Garlic may be the oldest plant cultivated by humans. It belongs to the same family as onions and leeks and is used both as a culinary and a medicinal herb. Medicinally it’s useful for everything from colds and flu, to coughs and bronchitis, to high cholesterol and preventing heart disease. It’s even proven useful in preventing cancer, and reducing the severity of established cancer.
Growing Garlic
Growing garlic can be tricky. It needs full sun, good drainage, and enough time to produce its bulbs. The secret to growing garlic is to plant it as close to the autumnal equinox as possible. Garlic likes to sprout roots and develop a bit before winter forces it to dormancy. This gives the side buds time to develop so they can burst into plump cloves in the spring. Garlic does well in container gardens and raised beds. It likes well-drained soil and will rot without proper drainage. It needs a good potting mix, and a well-finished compost or leaf mould mixed into the soil. You’ll want to plant a variety that’s appropriate to your climate.
Planting in the Fall
Remove the outer skin from the bulb and separate it into individual cloves. Plant the cloves in an upright position, root end down, standing erect, about 1” deep and 4” apart. Water well and place in a sunny spot where they’ll be protected from cold winter winds and will get plenty of sun.
Come Spring
When your plants begin to grow in the spring, feed them with general-purpose plant food every 2 weeks and make sure they’re watered, but not over-watered, regularly. Garlic does not compete well with weeds. Keep your plants meticulously weeded.
Garlic Grows Like a Nautilus
Garlic’s growth pattern is a spiral, with new growth forming at the center. They will build a good stand of lush foliage before they begin to swell at their base and form bulbs. Once they do begin to swell, discontinue fertilization. The swelling is indication the garlic is “bolting,” which usually means going to seed, but in the case of garlic, instead of seed, they produce cloves, growing them as big as they can before the summer heat kills their leaves. The lowest and outermost leaves of the plant die first; the others die from the ground up.
Harvesting is an Art
If you wait too long, the garlic will splay open, the bulb wrapper will rot away, and it will be nearly impossible to get the bulb out of the ground. But the longer you leave garlic in the ground, the more potent it becomes. Generally, it’s time to harvest your garlic when the lower leaves have died, and the top leaves are still green. Once the plants start losing their leaves, stop watering, and let the soil begin to dry out. This will make harvesting easier. You’ll want to remove each bulb without injuring it, so work your trowel blade underneath it, and pry it up from the bottom.
Curing the Bulbs
Handle the bulbs gently to avoid bruising them. Store them in a warm place where they can dry, but keep them out of the sun. Curing can take from 2 to 4 weeks. Once the bulbs are dry, trim off the roots, and scuff off the outer discolored parchment. If you’ve harvested your garlic at the right time, you should have several layers of bulb wrapper, and if you’ve got enough bulbs, you can turn them into an old-fashioned garlic braid. Store your cured garlic in a dry, well-ventilated place.
To find more about herbs visit herbs and remedies and Articles about herbs.
More articles of the author, Mitchel Mason, can be found when visiting his web site.
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