What do You Know About Garlic?

Allium sativum, more commonly known as garlic, is an ancient plant.  But, unlike most vegetables, domesticated garlic doesn’t produce fertile seeds, and must be grown from divisions, or single cloves of the underground bulbs.  What that means - and it’s fun to think about - is that every clove is essentially a living piece of that original ancient plant.  Although, most people are familiar with only the supermarket variety, there are other kinds of garlic that are worth seeking out.

Basically, garlic is divided into two categories.  What you find in the grocery store, and the most frequently grown, is called softneck.  This highly productive plant produces long lasting bulbs, with many cloves around a soft center stem.Hardneck garlics are noted for their stiff central stalk, fewer cloves, and their relatively short shelf life.  However, they’re easier to peel and because they have intriguing, complex flavors, hardnecks are popular with chefs and gardeners.  If you want to grow your own garlic, you’ll have to wait until autumn, so the cloves will have time to mature into bulbs for the following summer.  In the meantime, look for hardneck varieties at farm stands and gourmet food stores.  And you can even save some of the cloves for planting next fall in your very own garden!

This autumn, we’ve been busy planting 9 different hardneck varieties, which we saved from last year’s crop.  These varieties each have their own flavor characteristics, from mild to strong, which makes using them in the kitchen adventurous and fun.  They are specifically:  Georgian Crystal, Red Rezan, Russian Red, Japanese, Italian Purple, Silver, White, German Hardy, Polish Hardneck, and Chesnoke Red.

There are a few things to keep in mind when planting garlic:
- Garlic does not like to grow where Brassicas (cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower) grew the year before.  This is an unhappy marriage, reducing garlic yields.
- Be sure to snip off the curled flower spikes as they emerge, which will direct energy back to the garlic bulb, increasing its size.
- Carefully dig up the garlic bulbs after their tops turn brown and fall over.
- To cure the garlic so that it will keep in storage, place it in an area with warm temperatures, high humidity, and good air circulation for 4 to 6 weeks, until roots are completely dry.
- Save your biggest bulbs for planting next autumn – remember, the biggest cloves produce the biggest bulbs.

You can purchase the very same garlic varieties that I grow at:
 
Seed Savers Exchange, 3094 North Winn Road, Decorah, Iowa 52101 

Ph: (563) 382-5990 Fax: (563) 382-5872

Seed Savers Exchange is a non-profit organization of gardeners who save and share heirloom seed. 

Here’s a brief explanation about seed exchanges –

If you’re a gardener and you’re getting tired of what’s available at your local nursery or through garden catalogs, then you might consider becoming a member of a seed exchange.  A seed exchange is basically a society whose members trade seeds with fellow gardeners.  These seeds are most often from choice species and are not readily available to individuals.  The only way to cultivate them is to find another gardener who has seeds to pass along.  Fortunately, there are many devotees who are willing to share their seeds for nearly every plant and type of garden.  For instance, if your passion is rock gardening, you can obtain seeds through a rock garden society.  There are fern societies, carnivorous plant societies, and exchanges dealing with heirloom fruits and vegetables.  Many seed exchanges are geared to very specific climatic conditions, such as desert regions and marshy areas.

Many varieties of seeds exchanged through these groups are extremely rare and could have faced extinction, had it not been for the commitment of gardeners wanting to keep them alive.  So for a nominal fee and perhaps sharing some of your own seeds, you can enrich your garden and may also help to safeguard the genetic diversity of the world’s plant life.   

Erika Hansen, one of my gardeners is smoothing the soil in a bed where she will be planting next year’s crop of garlic.

Erika is displaying the cured garlic saved from last year that she will be planting.   This variety is Georgian Crystal.

Separating the garlic head to plant each clove separately. You can see that long, rigid stalk, which is why this kind of garlic is called hardneck.

Erika is spacing individual cloves on top of the garden bed.

Erika pushes each clove into the soil and covers it over.  Doesn’t the soil look dark and rich?  My gardeners have done a great job amending it with all sorts of organic nutrients.  I think the garlic will be very happy growing here.

   

Comments

[Anna, Stockholm]

Today is a lovely, sunny day and I have just been out digging in my garden. Reading this reminds me that I have some saved garlic that needs to be planted. I think I'll do it straight away! Thanks for the reminder!

[si]

Martha, I love your garden! The soil is just beautiful. I always wanted a compost, but never had the finances to get one. Are there any real real cheap ways to have a homemade compost made? I am piling my leaves in a wooden area on our property, and my food I place in another spot, which the critters (fox,cayotes,racoons,ect.)get during the night. I would really love to have rich compost to put down on my lilies, and Iris. Our ground really needs these nutrients. Can you help?

[PAULINE]

Hi Martha,
Liked learning about all the different varities of garlic.
I was interested in your garden fence..type, height, color, & how it was installed. I'm moving to a very rural area & will be faced for the first time keep animals out of my garden. Any information you can provide on the subject will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks you,
Pauline

[Ellen Crimi-Trent]

Wow! I wish I had a garden like that, and all that lovely garlic.

[Ellen Crimi-Trent]

Wow! I wish I had a garden like that, and all that lovely garlic.

[Abbie]

The soil looks so fertile and lovely! I'm sure the garlic will most definitely be happy there for the winter.
Thank you for the tips,
Abbie

[Margie]

Thanks, great blog today.

[Carolyn]

Thanks for the Garlic Primer. I always learn so much from you.

Carolyn

[Trish]

Hi Martha,
I had a very limited knowledge of garlic before today; garlic was garlic and I can get a big bag of it at Costco for a reasonable price. I had no idea of the different varieties or that each clove is a living piece of an ancient plant. That's very interesting; like a garlic family tree. Thanks so much for your informative Blog.
Trish

[Jane M]

Garden is fantastic as well as your fence. I have a tiny plot which would be PERFECT for vegetables but no room a fence. The deer are impossible! Also the spot for my garden is out front and a huge fence would look not pretty and I might get a fine from my town. So no garden for me unfortunetly.

[caroleHolt]

This reminded me of a dear friend from Oregon, who grows garlic for restaurants as well as the best tea in the world. A few years ago she sent me some of her garlic, all different kinds and I meant to plant it and never did. Darn, I wish I had!!! Maybe I will ask for me, and be sure to do it this time.

[Kayte]

Great show today on both the garlic and the pomegranate. I have newly discovered pomegranate juice in the last several months and am finding a lot of uses for it...can you do a blog on how you use this juice, other than for drinking? I love all the nutritional benefits from it and would like to do more with it. For instance, I made a date pomegranate sauce for a pork roast that was really good, but was wondering if the nutritional benefits are decreased when the pomegranate juice is heated or boiled. A future blog on that would be most welcome! Thanks.

[araeberry]

I live in Punta Gorda, Fl and wanted to know if planting garlic now is also the correct time? I am considering planting in containers? Thanks

[Cat]

I love the idea of the seed exchange especially when the varieties you may want you can't get in the area.

Thank you not only for the information on planting garlic - I did not know about not planting them right after the plants you had listed - good to know - but the pictures are good to have as reference! May I borrow Erika?! ;O) Compared to your garden there...it would only take her a minute to help me in mine!

The information and the pictures are great and very much appreciated!!!

Cat

[Jan Erickson]

Hi Martha, I was aware that there were two categories of garlic, but didn't know about all the varieties. Would garlic grow well in a container if it were deep enough? I think I'll try it. Thanks for teaching us something new everyday. Jan

[obione92646]

to grow garlic is fun, and easily done in pots if you dont have the space. I grow a lot of garlic chives which is great in soups! and they survicve mild winters..

[Leah]

I live in an urban setting..and have no space for a garden. Is garlic something that I can grow in a pot? Would love to have more info..! Thanks for the info...and LOVED Dr. Angelou on the show today. Can't get enough of her brilliance!!

[Michele]

Lovely garden! I used to have a big garden but have now moved to the 'burbs; I miss digging and the great fresh veggies at my fingertips!

[Stef Shroyer]

This is fascinating! I love it when you teach us these things... Because of you, I have fallen in love with heirloom tomatoes.. so much so, that I don't buy or eat any other kind. When i have guests over, they are always amazed by the history behind heirlooms.. It's just so neat!!

Thanks so much!
Stef in Seattle

[jody]

sounds like a great time! you are so good about posting stuff on myspace. Jody

[karen l. gohler]

dear martha/ loved your pictures of your garden please send more, if there is a time Id love to come and learn from your gardeners, I love the dirt and plants I feel most at home with animals and gardens. What do you do with all that food and all your flowers.? thanks for sharing your knowledge with all your beginners..k