Garlic

The simple little clove of garlic can make such a big impact on a

recipe. It's so easy to grow, even in a small space. I grow two kinds, a

hardneck and a softneck (considered a braiding garlic). I have saved

garlic bulbs for planting for years and since have lost the names, but

there are several great companies that can provide valuable

information on the varieties and what to plant in your time zone (source).

As you can see crosssection of the garlic bulb above, there are many

sizes of cloves contained in it. The larger cloves are the best ones to

plant.

Tips for Growing

• Plant in the fall*. This is suggested for all garlic because they need the

cold to produce the best bulbs.

• Get your garlic cloves from a good reliable source. I found that out the

hard way.

• Make sure to plant root side down. That is one of the biggest mistakes

so make sure to plant with the pointed side up.

• Plant the largest cloves first. Most garlic bulbs will have a combination

of small and large cloves; the largest cloves produce the best bulbs.

• In my zone, I plant the cloves about 2-inches deep, then cover with soil.

I then spread several inches of straw. Sometimes I will use pine straw if I

have it.

• Make sure the soil isn't too wet or too dry. Both of those conditions will

reduce the yield.

• Harvest at the right time. The lower third of the leaves will have turned

brown. It takes a couple of months to cure properly. I lay mine on a

wire rack in a protected porch that gets cross ventilation.

*The rules say to plant in the fall and I did in

the big garden, but since I had some

healthy hardneck cloves that I wasn't going

to use, I decided to put some in my

planting bags. I did not take out the used soil,

I just mixed in some compost and natural

fertilizer. My hand dibbler made the holes

and after covering the bulbs, I put a thick layer

of straw on top. Now I'll wait and see

what happens.

I plan on using the cloves that I planted in the bags for garlic scapes.

The green stalks extend from the base of the hardneck garlic plants and

slightly larger than scallions or chives. They are a little milder than

regular garlic and can replace it in most dishes. Once cooked, they

have a sweeter flavor similar to roasted garlic.

LAURA LEE ALICE
COOKS