Garlic 101: A pungent lesson in growing your own

The Garlic Festival, or what I colloquially refer to as “The Collective of Bad Breath and Beady Pores,” was everything it promised to be — colourful, fragrant, and busy.

And every year, I am inspired to grow more of the bulb. It’s easy, you know.

“Now you too can enjoy fresh garlic, year round, following a few easy steps!” (Cue 50’s commercial jingle.)

Before the frost, which can vary from year to year, you stick your wedges of the bulb six inches apart and three inches deep in good well-drained soil. I prefer the hardneck variety, since it’s tried and true for this zone.

Because they’ll develop some height later on, consider placing them at the back of a bed, amidst perennials, or in long rows, mainly for aesthetic purposes. Atop of your bulbs, you can enrich the soil with some green compost.

You can mulch, but before you do, consider that a thick layer can shelter rodents and could attract deer, depending on where you live. However, if you aren’t getting a lot of rain, mulching could even out the soil’s moisture level between rainfalls, which is crucial to good garlic. You’ll need to weigh the pros and cons before you decide.

If you see that some shoots are growing, but the frost has not yet arrived, fear not. You haven’t planted too early. The frost will prevent them from developing any further and will send them into a gestational period, where, like tulip bulbs, they must have the cold spell to really do well.

The following spring and into summer, you will note the long grass-like stalks of the garlic growing tall. Take note, as part of this growth includes a “scape” that will curl like a bracelet. To encourage a more vigorous bulb, cut the scape back once it has curled into a circle or even two.

This part is equally as delicious and can be used very much like a chive — snipped up to top a baked potato or baked alongside fish on the barbecue. One grower says he stops watering the plants two to three weeks after the scape has been cut, since over-watering reduces the life span of the bulb.

Harvest time is evident once the stalk becomes more brown and papery. Don’t cut these back, but instead pull or fork the bulb forth and then proceed to braid the bulbs together using the various stalks. This is also known as curing, which allows the paper to dry and the bulb to harden. Make sure all of the dirt has been removed gently.

If you can, ensure the garlands are getting enough air circulation. These you can hang like a prize in your kitchen if you intend to use the garlic within a couple of months. If you have a ton of it, and lucky should you be, hang the treasures in a cold cellar or basement to preserve the quality of the bulb.

For some great information and recipes, visit garlicfarm.ca.

Anne Boulton is an avid gardener who lives in Sudbury. Visit her blog at greenboots.ca or contact her at [email protected].