With some help from Organic Gardening.com, here is how to grow garlic, easy as 1, 2, 3! My aim is to break things down to their basic parts and to simplify the process so EVERYONE realizes that they can do it too! So many people think gardening is hard or that they need a green thumb, but you don't. You just need the basics and some confidence.
http://www.organicgardening.com/feature/0,7518,s1-5-16-231,00.html#
OK- how to plant garlic:
- Prepare the garlic cloves: Plant garlic form mid-September through mid October. Break the garlic bulb apart into individual cloves and soak them in a jar mixed with water, one tbsp baking soda, and one tablespoon of liquid seaweed (to prevent fungal disease and encourage vigorous growth).
- Prepare bed for planting: Garlic grows best in rich, well-drained soil. Push cloves down 3 inches and space 6-8 inches apart. Plant fat part of bulb down so that the slender tip is on top.
- Cover the garlic bed: Cover the cloves with 2 inches of soil and cover with 6-8 inches of compost, straw, or leaves. Shoots should poke through the mulch in 4-6 weeks. It will stop growing in winter and will resume in spring.
This year I had a great garlic harvest..... Nothing like fresh garlic. It may be the variety, but my garlic was super concentrated and wonderful! I am actually using my harvest for planting.
I think this is a good cycle: plant many cloves, harvest the scapes (the flower of the garlic plant...makes wonderful garlic pesto) harvest the bulbs, eat garlic to your hearts content, use the rest for planting for the next season!
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