Garlic

I just dug up 5 bulbs of beautiful garlic from my flower bed. I don't know anything about growing garlic. I just plant the single cloves among the flowers because I heard that they keep the bugs away, and they did in my garden. I had a few aphids which I smashed in between my fingers :( If any one out there knows what the little tiny brown clovets are on the outside of the bulb please let me know. Are they worth planting, and if so when should I plant them in Tucson?

Garlic

Allium sativum
Amaryllidaceae family

Language and mythology: Garlic has been around for thousands of years. While its origin is unknown, some people believe it originated in Siberia, then spread to the Mediterranean area, becoming naturalized in the process. Classical writers such as Homer, Chaucer, and Shakespeare mention garlic, and it was present in the diets of early Romans, Greeks, and Egyptians.

Description: Garlic has long, flat, solid leaves and a culinary bulb. Its grayish leaves are about 12 inches long and up to an inch wide. A round-stemmed flower stalk originates from the center of the plant and produces a ball-shaped, compact collection of white flowers that are sometimes tinged with lavender. Each bulb multiplies during the growing season, producing highly flavored segments called cloves. Each segment as well as the 4 to 15 cloves comprising a bulb is wrapped in a white papery sheath. Some varieties have a reddish sheath.

Plant type and hardiness: Perennial; hardiness zone 3.
Height and width: Height 24 to 36 inches; width to 6 inches.
Light and soil: Full sun; rich, moist, well-drained soil with a pH of 4.5 to 8.3.
Pests and disease: None noted.

Cultivation: Spring is the best time to grow garlic. Break bulblets apart and plant each clove, root-end downward, about 6 inches apart and 2 inches deep in cultivated soil. Cover each drill with soil and water well. Spear-like leaves soon will appear, followed by flower stalks. The plants tolerate poor soil but will thrive if manure or amendments are added yearly to poor soil. Divide and replant garlic every three to four years. It can be grown indoors.

Companion planting: Garlic and roses benefit each other in the garden. Garlic is a natural pest deterrent that repels aphids. It helps peaches, tomatoes, cabbages, and eggplant. If garlic is near peas or beans, however, it inhibits growth.

Propagation method: Division or seeds.
Bloom time and color: Spring and summer; white to lavender.

Harvesting: Harvest about 6 months after planting when the flowers are fading and the leaves begin to turn yellow and shrivel. Dig the bulbs, shake off dirt, and hang in a dry place with good air circulation. Moisture in the air may cause bulbs to mildew. After the bulbs have hardened, cut off any leaf remnants. Store in a dry, airy place in a basket or other open container.

Herbal uses: Culinary and medicinal.
Sauteed or fresh garlic tastes vibrant and onionlike. It is added to many dishes, including spaghetti sauce, pork roast, herb butter, fresh salads, beans, stuffings, dressings, stews, soups, and marinades. The cloves are either minced or added whole and removed before the dish is served. Garlic is said to have medicinal qualities.

Garden notes: Garlic is an easy, hardy plant for beginners to grow. Plant cloves in early spring, as soon as the ground can be worked. When flower stalks appear, cut them back so that the plant¹s energy goes into producing useful bulbs. Cloves can be planted in late autumn so that they will not sprout in the fall.

HTH

~* Robin

60bugs....We plant garlic here in the Fall of the year. Friends of mine in Canada also plant theirs in the Fall as well. Although you could plant some now I don't believe you will get big bulbs before the heat really sets in and causes them to slow down bulb growth. What you might try though is planting the "clovettes" and let them start gaining in size; if you see them beginning to flower, cut the flowers off. When the plant yellows, pull up the bulbs (they'll be small), let them dry and re-plant them in the Fall. Those will then gain size and be wonderfully harvestable next year.

By the way, WELCOME TO DG!

Robin, "Cloves can be planted in late autumn so that they will not sprout in the fall." Actually they will sprout in the Fall but will send up just a bit of top portion. With Fall planting (and shorter days) the root system is what will grow and become nicely established. Once cold weather settles in good the plants will go into semi-dormancy. This will really give one a head start on nice-sized bulbs for the following year.

well I just plucked 8 garlic bulbs that hadn't developed to a nice size before the heat hit so I'm drying them and going to plant them again around the end of Aug when it cools down to the low 80's. I wish I had planted these sooner cause they smell is great. Makes me want to cook something with garlic now! Garlic from the store just doesn't come close to this intense smell. Thanks for the tip.

Saint

Here Garlic can be planted spring or fall and depending on what type do very well. Elaphant which is not a true garlic and is not as strong needs planting in the fall. It is fun to grow because it gets huge and has fist sized bulbs and it stores well I still have some from last fall. It grows a big flower and we always leave a couple keep them and just dig them up and replant them the same day. Ernie

Thank you all for getting back with me about garlic. I never knew that it was so easy to grow. I will continue to plant garlic among the flowers to keep the bugs away no matter the time of the year, but now I will make room for a lot more in the fall. Thank you for the tips.

60bugs

Can I just plant garlic from the grocery store or do I have to buy them from a catalogue?

Umm, silly question. Do I have to peel the cloves before planting?

Elephant garlic - Do I plant the whole thing?
Thanks.

-Kim

razzie...most definitely, YES! I've grown "grocery store" garlic for years. It is most often "California White" and is a good garlic! I love it! Whenever you see it go on sale, pick the bulbs that have the biggest cloves (not necessarily the biggest bulb). Plant the big cloves and save the smaller ones for eating.

bluekat, no!....what you want to do is NOT peel the cloves. Just pull them away from the bulb and plant them as is. They'll need the "paper" on them to help protect them while they are growing. As for elephant garlic, same deal...plant a clove of it also (no peeling).

Hope this helps!

Thanks Shoe - sounds too easy!

-Kim

another garlic question - last oct i kplanted about 7 or 8 cloves of garlice in a cont6ainer and plaxced the container in a whole and surrounded with with hay. i now have a lot of green growing with little yellow flowers. is this a good thing? what do i do next. thanks.

Herbie, cut off the flowers.

I remember you posting that you started some garlic in a container. Can't remember what size container. As long as there is room for the garlic to bulb up you should be fine. If they are flowering this early it could be from stress (of some kind) or compacted soil (another form of stress). First thing I'd do is pinch off the flowers, keep well watered during active growth, and give them plenty of sun. (Short days/lack of sun will encourage flowering.)

Hey Horseshoe! Can you just leave them in the ground all summer if you're using them as a rabbit repellant? Or will they rot? In my old garden I had planted them and just forgot about them and they came back every year and they just grew, I don't know if they were edible or not.
-Juli

Howdy Juli... Yes, you can leave them in the ground. The bulbs will eventually start sending up new garlic sprouts from all the cloves. (Not a bad idea if you would like to harvest the garlic "greens" as chives/seasonings, etc!)

There've been times I was unable to dig all the bulbs from a harvest and those would sprout (as described above). If you're using the garlic as a deterrent/repellant then just leave them be.

question...should I wait until Sept. to put mine out here? Temps are still in the 90's in SE TX in Aug but go down to the mid 80's in Sept. We never have long freezes but do get cooler temps a few times a year. Nights get down to the 40's till around mid Nov first of Dec. So what do ya'll think? I'll be putting it in a pot btw.

Saint

horeshoe - thanks. will do.

Saint if I lived where you live I would try Cailiflower direct seeded last week of aug and a couple of weeks later. Buts thats just me. Ernie

araness: I planted my garlic in the flower garden last fall and it did great. I'm planting more this fall and will cut the flower stalks off to see if that really makes a difference like someone elso said to do on the thread. Good luck!
By the way I've cooked some and it's delicious!

Regards:
Mary Helen

horseshoe- about my garlic. they get plenty of water and sunlighht. yesterday i wenmt out and pinched all the yellow flowers on tghe green leaves. today there were about 10 more flowers. should i keep picking them and if so, when do i know when to harvest the garlic which hopefullly, are under the flowers. thanks

my goodness...you got ten more flowers overnite? Do you have lots of garlic in the same planter/container? Or do you have lots of containers, each with one garlic plant growing. (Hope you have lots of garlic, cus I love garlic! Have a feeling YOU do too!)

I'd keep removing the flowers. When the plants begin to yellow and wilt that is a good sign your garlic is getting ready for harvest. Cut back on watering at that stage or it will initiate more sprouting from your new bulbs.

i put about 7 or 8 cloves in the container. thanks for the help.