One of my favorite plants to grow in the fall garden is the beloved garlic. This bulb plant is not only an incredible culinary ingredient, but also super easy to grow and use for a multitude of medicinal purposes. September through early November is the best time to plant garlic. Each clove in a garlic head represents one garlic “seed”.
Here are a few important steps for growing this wonderful SUPERFOOD.
1. Purchase your garlic seed bulb at your local nursery instead of the grocery store.
2. Follow the planting spacing, depth and soil needs and be prepared to wait. Garlic has a long growing season for good reason. Before the soil gets too cold and hard in the winter, garlic needs time to establish healthy roots before going dormant. Once spring warms the soil, the garlic will grow taller foliage and focus its energy on growing a full bulb.
3. Once the foliage starts to die back in early June, you know your garlic is ready.
4. Freshly harvested garlic and garlic skin is very soft and your garlic will need another week or two to cure. In our home, we enjoy braiding garlic and hanging it on our wall. It’s such a labor of love, but completely satisfying. Be sure to save a few heads of garlic for dividing and replanting again in the fall. YOU’LL NEVER HAVE TO BUY GARLIC AGAIN!
FIVE HEALTH BENEFITS OF GARLIC
1. Garlic is a natural bug repellant
2. Garlic has anti-viral properties
3. Garlic has immune boosting properties
4. The active compounds in garlic reduce blood pressure
5. Garlic contains antioxidants.
For more health information, visit 11 Health Benefits of Garlic.