Growing Garlic

It’s hard to believe that there are now hundreds of sub varieties and garlic is today a staple ingredient in many kitchens and shopping baskets. Growing Garlic at home means you can have it when you like.

Garlic is a member of the Allium family. There are over 1000 members of the Allium family but edible members include leeks, onions, shallots and chives. The distinguishing characteristic of alliums is their bulbous shape, where the bulb grows underground and the long tall green leaves. There are hundreds of other alliums, found mostly in the northern hemisphere.

Growing garlic at home is easy, but it does need a deep and fertile soil that must be well drained. It likes the soils to have a ph of 6-7 and needs to be kept clear of weeds. Dig in some well rotted horse manure or garden compost to increase the nutrition and fibre content. The bulbs grow underground just like onions with the green sprouts above the ground. Each clove of the garlic can be planted to produce a new bulb of garlic.

When you plant your garlic cloves, they need to go where there’s plenty of sun, and the ground is not too wet. The individual cloves should be placed so they stand upright, pointy end skywards and planted so that they are about an inch below the surface when covered. They will grow if you plant them upside down, but the leaves will have to grow round and the then upwards and you’ll be left with a funny shaped bulb. They should be planted about 4 inches apart.

One good thing about growing garlic is there is some flexibility as to when you need to plant it. It can be planted in the spring. The cloves will need chilling before planting to break them out of their dormancy, and poor weather conditions usually mean that the resulting bulbs will be smaller.

In warmer areas it can do very well and be planted late February or March. This also helps to avoid the worst of the winter weather.

In colder areas, it’s more common to plant the garlic cloves towards the end of the year. This is usually between mid October and mid November depending on the climate.

Garlic is usually winter hardy, although if you know that a hard spell is coming, it is a good idea to put down a layer of straw over the top or some horticultural fleece. The green shoots will show themselves in the spring, but if they don’t the time slot hasn’t passed you by, you still have time to plant another batch.

Garlic is very amenable to being planted alongside other plants or vegetables, and can often be used to help protect other plants from pests and disease. Garlic has its own fungicidal and pesticidal properties that makes it very popular with organic gardeners. Cabbage and lettuce benefit particularly well from being planted alongside garlic where aphids are reduced.

Garlic is also able to improve the flavour of certain co-planted vegetables. Cabbage again benefits here, as well as beetroots.
However, peas, potatoes, beans and pulses do not make good companions with the garlic, so try not to plant these combinations too closely.

It’s quite easy to tell when your home grown garlic planting is ready for harvesting. The green sproutings above ground will turn brown and die. This is the time to dig them up.

Try not to be tempted to pull them from the ground. They will have developed an extensive root system and the bulbs will have swelled considerably in size by the time they’re ready; pulling is just asking for them to be damages, and then they won’t store well.

If you harvest too soon, the bulbs will be too small, if you leave it too late, the bulbs will split and rot could set in.

To get the best from your home grown garlic, it’s important to look after it after harvesting. It’s vital that the garlic is dried properly, otherwise it will rot.

They need hanging somewhere cool and dry, where the air can circulate and be able to reach all sides of the garlic. It’s best to leave the roots on, as they has a ‘drawing out’ effect of the moisture in the garlic itself. After a week or two, take them down and brush off the dirt. Only wash them with water just prior to using.

Eat and enjoy!

Here is a recipe for some garlic butter that you might want to try. The parmesan cheese is optional and is often best left out if you're going to serve the garlic butter with meat or fish dishes.

Ingredients:
·1 cup butter or margarine
·8 cloves of garlic. Use more, if you like it strong.
·2 Tablespoons chopped parsley (dried or fresh)
·2 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Preparation Directions:
1.Put butter or margarine directly into a container.
2.Mince or crush 8 cloves of garlic. Use more, if you like it strong.
3.Add garlic to butter, and mix well.
4.Add chopped parsley and mix together.
5.Mix in grated parmesan cheese (optional)
6.Cover container with a lid, and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.