Prepare the soil by making sure it's loose and soil amendments have been added per soil test recommendations.

Lay down your landscape fabric and burn holes in it for the garlic to grow in. (Optional)  If you’re not using landscape fabric, just mark out your rows using a stringline, and start planting.

Break garlic cloves away from the bulb, leaving their paper skin intact.  Plant garlic cloves 2 to 3 inches beneath the soil surface, making sure that the pointed end of the garlic clove is facing up.  You can cover it with a four to six inch layer of mulch like straw, grass clippings or leaves if you live in the far north.  This is optional, and I’ve had good results with and without mulch.  

Leave the garlic alone until it sprouts in the spring.

When the garlic has sprouted, and the temperatures get warmer in the spring give it about 1 inch of water per week.  If it’s really hot,it might need more, but be careful not to overwater your garden.  Cultivate or weed once a week, and the weeds will be easy to keep up with.  If using the fabric, I typically only have to weed them about twice during the season.

If you’re growing hard neck garlic, snap the garlic scapes off shortly after they form and when they are still tender.  This will encourage the garlic to put all their energy into bulb growth.  

For hard neck garlic, harvest by pulling it out of the ground after the bottom four to five leaves start to turn brown.

For soft neck garlic, harvest by pulling it out of the ground when the tops start to fall over and the bulbs are a decent size.

It is important to dry and cure your garlic so it will keep for a long time.  Lay it out in a well-ventilated spot out of direct sunlight and rain for a couple of weeks.  You can store them in mesh bags and hang them in your pantry, or you can braid them and hang them up.