How to Grow Garlic Bulbs
Garlic is one of the more heralded vegetables in your garden. Plant garlic
cloves in the fall, and you will harvest garlic bulbs in late spring. Home
grown, freshly harvested garlic bulbs, are much stronger than those found
in stores. It can be cooked and eaten by itself as a delicious food.
Garlic is simple and easy to grow. Anybody, make that everybody, can
learn how to grow garlic. Plant it in just about any slightly
rich soil, in a partly to mostly sunny location and it will thrive.
And, best of all, it takes little space. It can even be grown amidst your
flower garden if you are short on space.
It is most commonly used as a spice or herb. It is used in recipes around
the world. Perhaps it is best known for it's use in Italian, Chinese, and
Oriental cooking. It's roots can be traced to Central Asia.
Garlic does not stake it's claim to fame on cooking alone. It is
also widely used in organic gardening. It's strong odor is a natural repellent
to many insect pests. In addition, garlic was believed to have the power
to ward off demons and vampires.
Medicinal Value:
Since ancient times, Garlic has been hailed for it's medicinal value. It
was used to treat a wide variety of ails. Current research suggests it aids
in lowering cholesterol, reducing cardiovascular disease and even cancer
prevention. Some studies suggest garlic also helps to relieve cold and flu
symptoms.
Garlic
Folklore describes a wide variety of medicinal applications dating back
to ancient history.
GARLIC:
The Great Protector also hails the medicinal values of garlic.
Did you know? We all have fears. As a matter of fact, there are so
many phobias, that psychologists can hardly keep track of them all. Just
so you are well informed, Alliumphobia is the fear of garlic.
Varieties:
-
Regular Garlic: White or purple varieties
-
Elephant Garlic: Slightly milder in taste, but about twice the size
of regular garlic. Elephant garlic is not only good for spicing up food,
but can be cooked by itself. Cooked or grilled, it takes on a very mild taste.
Eat it by itself, or spread it on a piece of Italian bread.
How to Grow Garlic:
Garlic root forms a bulb, comprising several segments, called cloves. Separate
the cloves, and plant them in the fall for a spring crop. They will begin
to grow and take root until snow covers the ground. In the spring they will
start growing again, and will be harvestable in late spring to early summer.
Keep the patch weeded.
Garlic will not tell you when it is thirsty. Make sure to water regularly,
as dry weather arrives. Add a little general purpose fertilizer in the fall,and
a couple of times in the spring.
Insects and Pests:
Garlic is resistant to most pests. It's odor wards off many insects. However,
on occasion, maggots will be a problem.
Try garlic near your roses to ward off aphids and Japanese Beetles.
Disease:
Garlic is resistant to most forms of disease.
Harvest and Storage:
Pull garlic after the tops have fallen over and dried. (Although you can
begin to pick them as soon as a bulb starts to form.). Wash them off ,and
leave them to dry in the sun for a day or two.
You can weave the stalks into a braid and hang them for future use. Or, you
can cut the stalk off and store them in a cool, dry place. Properly stored,
it will keep over the winter months.
Hardiness:
Garlic is among the hardiest of plants. It is resistant to cold. It goes
dormant over the winter like winter wheat or lawns, but does not die. Once
spring arrives, it begins to grow with the first warm days of late winter
or early spring. It is not harmed by frost, freezes or even snow.
Garden Recipes:
How to Make Garlic Butter - and
lots of other garden recipes
More of our Garden Recipes
More Information:
All
about Vampires They hate Garlic
National Garlic Day
Garlic Information
Centre with a focus upon medicinal uses.
Commercial
Production Guides
Garlic Festivals Strangely, they run from May to November.
The Festival that
Stinks |
