Garlic

There are a lot of claims made for the power of Garlic, mainly medicinal, many of them thought to be 'Old Wives Tales'. Recent research has proved that some of these have in fact got some truth to them. It has long been used on the continent in culinary uses and is getting more and more popular.

Garlic is one of the easiest of vegetables to grow if given the right conditions

Garlic needs a well-drained, fertile soil, rich in humus, with a pH of around 6.5, in a sunny site.

Garlic is grown from the individual segments or 'cloves' of the bulb. These are separated and planted (pointed end up) in the prepared bed in October to overwinter or in March. Plant the cloves 1" deep and 6" apart. Cloves planted in the autumn tend to be a bit stronger than the later planted ones.

There is very little maintenance involved other than keeping free of weeds and a good watering if the weather is particularly dry.

Dig the bulbs up in July or August and allow to dry under cover. They can then strung together (click here to see how to Braid the Garlic into Plaits) or put in net bags and stored for use.

Pests and Diseases

Garlic is generally trouble free but can be affected by Onion fly, Onion Eelworm, White rot and neck rot. (See relative Pests and Diseases sections for prevention/cures)

© copyright 1999, P. A. Owen