Garlic
(Allium sativum)
Description
Although garlic is a perennial, it needs annual
division and replanting to produce the bulbs that are common on the market.
Several types
are available, both with and without topsets. Elephant garlic is not
really a garlic at all, but a type of leek that forms a pungent bulb
that tastes like and resembles the garlic bulb.
Culture
Garlic may
be grown successfully throughout the temperate United
States in home gardens. It is started by planting small cloves that
are divisions
of the large bulb. Each bulb may contain a dozen or more cloves,
depending on
variety; each clove is planted separately. The larger the clove, the
larger the size
of the mature bulb at harvest. Do not divide the bulb until you are
ready to
plant—early separation of the cloves results in decreased yields. Select “seed
bulbs” that are large, smooth, fresh, and free of disease.
Garlic grows best on friable loam soils that are fertile and high in
organic
matter. Gardeners that grow good onion crops can grow good garlic.
Garlic does
well at high fertility levels. Apply 3 pounds of 10-10-10 fertilizer
per 100 square
feet. The bulb is small if the soil is excessively dry, and it is
irregular in shape if
the soil becomes compacted.
Throughout all but the hottest and coldest
areas of the country, fall planting
is preferable. Dry bulbs are normally divided into cloves and planted
in the fall.
Plants root and begin to sprout before cold weather. Planting should
be late
enough to allow roots to develop well and top growth to begin before
the soil
freezes. In most areas, this planting date is sometime in October.
In the first
thaw of spring, the plants are off and growing luxuriantly.
If planting must be delayed until spring, garlic should be planted
very early
(March or April) to permit full development. Fall preparation
of the soil is desirable so that the soil can be fertilized and planted
with minimal tillage when-ever it first can be worked. Plant
the cloves 3" — 5" apart in an upright
position (with points up) to assure a straight neck, and cover
them to a depth of 1" — 2". Allow 18" — 30" between rows,
or plant 5" — 8" apart in
all directions on raised beds.
Bulbing occurs in June, and bulbs can be dug when the tops start
to yellow,
usually in July. Tops normally cannot be allowed to dry completely
in the field
because the unpredictable moisture in the soil may begin to
rot the delicate
papery wrapper scales. Do not wait until all leaves have browned,
but harvest
when about five green leaves remain. This assures good wrappers
on the dried
bulbs. Place the bulbs on trays with screens or slatted bottoms,
and remove the
tops when dry. Bulbs can be braided or bunched with twine and
hung in a dry,
dark, airy place to complete drying.
The mature bulbs are best
stored under
cool, dry conditions. They then usually keep for months.
An interesting recent development is the culture of garlic in the form of
scallions. Topsets or small cloves are planted fairly thickly in a
row and the green
plants dug, cleaned, and bunched like green onions.
Uses
Garlic is
a member of the onion family that is commonly sold as a
vegetable, though its use is more like an herb. Its health benefits
are becoming
so well known that it might as well be considered here as an herb.
Garlic is used
both cooked and raw in a wide variety of dishes. When grown as
scallions the
whole plant, tops and all, is chopped into dishes for flavor.
