All About Garlic

Although it's relatively inexpensive at the grocery store, and usually readily available, it's not always easy to find fresh bulbs; nor is it easy to find locally grown garlic since much of it is imported from China.  I have grown garlic from bulbs that I bought at the grocery store and they have been very good; I look for the fullest and freshest looking bulbs.  Every year, I think I'm going to order one of those gourmet garlic varieties to see how the flavors vary, and if they really are better tasting, but I usually wait too long and find that they are all sold out!  Then I'm off to the local store where I can often find some bulbs that will work.  This year, I hope to find and order bulbs on-line.  Luckily, I still have some from my homegrown harvest that are ready and waiting if I can't find a gourmet variety out there to try. CLICK HERE if you want to learn how to tell the difference between California and China garlic.

Garlic, Allium sativum is a perennial herb in the Lily family, along with onions, leeks, and shallots.  Garlic is one of the oldest known foods, and one of the most valued.  The name "Garlic" derives from the Old English garleac, meaning "spear leek".  It dates back more than 6,000 years and is native to Central Asia and India. 

Not only is garlic delicious, it's very good for you, too.  All of the healing benefits of garlic are quite impressive with an amazingly long list.  Much research has been done and it's said to aid in lowering cholesterol and reducing heart disease; it's beneficial in cancer prevention, cures athlete's foot and bolsters immune function.  It's a long time favorite added to chicken soup recipes by moms everywhere to cure and relieve cold and flu symptoms.

VARIETIES

I must say, it was very exciting to see all of the unique varieties of garlic out there just waiting to be explored.  And from what I gather, there is a big difference in the different flavors.  Having never knowingly tried any of them, I cannot comment on which ones are better. (Yet).

There are two broad categories of garlic varieties, hardneck garlic and softneck garlic.

Softneck garlic varieties are longer keepers and usually have white papery skin with an abundance of cloves.  These are the ones most commonly found in supermarkets.  They are often braided (since they have soft, flexible stocks) and can be stored for long periods of time while maintaining their quality.  The two main types of softneck garlic are Silverskin and Artichoke.

Hardneck garlic varieties have a hard, woody stem and when growing, they send up scapes - flower stalks.  The hardnecks are known for having a wide range of delicious flavors and gourmet qualities that are favored by many chefs.  Hardneck varieties are also known to have fewer, larger cloves that are easier to separate and peel.  They also have less of an outer wrapper which reduces its shelf life.  There are three main types of hardneck garlic; Rocambole, Porcelain and Purple Stripe.

Planting Garlic cloves

All you need is a bulb of garlic which is comprised of several segments, called cloves.  Separate the cloves and plant them in the fall for a spring crop. Plant them with the root side down, pointed end up.  You can remove the peel or not, it doesn't matter and you can even plant it on its side, it will find its way up. Put them about 2 to 4 inches deep and space them about 4 inches apart. The tips of the cloves should be hidden below the surface.  Firm them in gently.

 Actually, garlic can be planted any time from mid-autumn to late winter but the best yeilds are obtained if planting is done before Winter Solstice, December 21st.  It's also recommended to get them planted before the ground freezes up, so that would depend on your area.  Garlic is very hardy and is resistant to cold, frost, freezes and snow.

Garlic isn't real picky about soil, I've grown some decent looking bulbs in minimally improved clay soil.  Definitely make sure it is a sunny site, because warmth is needed to ripen the bulbs.  Preferably, plant it in rich soil that is moisture rententive yet has good drainage.  Don't plant in a freshly manured area because it may cause rotting.

Cultivating your crop

Once in the ground, you may want to check on them regularly to make sure they aren't being bothered by birds or other animals.  If you see any uprooted bulbs. push them back down before they dry out.  Garlic is shallow rooting so pull up any weeds around it.  Garlic won't tell you when it's thirsty so be sure to water it regularly in the fall and again in the spring when the bulbs start growing.

Harvesting your fresh garlic

Stop watering your plants a few weeks before harvesting.  Your garlic should be ready to harvest in late spring or the early part of summer.  You will know it's time when the tops of the stock and outer stems begin to turn yellow/brown and start bending over.  Don't wait until they turn completely brown, but just about 40% brown and 60% green.  This is a good indication that it's time to do a check by carefully brushing away the dirt from one or two.

I use a garden fork or potato fork to dig the garlic bulbs when they are ready.  Once you have pulled the bulbs, just brush them off and leave them to dry in the sun, or move them someplace to dry out well for a few days.

Once they are dried, if you have softnecks and can weave them into braids, you  can hang them in your kitchen to use as necessary.  Or, just cut the stalks off and store them in a cool dry place. They can also be jarred or minced and refrigerated.

Some Motivating Pictures

Some years ago I saw the most magnificent crop of garlic ever!  It was in pictures posted by someone that many of you may recognize as Frostweed.  Her pictures were of the elephant garlic she had grown.  I was in awe in every way and vowed to make enough space that I, too, could grow such a crop of fine looking garlic.  I think my harvest that year was from two bulbs; I had probably turned my two bulbs into maybe sixteen bulbs.

Every year my plot for growing garlic gets bigger and bigger; I'm almost there!  But I never forgot Frostweed's elephant garlic pictures.  When I started to write this article, I asked Frostweed if she still had those pictures.  Here they are.  Maybe they will motivate you too.

Thank you Frostweed for motivating me, and for sharing your pictures.