For the freshest flavor and juiciest cloves, grow your own garlic. It takes up little space and requires almost no effort to produce good harvests. Garlic simply needs a warm, sunny spot with well-drained soil that isn’t too wet in winter.
Tips for growing garlic in your garden:
Garlic can be purchased for spring and autumn planting. To grow well, it needs a period of cool weather, so it’s best to plant it in autumn. However, if you have heavy clay soil, it’s better to wait until spring. This type of soil tends to retain a lot of water, especially in winter, which can cause the garlic cloves to rot.
To plant garlic, separate the bulbs into individual cloves and plant them with the pointed end facing up. Be careful not to damage the sheaths when separating them. Space them about 18 cm apart and plant them at twice their own depth.
Alternatively, start garlic by planting individual cloves in pots in the fall. These can then be planted out in the spring. If space is limited, try growing garlic in containers.
If you are growing in clay soil or soil prone to winter dampness, plant garlic in mounds 15 cm high and 20 cm wide at the base. Plant the bulbs 15 to 20 cm apart and 7 to 10 cm deep. The results are generally excellent, even in very humid climates.
HOW TO CARE FOR GARLIC PLANTS
Garlic requires little care. Weed between plants to reduce competition for water and space. Don’t be alarmed if the plants flower; you’ll still get a harvest, it will just be smaller. You can also eat the flowers, which have a delicious flavor.
HOW TO HARVEST GARLIC
Harvest garlic in the summer when the leaves turn yellow. Then, prepare the plants for harvest by scraping away some of the surrounding soil so that sunlight and air can reach the bulbs and help them dry. After preparation, gently lift the bulbs with a fork or a spatula.
HOW TO STORE GARLIC
Hang the garlic bulbs in mesh bags. Be careful not to crush the sheaths, as any damage can cause them to spoil during storage. Once dry, you can store the bulbs loose or braid their foliage to create a traditional row of bulbs.
HOW TO PREPARE AND USE GARLIC
Crush, slice, or finely chop, or toast whole cloves, to add flavor to many dishes.
GARLIC: PROBLEM SOLVING
Garlic is generally pest-free. Garlic can be affected by leek rust, a fungal infection more common in humid climates. Garlic bulbs are perfectly safe to eat, but affected plants should be harvested immediately to prevent the disease from spreading.
CAN WE PLANT GARLIC BOUGHT AT A SUPERMARKET?
It’s possible to grow garlic from supermarket bulbs (organic is best), but it’s not recommended due to the risk of viral infection. If you buy suitable planting material, it should be virus-free. You can also choose a variety specifically bred for your climate.