

Question 13

What does it mean to "cure" my garlic harvest?"

Accepted Answer

After you harvest your garlic there is another important step before your garlic is ready for storage.  You must first allow it to cure, out of direct sunlight in a place with lots of air flow such as an air porch, a cool garage, or an open barn or shed with a fan to encourage air flow.  Keep garlic out of direct sunlight.  This curing process generally takes 2-4 weeks depending on temperature and humidity levels. 
 
When the garlic has fully cured, the top and roots should be trimmed, and the dirty outer layers of bulb wrappers should be gently rubbed off.

Question 14

How many seed potatoes in each pound?

Accepted Answer

Generally you will get 4-6 potatoes per pound.  Some varieties may have 2-3 larger potatoes which can be cut into smaller pieces with 2 eyes (sprouts) per piece.  Fingerlings often have more than 4-6 pieces.  1 pound of seed potato should plant about 8-10 feet with pieces 12-24" apart (further spacing results in larger potatoes).

Question 15

What certifications do your seed potatoes have?

Accepted Answer

Our seed potatoes are Certified Seed, meaning they’ve been inspected by a third party to ensure they’re disease-free and high-quality for planting. While not Certified Organic, they are grown using regenerative and organic practices, including soil building, natural fertility from cover crops, and mechanical weeding instead of herbicides.

Question 16

When will my seed potato order ship?

Accepted Answer

Seed potato orders will begin shipping around April 10th and continue until we run out. We cannot accommodate requests to ship potatoes early. Late March and early April are often still quite cold here, and we cannot risk seed potatoes freezing during shipping.

Question 17

What's a garlic scape?

Accepted Answer

A garlic scape is the immature flower stalk of the garlic plant. It looks like a long birds beak on the end of a curly asparagus spear. It will emerge from the top of the plant, after the plant has produce all of it's leaves. 1 scape per plant.  Remove the scape from the plant to direct more energy into the bulb.  Scapes make a delicious pesto, pickle, or stir fry.  Enjoy them any way you would enjoy a green bean or asparagus.

Question 18

How much garlic do we grow and how much garden space does it take?

Accepted Answer

We plant about 35,000 bulbs. This equates to 4-5000 pounds of garlic, depending on the year. We grow this on about 3/4 of an acre, maybe a smidge more, but this is part of a larger rotation where we spend 2-3 years growing cover crops and building our soil before we plant garlic and then 1-2 years of other vegetable and herb crops grown after the garlic.

Question 19

Do you offer farm tours?

Accepted Answer

We don't offer farm tours, but we strive to bring the farm experience to you through our Facebook page and blog posts.

Seed Garlic Pre-Orders Open Now
Orders Ship in October