Growing garlic is amazingly easy. This bulbous vegetable plant is therefore well suited to beginner gardeners. In any case, it is an essential herb in the kitchen. Raw or cooked, Garlic is very good for your health, and you can eat one or two cloves every day of the year. Here’s how to grow garlic and what little care this perennial needs, from planting to harvest.
plant garlic
Those are the pods (buds) developing from the main bulb to be planted. This type of bud is called a bulb or caye. To obtain a production of large heads, it is advisable to plant the cloves which are on the outside of the bulb rather than those on the inside. These are usually smaller. Of course, we don’t throw them away because they work wonders in the kitchen. But before consuming them, we always think of splitting them in half lengthwise in order to remove the germ.
In addition to being large, the cloves to be planted must be nicely formed and completely healthy. Finally, the precaution is taken not to separate them from the head until the moment of putting them in the ground.
The planting period depends on the variety of garlic that one chooses to grow, namely:
- The spring (from mid-March to mid-April) for thepink garlic (in regions where autumns are chilly),
- L’fall for’ail violet and thewhite garlic.
The varieties planted in autumn are obviously the hardiest.
Precautions to take
It is useful to fertilize the land at least 40 days before planting Garlic with a very well decomposed compost. If the manure is too fresh, it causes the garlic heads to rot before they even reach maturity. Note also that Garlic is susceptible to rotting if the soil is too waterlogged. This is why in heavy soil it makes sense to make a mound fifteen centimeters high using the hoe.
The plantation is done as follows.
- At the top of the mound, plant the cloves at a depth of 3 cm,
- Space the cloves 10 cm apart.
It is not no need to water when planting because as a rule, the weather conditions are sufficient to create the necessary humidity.
Growing Garlic
First of all, it is very important to note that garlic absolutely does not tolerate being grown in the presence of plants of the family of Alliaceae as is the case, for example, with chives, onions, shallots, leeks or wild garlic, etc., nor in an area of the vegetable garden where one of these plants has been grown for the previous four years. It is therefore absolutely necessary to opt for the rotation des cultures. On the other hand, Garlic can be grown near peas and beans.
Garlic is not a demanding plant in terms of soil since everything suits him provided that the earth is airy but devoid of sand and does not retain water. On the exhibition side, a place under the sun suits him perfectly.
Caring for garlic in the garden
Garlic unquestionably rises among the easiest plants to grow, requiring very little time and effort from the gardener. Thus it is suitable for all people who have a small space of land, even for novice gardeners.
Water
One waters one’s Garlic plants only in dry weather and only in maywhen the bulbs are forming.
Binary
It is useful to hoe regularly to loosen soil that tends to crust and to eliminate weeds as they appear.
Pests and diseases
It is rarely necessary to have to treat Garlic in the garden because the pests do not rub against it. And for good reason, garlic is regularly used as a natural insecticide. It is also not susceptible to disease. This is all the more true once we have purchased certified seedlings. A poor quality plant is more prone to rust and bulb rot.
Harvest Garlic
The harvest of garlic planted in autumn is spread over several months, as and when needed, depending on the case. In May, the harvested green garlic is eaten fresh. From the end of June, it matures. So we can make garlic braids but the harvest must first be left to dry in a shady spot for a few days. To avoid the risk of burns which reduce the shelf life of garlic, it is important not to dry the heads in direct sunlight.
Once done, the garlic braids can simply be hung up in the kitchen. They keep well in this type of warm room to which they bring a decorative touch and a note of authenticity.
Finally, we can absolutely consume the young plants or aillets because they are delicious, as well as the garlic flower. As to leaves, they are eaten fresh and chopped. For example, they flavor casseroled eggs, omelets, fresh cream, salads, lamb, certain fish, etc. They can therefore be used in the same way as parsley, chives, dill and many other aromatics. .