Let's Plant Some Garlic!

Joanne K. and Dell H., NC State Extension Master Gardener Volunteers

   Love it or hate it, garlic definitely adds zest to a meal or to that pat of butter on a warm croissant! Whether minced, chopped, sautÇed, roasted, powdered, or in oil, it's been used for centuries by cultures around the world not only to enhance the flavor of their cuisines but also for its health benefits.

Roasted garlic has a sweet, mellow flavor that works well in many recipes - Oregon State Extension

   According to various research studies, eating garlic can boost your immunity, work as an inflammatory, and improve heart health among other benefits. For more information on the health benefits of garlic, see the links below.
   The garlic breath that puts many people off is caused by the organic compound allicin. It's released when a garlic clove is chewed or crushed. This same sulfurous odor protects garlic from predators.
   Growing garlic is easy. If you'd like to try it, Dell H. is sharing the following information on how to grow it.
Garlic (Allium sativum) is a species of Allium, which is a close relative to shallots, onions, leeks, and chives. Most garlic sold in our grocery stores is imported from China.

Benefits of Growing Garlic
   Growing your own garlic has many benefits. For one, it has a fresher flavor than store bought. You can control the quality of the harvested bulb when you know how it's been grown. Environmentally it's sustainable as it has a low carbon footprint, requires less acreage to grow, and doesn't need pesticides. It's usually sold loose reducing plastic use.
   Garlic has few pests as rabbits, squirrels, deer, and groundhogs avoid it. Insects stay away and it has few disease issues. And most importantly, it deters vampires!

 Garlic is an edible bulb - Nino Barbieri, CC BY-SA 3.0

Two Types of Garlic
   Hardneck garlic has a woody stalk and cannot be braided. Each bulb has 4-12 cloves. It's grown where winters are long and growing seasons short. It produces scapes, which are woody flowering stalks with bulbils at the top. These bulbils are small, secondary bulbs that are edible or can be planted to grow more garlic.

The base of the scape is shown in this hardneck garlic - NCSU Extension Pamlico County

There is no scape in the center of this softneck garlic - NCSU Extension Pamlico County

Garlic bulbils on the scape of the hardneck garlic can be eaten or planted - H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0

   Softneck garlic has no woody stalk and can be braided. Each bulb has 10 -40 cloves. With a long shelf life it can be stored for 6 to 9 months. It grows in areas with mild winters and long growing seasons. It doesn't have scapes.

Elephant Garlic
   Not a true garlic, elephant garlic is actually a type of leek. The large bulb with 5-6 cloves can weigh up to one pound. Its sweet, mild flavor is favored by many cooks and can replace onions in soup and stew recipes.

Elephant garlic is a type of leek - University of Wisconsin Extension

Growing Garlic
   * Choose bulbs from a reputable source. Don't plant garlic from the grocery store as it may have been treated with an anti-sprouting chemical.
   * Planting the larger cloves will yield larger bulbs. Save the small ones for the kitchen.
   * Plant in well-drained soil with added organic matter such as compost (pH 6 -7). Bulbs will rot in soggy soil.
   * Add organic nitrogen to soil/potting mix when planting. Garlic can be grown in planters.
   * Plant in full sun (6 hrs/day).
   * Plant between Halloween and Thanksgiving before the first frost.

   * Carefully pull the bulbs apart and plant each clove 2" deep with the pointed end up.
   * Plant 4-6" apart. Overcrowding may reduce bulb size.
   * Water or ensure plants receive 1" of water a week.

Sprouts within 4-8 weeks.
   * Don't worry about frost as cold weather is required for garlic to grow.
   * Side dress with nitrogen fertilizer around March when the green tops are 4-6" tall and again in May as garlic is a heavy nitrogen feeder.
   * Mulch around plants to retain moisture.
   * Weed to prevent nutrient loss.
  * Harvest when 30% of the leaves turn yellow and the ground is relatively dry.
  * To minimize damage, dig up the bulbs rather than pulling them out by hand.
   * Don't wash the bulbs. Lightly shake off the dirt or brush off with a soft cloth.
   * Lay in a cool, dry location in a single layer to dry for approximately 2 weeks.
   * Braid or remove brown leaves and store in a cool, dry location.

Friends or Foes
   * Do not plant near beans, peas, or asparagus as garlic releases compounds toxic to the nitrogen-fixing bacteria critical to their growth.

 Side dress garlic stalks with nitrogen fertilizer in March and May - Christina Pies, CC BY-SA 3.0

 Braided Silverskin garlic is one way to store garlic - NCSU Piedmont Master Gardeners

    * Do plant near where you have planted or are going to plant tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, or carrots. Garlic's strong odor  discourages the pests normally attracted to these plants.

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   Garlic is an easy-to-grow, low maintenance plant offering a variety of culinary uses to enhance your dining pleasure while promoting good health.

So let's plant some garlic!

Health Benefits of Garlic
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7402177/
https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/Content?contentTypeID=19&ContentID=Garlic
https://www.vcuhealth.org/news/4-health-benefits-of-garlic/
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/6-surprising-ways-garlic-boosts-your-health