Embarking on the idea that the time for cultivation is past? Perhaps it's the ideal time to begin planting garlic! Here's some guidance.

Embarking on the idea that the time for cultivation is past? Perhaps it's the ideal time to begin planting garlic! Here's some guidance.

Growing Your Own Garlic: A Guide to Choosing and Cultivating Varieties

Garlic, a staple in many kitchens, can be grown at home with ease, offering a rewarding experience and the opportunity to enjoy fresh, home-grown produce. Here's a comprehensive guide to help you choose the best garlic cultivars and grow them successfully.

Choosing Garlic Cultivars:

When selecting garlic cultivars, consider your preferences and growing conditions. For larger bulbs and strong flavors, opt for hardneck garlic varieties, especially if you live in a cooler climate. Popular hardneck types include 'Music' and 'Georgian Fire', known for their impressive bulb size and robust taste.

If you prefer garlic with a longer shelf life or are in a milder climate, softneck garlic varieties like 'Early Italian' or the heirloom 'Kettle River Giant' are good choices, with some softnecks still producing quite large cloves. For very large bulbs with a mild flavor, consider growing 'Elephant garlic', which is actually closer to leek but produces huge bulbs.

Growing Conditions and Planting:

Garlic thrives in full sun (at least 6-8 hours daily) and well-drained, loose soil rich in organic matter. Prepare the bed by loosening the soil 6-8 inches deep and mixing in plenty of compost or organic matter. Break apart bulbs into cloves but leave the papery skins intact. Plant cloves pointy end up, about 2 inches deep and spaced 4-6 inches apart in rows about 8-12 inches apart. In fall, plant and mulch heavily (3-6 inches of straw or leaves) to protect cloves overwinter.

Care Through the Seasons:

In winter, garlic rests dormant and needs little care but benefits from cold exposure, especially hardneck varieties. In spring, remove some mulch as temperatures rise and fertilize with compost tea or fish emulsion. In early summer, continue regular watering and harvest garlic scapes 2-3 weeks before bulbs mature to encourage better bulb growth.

Harvesting and Storage:

Harvest garlic when the lower leaves start to brown but before the entire plant is dry. Cure garlic in a shaded, well-ventilated area to preserve flavor and longevity. Hardneck garlic tends to have fewer, larger cloves and stronger flavor but shorter storage, while softneck garlic stores longer and has milder flavor.

Additional Tips:

• For those without a garden, it is possible to grow vegetables, including garlic, in pots.
• Garlic growing is exciting due to the range of individual cultivars available.
• Garlic can be eaten at various stages, including the spring onion-like greens in February and the curly green stalk-like flower buds or 'scapes' as green beans or asparagus.
• 'Germidour' is an early cropping garlic with rich purple heads and ivory cloves, but requires regular checking for splitting pre-harvest. It has the AGM (Award of Garden Merit).
• 'Arno' has the largest bulbs of any long-dormancy type, with a white head and pink cloves.
• Garlic is a straightforward crop that can be grown in a sunny patch of ground with cloves pushed into a hole made with a dibber or finger.
• The Garlic Farm, located at Mersley Lane, Newchurch, Isle of Wight PO36 0NR, stocks many of the cultivars mentioned. Their contact details are Tel 01983 865378 and thegarlicfarm.co.uk.
• 'Solent Wight' is recommended by Colin Boswell of The Garlic Farm for its flavor and long storage time of around nine months.
• Garlic cloves should be planted 20cm apart with the soil just covering the tip of the garlic, in rows 20cm apart, with alternate rows planted diagonally to create a herringbone pattern.
• 'Lautrec Wight' is one of Jennifer Birch's favorites and is considered by many to be one of the most flavorsome. It is not suitable for wet conditions.
• Soil for garlic should be dressed with rock potash and bone meal applied at around 50g per square metre before planting.
• 'Thermidrôme' is a traditional cultivar producing large white heads and cloves, and should be planted in October to November for a July harvest, but used by Christmas after cropping.
• When the heads are good and dry, they should be trimmed, the stem down to about 6cm, and cut off the roots, rubbed away the dirty outer layers of skin with your thumb, and plaited together for storage.

Health Benefits:

Garlic has long been used for centuries to fight disease and infection, and today is thought to help lower both cholesterol levels and blood pressure. However, it is not recommended to plant cloves from shop-bought garlic, as they may be a cultivar better suited to warmer climates. Harvested garlic can be roasted whole and eaten until Christmas and beyond.

1. Gardening enthusiasts can grow garlic, a versatile ingredient in food-and-drink recipes, in their home-and-garden, providing a chance to savor fresh, home-grown produce and an enjoyable hobby.
2. For those who prefer a robust flavor and larger bulbs in their landscape, hardneck garlic varieties like 'Music' and 'Georgian Fire' are ideal, thriving in cooler climates.
3. Those who live in milder climates or desire garlic with a longer shelf life may find softneck varieties such as 'Early Italian' or 'Kettle River Giant' more suitable, capable of producing large cloves even in such conditions.
4. In the process of cultivating garlic, gardeners can explore various gardening techniques, including soil preparation, planting, care during different seasons, and harvesting methods, offering a comprehensive learning experience.
5. For individuals who have limited space, growing vegetables, including garlic, is possible, even in pots, enabling everyone to expand their culinary horizons and enhance their lifestyle.

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