Garlic

Overview:

Garlic has been cultivated, at least, since Egyptian times, and is well known around the world. It has been grown for centuries in China, India and throughout East Europe in cuisine. It is said that if you smell garlic when at a restaurant, it is sure the food will be good.

The Egyptians placed it in the tombs as part of the burial ritual, and fed it to slaves to keep away infections. It has been well known in history for its medicinal qualities and is still used to fight off colds. In modern studies, many great qualities have been found in garlic, including antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal activity.

Garlic is in the same family as onions, tulips, and daffodils. They originated in same area, most likely in the northern parts of the Middle East along the Silk Road. There are 3 main types of garlic; hard-necked, soft-necked, and elephant however, the varieties known as elephant are not true garlic.

Garlic is relatively easy to grow and produces its own starts for the next year's crop. It seems like an easy option to include in any home garden.

Planting and Growing:

Garlic is easy to grow in temperamental, poor soils, but to get the best harvest; the soil should be amended each year. Add 1 inch (2.5 cm) of organic compost and turn it into the top 4 inches (10 cm) of your soil before fall plantings. Plant garlic in the fall at the same time you would plant tulips, or about 2 to 4 weeks before the last frost. In warmer regions garlic can be planted in early winter.

There are many gourmet varieties of garlic with different levels of heat and sweetness. Before purchasing garlic starts, be sure to do a little research. The first year garlic is planted in the garden, gourmet cloves will need to be purchased; however, If you like the taste and want to plant the same variety again, simply set the biggest and best cloves aside at harvest for planting in the fall.

Garlic is such an amazing and adaptable plant. As you keep planting your garlic year after year, it will adapt to the conditions in your garden and its natural flavors will become richer. By planting the larger, healthier cloves, the garlic cloves will be larger the next year.

After planting, add a nice layer of mulch to encourage worm activity and keep the soil warm. Add the mulch before the soil freezes. Garlic does not need to be watered during the winter or spring, unless the ground becomes very dry. They will begin to appear in the spring at about the same time as the daffodils. At this time, remove the fall mulch and add 1 inch (2.5 cm) of compost. Keep the area weed free, but make sure not to disturb the shallow, root system.

Harvesting and Preserving:

Garlic is ready to harvest when the bottom three leaves turn yellow and the plant is starting to fall over. Carefully loosen the soil around the bulb and carefully pull it out. Brush as much of the dirt off as you can with your hand and set out in the sun for a few weeks, until the outer layer is dry and the necks are tight. Make sure to place the garlic in a spot that has good air circulation.

Good curing will ensure longer storage. Once the garlic is dry, find a cool dry place to store them until it is ready for use. Garlic will store for 4 to 6 months; however, some varieties will store longer.

A fun way to store onions and garlic is to braid the stems. Cure for a few days and then braid the stems. Garlic braids can be as long as you want. Once they are braided, set out for a few more days to finish drying.