If you know me, you’ll know that I try to provide healthy food for my family. While it was available to us, we were a part of an Organic Food Co-op during our years of living in Central New York. It was wonderful to get fresh, local, organic produce! I do try to buy organic when possible (and not outrageously expensive). My garden is one way I can provide fresh, healthy food for us. I have to admit that I also try to encourage those around me to make healthy choices and choose organic when possible! Along those lines, one item that I would encourage you to grow is garlic. Do you know where your garlic comes from??? All I am going to say is that the healthiest garlic is sourced locally, and organically. The best part is that garlic is very, very easy to grow!
Like my stony soil? There is a never ending supply of tiny stones in our soil! Doesn’t seem to bother the vegetables, thankfully. … Back to the topic of Garlic! This year I planted my garlic in November. I first posted about it here: https://mominthegarden.wordpress.com/2013/11/08/fall-plantings-of-green-manure-its-just-rye-organic-vallelado-garlic/ The variety I received from a very helpful organic center called Fruit Hill Farm in Cork http://www.fruithillfarm.com/ was Vallelado, which is good for our Irish weather.
It was almost daily that I’d wander into the garden to see if the garlic was growing. I wasn’t quite convinced it would grow in such cold weather! But grow it did. Actually, I learned that garlic needs 6 weeks of cold weather (below 10 degrees Celsius or 50 degrees Fahrenheit) for the bulb to split into individual cloves. Cold is good! And some of you might be laughing and thinking “that isn’t cold”!
Here is the lowdown on growing garlic:
- Source your garlic from an organic center near you. They should have varieties suited to your climate.
- Garlic needs full sun and well drained soil. It does best with soil that has compost worked in.
- Space the cloves at least six inches apart. Place the cloves in the soil 3-4 cm (1 & 1/2 inches) below the surface with the pointy end facing up.
- Keep the garlic moist until about a month before harvesting.
- Weed regularly. Garlic like mulch. Mulch will keep the weeds down and is especially helpful in colder climates.
- Harvest when the stems go yellow. Waiting for the stems to fall is too late! It’s better to have dry bulbs at that stage, hence the stepping back from watering those last few weeks. Dig gently around the bulb, shaking off any excess soil.
- Keep the stems on to help keep the garlic fresh. These can be braided, too, to hang the garlic in an open airy place. Dry outdoors if the weather is good, or inside if weather is wet.
According to Anne Gibson http://themicrogardener.com/5-step-guide-to-growing-gorgeous-garlic/ garlic shouldn’t be grown near peas or beans. Do any of you have experience with that??? On the flip side (companion planting), as they are part of the Allium family they do well with raspberries, beetroot, strawberries, tomatoes, lettuce, & roses.
The garlic has given some life to the garden over the winter, which is so nice to see. I know I haven’t harvested yet, but based on everything so far I would definitely plant in November again and keep it as my winter crop.
Easy, right? If you don’t grow it already, I do hope you’ll give it a try! Or the next best thing would be to buy from your local organic farmer 🙂
Here’s to living a healthy lifestyle!
Dana
I’ve never tried growing garlic. Yours certainly seems to do well.
Hi Karen, oh it is so much easier than all that loving work you do with growing your fabulous tomatoes! Apparently, they grow bigger when planted in the fall. My stalks are certainly thicker than usual. I can’t wait to try them. 🙂
I planted some last fall. I see no signs of it yet, but still hoping!
Hi Ellen, I’m not sure why your garlic hasn’t come up yet. A couple of questions: the source of where you got the garlic (selling good stuff?)?, possibly chipmunks or squirrels? Maybe because of the weather this winter everything is simply late in coming up? I’ll have to find some other Central New Yorkers to see if they’ve had that issue too! Fingers crossed that they are just slow coming up! Dana
Ellen, I just checked with Grindstone Farms in Pulaski and they said it is still too early yet (but it should be up soon). Let me know! Dana
More on your garlic, Ellen! Just want to check that you didn’t plant it too deep? Another possibility is that you didn’t plant it deep enough and it froze. You could dig up one to see if it is still there (that would answer the critter question). Keep me posted! Dana
I’ve been growing Garlic for years and as you say just pop it in the ground and it will grow.
I know Bridget, it’s so easy! Everyone should at least grow garlic! I wish there wasn’t a need to import it from China (but that is what is in the stores!). Dana
My mouth is watering! I was not ready this fall for garlic but i want to get some in the ground. Glad to know how easy they are. It’s amazing the price they charge for these in the stores when they can grow so easily.
Depending on your weather NomadNurpu, it might not be too late for you (I think you are in a colder climate). If you plant now it should be ready for the fall. Good luck! And thank you for stopping by! 😉 Dana
Pingback: Organic Garlic sitting pretty in a hand carved wooden bowl | Mom in the Garden
Pingback: Garlic wins as Easiest, most Rewarding item to plant in the garden! | Mom in the Garden
Pingback: October in the Garden | Mom in the Garden