Garlic

GARLIC (AlliumSativum)

Over it's 5,000 year history garlic has garlic has been embraced for its many great
qualities and rejected because its potent affect on our breath.

Growing garlic can yield great rewards with a considerably low amount of work. Planted now before the ground freezes, garlic will grow over winter and be ready to harvest the following June.

Garlic is one of the oldest cultivated herbs in the world, but there is still debate if its origin is from Central Asia, South Asia or Siberia. From there it was carried into Egypt, Pakistan, India and China. Garlic was found in the pyramids and is mentioned in the Bible (Numbers11:5).

In ancient Egypt garlic was commonly used for many things from
 an offering to the gods as well as food for the slaves

Over garlic's five thousand year recorded history it has been used as an offering to the gods, medicine, an aphrodisiac, money and magic. Garlic was believed to ward off the evil eye, protect maidens and deter local witches and vampires.*

Before the age of antibiotics garlic was used to prevent and
treat infections including Word World 1 

To grow garlic start with good stock.  For best results buy your garlic from a garden center or catalog. In general the larger the clove you plant, the larger the bulb you will harvest. Do not plant supermarket garlic because they are often treated to prevent sprouting.

Removing the papery skin  eliminates the possibility it can  get
a fungus that will infect the healthy clove 

In my vegetable boxes I grow garlic a few inches from the edges so the center is free for spring planting.

When planting, separate the cloves and plant pointy side up one inch deep. Then water to help them adjust. Adding dehydrated cow manure or compost will get your garlic off to a good start. Mulch with grass or hay for winter protection.

After over-wintering in the ground your garlic will sprout its green leaves
in early.  

In early spring the greens will break the ground. When plants are six to eight inches high fertilize your plants with nitrogen and supply one inch of water a week. Add more mulch for weed control.

We the flowerheads or "scapes" curl it is time to remove them to force growth
to the maturing bulb.

When the "scapes' (flower heads) begin to curl, cut them off. This will force energy into the bulbs to ripen. The scapes can be eaten and have a mild onion flavor similar to scallions.

Scapes are commonly used in salads, cooking or pickled 

When the leaves begin to turn yellow stop watering for one month. Now your garlic is ready to harvest. It is better dig out your garlic rather than pulling it out of the ground.

After harvesting your garlic do not wash it. Cure it and brush off the
soil before long turn storage 

Curing your garlic will help preserve it for the coming months. Tie it together and hang it in a shady, dry, cool and well ventilated space for 4-8 weeks. Once dry brush off loose soil, trim stalks and roots and store in a refrigerator storage bin to prevent sprouting and promote freshness.

 Curing garlic in the right place can give a room
a nice 'American Homestead' feel

For more information see Rutgers Cooperative Extension Fact Sheet # 1233, Growing Garlic In The Home Garden. You can find it online or call The Garden Helpline (908-654-9852) and ask them to send you a copy.

*Although garlic wards off vampires and witches, it has no known affect on modern day zombies.

Happy Autumn, James