Garlic (allium sativum) not only packs a flavor punch in many dishes and has a list of healing properties, it is fun and easy growing garlic in your own garden. Read how one bulb of garlic could keep you in garlic forever!
Please see my DISCLOSURE STATEMENT before reading any further. I am not a medical provider and this is not medical advice. Please use your own discernment and do your own research.
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Long and the short of growing garlic
Keeping your family in garlic forever is as simple as getting started growing garlic one year then saving some seeds, or cloves, for years to come!
Really, it’s that simple.
Keep reading to find out how and why to grow your own garlic, how to save the seeds, and much more.
Please note this blog post is based on my own garlic growing experiences.
Why should I be growing garlic?
Growing garlic in your own garden is the easiest way to never have to purchase garlic from the store ever again!
Organic garlic in a 3 bulb pack is about $3 at the big box discount department grocery store. Fairly cheap, sure. But how about FREE garlic? I’ll teach you in this blog how to buy some garlic once and then never have to again.
What makes garlic so special?
Garlic has been used since The Beginning of time.
How do I know?
And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. Genesis 1:29, NKJV
and
He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, And vegetation for the service of man, That he may bring forth food from the earth, Psalm 104:14, NKJV
Garlic is defined as a flowering plant that grows from a bulb. Definitely fits the categories in the Scriptures above.
Properties of Garlic
Hang on to your hat for this one… the list is long. I will just give you bullet points that you can go research yourself later. It is my hope after seeing this NOT exhaustive list of incredible things garlic can do, you’ll WANT to research more and get to planting your own garlic seeds this fall.
Again, please see my DISCLOSURE STATEMENT. I am not a doctor, I do not hold a holistic medicine degree. Now that you understand that, keep reading.
Garlic:
- fights common cold
- has antibiotic properties
- good for cholesterol health
- good for heart health
- supports the liver damaged by alcohol abuse
- can manage weight
- possibly prevents memory issues
- good for bone health
- anticarcinogenic/anti-cancer properties
- less talked about but should be researched way more, anti-parasitic
- anti-inflammatory properties
- supports digestive system
- helps skin conditions like acne and infections
- and more
So why are we not ALL eating garlic every single day?!?
How can garlic be consumed?
Research shows that eating garlic raw packs the biggest healing punch but isn’t the most desired method due to its potent taste and “spiciness”.
Cooking garlic into recipes still adds many of these properties.
Another tasty way to eat garlic is to ferment whole cloves in local raw honey for about 4 weeks in a jar then store them in the refrigerator. Eat one a day. PLEASE SEE NOTE BELOW BEFORE CONSUMING GARLIC DAILY.
To be on the safe side if you take medications of any sort, please consult your medical provider for how to begin a garlic regime.
One more time for good measure: Johnson Home NC’s Disclosure Statement.
How to start growing garlic:
Let’s get into the main reason for this blog post now that you understand how incredible garlic truly is.
Garlic is planted by using each clove or seed from a bulb, in its paper still or not does not matter. I choose to remove the garlic paper or skin. Seed is planted pointy side up in well-draining soil.
Garlic takes about 8 months to fully grow out; however, it is a “sow once, fertilize twice, and forget it” kind of plant. Seriously, it’s easy to grow and doesn’t require much out of you at all.
There are two types of garlic: soft neck and hard neck. Figure out which one is best for your hardiness zone (see below for more on zones).
What kind of soil should I use for growing garlic?
Growing garlic yields the best results when planted in well-draining and loose soil.
When do I plant garlic?
In zone 8a, generally we plant garlic in October about 3-5 weeks before the first frost.
Check your USDA hardiness zone to see when it’s best to plant garlic for your region. Do know that having a general idea of your climate’s behavior each season is better than referring strictly to this map.
What can I plant with garlic as a companion?
Garlic grows best with strawberries, fruit trees, cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, spinach, beets, roses, and chamomile to name a few.
Take a little internet search engine trip to find who garlic does not grow well with. It’ll tell you not to plant garlic with onions but I have and both are growing fine. I will update this post should I notice any issues with the onions who are still growing.
Best practices for growing garlic
Garlic is a heavy feeder. It takes time, energy, and nutrients to produce beautiful bulbs of garlic.
In my experience, sowing garlic clove seeds in a raised bed has yielded a wonderful harvest.
At sowing, dig a trench line in the soil about 3 inches deep then add blood meal fertilizer and an all-purpose fertilizer to the trench. Next, back fill the trench line with a little soil.
Plant garlic clove seeds 2 inches deep and about 6 inches a part. Cover with soil then top dress with compost. Lightly water in the seeds.
Allow the garlic about 2 weeks to show you the green tops. Once you see them, add wood chips around each sprout. You may use another mulch like straw or leaf mulch. Mulching keeps the garlic with consistent moisture and insulation during the winter months.
Now you leave the garlic alone until spring or slightly before. At this time, add another layer of compost and wood chips around each bulb. The bulbs are really starting to clove up at this time and need the extra fertilizer.
Garlic does not like a lot of water. After initial watering at seed sowing, just let nature handle the rest. The wood chip mulch will be wonderful at keeping the soil consistently moist for you.
When do I harvest garlic?
Garlic takes about 8 months to bulb out for harvest.
For zone 8a, we harvest sometime in June or July.
Keeping a garden journal or note your day planner or reminders in your phone calendar is the best way to keep up with when to harvest your garlic.
You will know the time is near when you notice the green stems start to yellow and fall over. When about 50% of them have yellowed and it is about 8 months from sowing, it is time to harvest your garlic.
Remove the garlic from the ground carefully. Some suggest using a garden fork to gently remove the bulb. Because I use a raised bed with loose soil and lots of organic matter, it is very easy to gently pull the bulbs out of the ground by their stems.
Shake off excess soil and hang garlic bulbs to cure* for about 2-3 weeks for long term storage. Make sure to cure them in a cool, dry place out of humidity.
*You may use freshly harvested garlic immediately if you need to do so.
How to store garlic long term
To store your garlic long term, be sure you have cured your garlic bulbs for at least 2 weeks in a cool, dry place out of humidity.
Then lightly brush any soil off the bulbs. It is okay if a layer of garlic skin/paper comes off with the soil.
You can braid your garlic stems for hanging in the house or you can remove the stems and store in a cool, dry place like a pantry.
Garlic stores for about 6-9 months well. Which is about the time you’ll be harvesting more anyway!
What to do with your own garlic harvest:
- SAVE SOME SEEDS! Always save 3-5 (or more) of your largest garlic bulbs to cure then use as seeds for your next sowing in the fall. THIS KEEPS YOU IN GARLIC FOREVER!!
- Make your own garlic powder with a dehydrator and blender.
- Make a honey, lemon, ginger ferment and add garlic cloves for added cold and flu protection
- Preserve garlic whole, puréed, or peeled by freezing it and storing in a zip top bag. If texture isn’t an issue, freeze it whole then bring to room temperature before using.
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Thank you for checking out this blog post! I hope you’ve enjoyed it. Visit my blog for more small scale homesteading and recipes! www.johnsonhomenc.com
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