My “Tennessee grandmother” always used to say, “Garlic is good for your gizzard!” She would eat an entire clove of garlic in one spoonful. Needless to say, we eat a lot of garlic here at Timberidge Farms. Not only does it add great flavor to most of our favorite recipes and possess tremendous health benefits, it is also very easy to grow. If you have ever planted tulips or daffodils, I am sure you have the skills necessary to grow garlic as well. Garlic should be planted in the fall up to USDA Hardiness Zone 6. It can be planted in the spring, however planting garlic in the fall will yield larger more flavorful bulbs. Each individual clove planted in the fall will produce an entire bulb by the middle of the following summer.

Garlic can be purchased from a variety of sources. We bought our original seeds from Seed Savers Exchange, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of heirloom seeds. Garlic can be saved and replanted year after year, so you only have to buy it once!

We plant our garlic during the month of October usually on Columbus Day, in an area with well drained soil and summer sunshine. Plant Garlic as you would plant daffodil bulbs or other flowering bulbs: about 2” deep and at least 4” apart. Garlic is a relatively small plant growing about 2’ tall and around 8” wide. Garlic grown for food should not produce flowers. Garlic leaves will start to poke through the soil in the early spring. Do not worry about frost; garlic is fairly hardy and will not suffer because of spring frosts. About the time that all of the other vegetables in your garden start taking off (July for us), the leaves of the garlic will start to die back and turn brown. Once the tops have died, it is time to harvest the garlic. Carefully dig up bulbs being careful not to cut or bruise them. The bulbs should be left outside to cure (out of direct sunlight) for around a week or two depending on the weather. After the bulbs have cured, the paper skin should be dry and the bulbs should be firm. At this point your garlic is ready to consume. Don’t forget to save back a bulb or two grow next year!

The easiest and most healthy way to consume your garlic is to eat it fresh. Garlic will keep fresh for several months, 6 at least. Store you garlic in a dark, cool, dry place, it is also important for the garlic to be exposed to air (it should not be sealed in a bag.) You can either place the bulbs in a net bag or braid the tops. Alternative ways to keep garlic would be to freeze it, or dehydrate it and grind it into garlic powder or garlic salt.  Do not store your garlic in oil, although this is a convenient way to purchase it from the store, doing this at home will create perfect conditions for botulism toxin. I usually store a combination of fresh garlic and homemade garlic powder. Fresh garlic is great in recipes and garlic powder is fantastic on homemade pizza, among other things! Garlic powder is very easy to make, read my DIY Garlic Powder post for detailed instructions.

In addition to my own personal experience, I have used The Gardener’s A-Z Guide to Growing Organic Food as a resource to write this article.

As always I would love to hear about your experience with growing garlic, feel free to leave a comment!

 

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