September 4, 2024

This Week's Garden Gab:
​Growing Garlic

Hi Reader!

It's almost Time! I wanted to send an edition on growing garlic now because we are coming upon the season where those in the southeast can start planting their cloves, and in nine months harvest garlic bulbs.

In this edition:

• Grow Zones
• Benefits of Eating Garlic
• Fun Facts about Garlic
• How to Plant Garlic
• Types of Garlic
• A Little Garlic History

🧄Education:

Garlic is considered a vegetable and is a part of the onion family. It has been on of the easiest plants to grow. It has a long growing period - literally 9 months of grow time is needed.

I live in Zone 8a, which means I plant garlic cloves between late October and late November. It overwinters in the bed or grow bags. If the weather is warm here it will sometimes sprout tall green garlic leaves, then the cooler weather comes and it stops growing.

​Find out what planting zone you live in?​

Knowing this helps you determine what varieties grow best in your area.

I cover it with mulch, usually dried leaves as I have an abundance of them in the fall. Click the link above to determine your growing zone from the USDA PLANT HARDINESS ZONE MAP.

In the Spring, the bulbs begin to develop under the soil, the leaves start to grow above the soil, and by the end of May to early June, the leaves start to yellow from the bottom up. You then know it's time to gently dig around the plant to see how large the bulb has grown,

Garlic is one of nature's healthy wonders. You will find all sorts of health concoctions on the internet due to the medicinal qualities of garlic. From fighting colds to reducing hypertension to reducing kidney infections.

​BENEFITS of eating garlic!

​FUN FACTS about garlic!

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🧄Application:

Like all vegetables, choosing the best type of soil and appropriate sun will increase chances of a successful yield.

Here is how you choose the type of soil that garlic loves best.

Planting garlic is so easy!

Start with garlic seed, which is basically cloves of garlic. There are places where you can order high-quality garlic bulbs that were grown specifically for gardeners. They are often certified organic. I have used these and had terrific results.

I have also purchased organic garlic from grocers geared toward healthier products. Buying organic is necessary because otherwise the garlic is likely to have been sprayed with a sprout inhibitor so they last longer on grocery shelves. We don't want that! We WANT it to sprout!.

To simplify:

1. Buy a couple garlic bulbs; looks for large, cleaner ones with the thin paper covering still on them.
2. Separate them in cloves, leaving on the paper.
3. You can grow garlic directly into the ground, in a raised bed, or in a container.
4. After preparing your soil, place the cloves, pointy side UP about an inch under the soil.
5. Water in.
6. Cover with mulch.

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Here is 6-minute video with specific instructions on how to plant garlic. Gary Pilarchik of The Rusted Garden has been on of my 'teachers' in this gardening journey. You'll learn a lot here.

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Here is another excellent article (Here's Exactly When to Plant Garlic for the Best Harvest by Arricca Elin Sansone) about how and when to grow garlic and the different types. A friend sent it to me and I'm here to share the garlic love.

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🧄Selection:

There are two types of garlic: Hard neck and Soft neck. Based on where you live, you would be better growing one or the other. I grow soft neck here in the southeast.

​Which type of garlic should you grow? Soft neck or hard neck?​

Once you know the type, then you can determine which variety you want to grow. There are many sites that describe the characteristics of the varieties.

​How to tell Chinese garlic from American garlic

When I actually buy garlic seed, I grow soft neck Inchelium Red simply because I like the red coloring, and California Early varieties.

Where can you purchase Garlic Seeds?

Garlic seeds are the easiest to find on the Internet. Most places that sell them have online stores. Occasionally, I will see garlic for planting in nurseries, or Feed Stores.

I purchase garlic seed from reputable garlic growers so I know I'm getting organic, and soft neck. As I said previously, I also buy organic garlic bulbs from grocers; however, I'm not always sure if they are hard neck or soft neck when I do that. I just risk it.

Some reputable garlic growers that I've used, or considered using:

• ​Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds- they offer good planting tips!
• ​Johnny's Selected Seeds​
• ​Keene Organics​
• ​Country Creek LLC​
• ​Garlic Gods​
• ​Gurney's Seed & Nursery Co.​

Note: Some of these vendors also have stores and sell their items on Amazon.com or Walmart.com. So, don't neglect checking these sites as well.

***BE SURE TO ORDER GARLIC SEEDS EARLY!***
If you wait til late they'll be sold out - I promise!.

You might ask, "Why spend so much on garlic seed to grow them when I can just buy the garlic in the store?"

Well, why do we grow anything rather than just buying in the store? The experience, the knowledge, ... the bragging rights.😊

🧄Edification:

I'm always interested in learning how food affects health, so as I read more about garlic I learned that it was mentioned as far back as the time of Israelites in the Bible (Numbers 11:5).

Garlic was mentioned when the Israelites had memories of their time in Egypt and the foods they longed for.

Garlic has many health benefits.

​Find out what happens to your body when you eat garlic and how you can incorporate it into your diet.​

My favorite thing to do with garlic is to grow it, dehydrate it and make my own garlic powder! YUM!!! Keep on the lookout for this process in future editions of the newsletter.

That's all I have for this edition. Feel free to write me at jangardener@gardenease.org if you have any questions or comments about growing garlic.

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Forward this newsletter to anyone you think would be interested in gardening information and to SUBSCRIBE HERE.

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I'll see you in the next edition!

Jan🤗

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If you have questions, comments, praises, complaints, or ideas about gardening or about the newsletter, you can reach me at: jan@gardenease.org