Growing Garlic

Even though garlic may not be needed to ward of vampires, it does have many great qualities. You can use garlic in a variety of ways, including cooking, a bug repellant, decoration, and many other things. If you want to use garlic for any purpose, many people will go to the store, and buy some. If, however, you want to grow your own garlic, just follow these little tips to have some coming out of your own garden, ready to be used.

Garlic is best planted, like almost every other vegetable we have discussed, in full sun. This means that it should not be placed where the shade of a building or tree may block it. Garlic is generally forgiving about what kind of soil you use, but it prefers well drained soil that has high organic content. If you want to make sure your soil is just right, you can get it tested and make sure the pH is right around 6.5, but this is not necessary.

Before you plant your garlic, make sure the soil is very well cultivated, since garlic grows best in light soil where its roots can easily go deep. You can do this by hand, or you can rent a machine do it. You will probably want to cultivate up to the top foot of soil.

After the soil is cultivated, it is time to plant. It is best to plant in fall, about a month before the ground freezes. Take the garlic you have purchased from the gardening center, and crack it apart no more than 48 hours before planting. Plant the garlic between 2-4 inches into the soil. You should plant your garlic only about 4-8 inches apart from each other, depending on the size of the garlic, which will help keep weeds out in the spring. Make sure to water the garlic, even during the winter if the climate is dry, and be sure to cover the garlic with mulch to keep it warm during a cold winter. A good, early sign that everything went right is that you should see roots shooting up late in the fall, a good sign that your garlic will be ready come spring.

If everything went right, you should be ready to harvest before too long. You will know it is time to harvest when the lower leaves have turned brown, but the upper leaves are still green. Dig out the garlic bulb gently, and you are ready to go. If you want to store garlic, dry it out by hanging a group in a well ventilated place for about two weeks, then store them in a well ventilated area for up to six months. Just be sure to watch for mold or your whole crop could be ruined.