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.
