Garlic - growing, using and storing

Growing and Using Garlic

Really, I can’t believe I have never written about this amazing and essential herb/vegetable before. Hopefully, I can atone for that omission in this Blog.

For me, garlic is one of the major essentials in cooking in today’s menus.

Back in the 1990’s Dr D.G.Hessayon put garlic into his ‘herb’ section at the back of his book and gave few details on how to grow it. His advice, however, on how to use it is very reminiscent of my first introduction to this wonderful plant many years ago.

Dr Hessayon said – way back then ‘If you are a beginner with garlic, you must use it very sparingly or you will be put off forever. Rub a wooden salad bowl with a clove before adding the ingredients. Rub the skin of poultry before roasting…..’

Now I look at this with amazement as I add garlic to most of the dishes I cook – be they casseroles, roasts, curries, North African food – tagines etc. West Indian, East Indian, South American, Asian chutneys, relishes, ketchup, etc. I cannot imagine my kitchen without.

In our climate and in most of our soils in the south of our country, garlic grows well, although, in wetter years on my very heavy clay soil it has not been so productive. If you have not grown it before, when you are looking for a variety which will suit your soil and conditions, ask your neighbours which grows best for them. Alternatively try a few different varieties and see which does best. Some of the main seed houses will provide a beginner’s pack or 'Garlic Lover's Pack'– giving 1 bulb of 3 or 4 different varieties. Try these and see what does best, keeping in mind that what grows well in one year may not do so well in other years with different weather conditions. For this reason I always grow several varieties.

In the last few years I have planted Solent Wight and Purple Wight. Although, Solent Wight is usually the reliable one, this year the Purple Wights gave me an amazing crop though the Solent Wights were seriously disappointing. There is, of course an argument which says, to grow only those varieties which like our SW England soil.

Now for this serious stuff!

Garlic, along with onions, leeks, shallots, spring onions, is a member of the Allium family and many of the diseases which affect one of these vegetables are likely to affect the others to a greater or lesser degree.

Growing – Although garlic can be grown from seeds, it is normally grown from the bulbs [cloves]. It can be planted in autumn or in spring, [between October and the end of April, depending on variety]. If planting in autumn, it is suggested that you plant to a depth of about 10cm [4in] as repeated freezing and thawing can lead to weakening of the bulbs and encourages white rot. However, on heavy soil, I have found that if planted as deeply the cloves will rot in the ground. If you do leave the tops of the bulbs just peeking above ground, as you might do with onions or shallots, make sure you put nets over the bulbs to prevent birds from pulling them up – it seems the birds think they are worms? Once the bulbs are established and put up green growth, remove the nets so that the garlic shoots don’t grow through the netting.

If your soil is heavy clay, there are several alternatives;

-      Leave planting until spring and plant into well dug beds;

-      Prepare the ground well – make a trench and fill with fine soil, sand [to help drainage] and compost before planting;

-      Plant to a depth of 2-3cm [1 in], making sure the growing tip is below the level of the ground.

The major authorities on garlic growing suggest that garlic planted in the autumn is best eaten as it becomes ready as it does not store as well as that planted in the spring. [That said, I have always planted mine in the autumn and my stored bulbs have always kept well until the next year’s crop is ready].

Garlic cloves can be planted quite closely together as the mature plants don’t have a huge spread. If you prefer large bulbs, plant 15 – 20cm [6 – 8 in] apart, in rows the same distance apart. They can be planted as close as 10cm [4in], but leave more space between the rows. You can dig a trench and set the cloves in before covering or you can make suitable holes using a dibber. Don’t force the cloves into the ground or you may damage them.

The ground should preferably be in a sunny spot, light and free draining and not too acid. It is better if fertilised in the previous season – don’t add manure before planting. Keep the beds well weeded throughout their fairly long growing season and water well in dry weather. A good onion fertiliser will also encourage a more productive crop.

 Although you can save your own bulbs for planting again in the next season and, you can plant garlic you have bought from the vegetable shop or supermarket, it is really advisable to buy in fresh, certified disease free bulbs from a reputable source, to avoid a build-up of diseases. Also those bought in supermarkets may not be varieties which are suitable for our conditions.

When you take the bulbs home, remove them from any packaging and separate each individual clove from the bulb - don’t remove the papery skin – discard any cloves which have blemishes and plant only the more robust bulbs. Make sure you plant them with the growing point up.

Types

Although there are many different varieties to choose from there are two main types of garlic:

Hardneck – it is easy to understand the title when you have grown this type as it will put up a hard stem [a scape] and eventually a flower head which produces small garlic like fruits [all parts are edible]. They are more suitable for colder harder conditions. Varieties include – Lautrec Wight, Carcassone Wight.

Softneck – the most commonly grown type on our allotments – includes Solent Wight, Arno and Purple Wight. They usually mature faster and keep longer than the hardneck varieties and when harvested can be plaited into handsome, traditional strings of garlic for hanging your storeroom.

It is best to look at the varieties available from you seed provider and see which type will suit you best. Some companies like Thompson and Morgan offer a Garlic Lover’s Selection which would give you the opportunity to try out different types to see what suits your ground and palette best. Look out for this in the autumn.

Have a look also at The Garlic Farm – www.thegarlicfarm.co.uk

Harvesting

When the leaves start to yellow and fall over, the plants have finished their growing time. Lift them carefully and lay them on the ground [or on a suitable rack – I use a couple of bakery trays given to me by a baker friend, also good for drying onions and shallots] for a few days in dry weather for the tops to dry out. This is more difficult in continuous wet weather when you will need to find a cool sheltered spot and hang them up to dry out – in a shed if you have one. Keep the bunches loose to avoid the bulbs rotting. The tops should be completely dried out before storing.

When the bulbs have grown but before they are fully ripened and the skins have not yet formed between the cloves, you can harvest ‘wet garlic’, to be used immediately as a vegetable. This is particularly delicious roasted.

Nutritional Value

Garlic contains good levels of carbohydrate and protein. It is a useful source of Vitamin B – Thiamine B1, Riboflavin B2, Niacin B3, B5 and an excellent source of B6. It is a good source also of Vitamin C.

The many minerals include calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc and a small amount of sodium.

Pests and Diseases – unfortunately there are many diseases garlic, similar to those which affect onions which can prevent you from achieving a satisfactory crop.

-      Rust, one of the main diseases on our allotment fields affecting especially garlic and leeks – if it attacks early [as it did in 2012] and the infection is heavy it will prevent the bulbs from developing properly possibly giving a less than useful crop. In most seasons the garlic just outgrows the rust with no major effect. Avoid planting in the same area again although, on allotments, this is difficult as others’ crops are so close and you have limited space to move.

-      White rot, more commonly seen on onions and especially in wet cold years – it is a soil borne disease so it is important to avoid planting any allium crops in that area for about 8 years. Destroy any plants carrying this disease.

Having just received my Garlic bulbs to be planted this autumn and having divided them into their different, varieties I am just waiting for the weather to become a little cooler and for the rain[ we are now getting, at long last] to give me suitable planting conditions. Each year I put clear labels against the rows, so that I know which has done best, with clear writing in ‘permanent’ ink. And each year it has disappeared by harvest time! I do this also with my potatoes – fortunately, I keep a record on my computer of what I have planted, and where.

Please be aware that Elephant Garlic is not a 'garlic' but a member of the leek family. The roots will grow enormous and very satisfying looking cloves but are very mild in flavour and may not suit the serious garlic lover. These bulbs are also expensive to buy although, if you like them, of course you can buy one and keep the cloves produced to increase your crop in the following year.