I love the group of participants that came together to share their stories on garlic recipes or and experiences planting garlic. We talked about the difference with hard neck and soft neck garlic: Did you know most gardeners believe that hard neck garlic is much tastier and tends to have bigger garlic cloves growth. Where is, the soft neck garlic is not necessarily as tasty but the leaves can be braided and easier to store. Hardneck garlic have bigger cloves, So in other words the bigger the clove the bigger the garlic!
The best time to plant, in our weather here in Vancouver, is in October and harvest in July. If you live in a cold climate you might want to consider planting garlic in spring and harvest in the fall to avoid frost. Planting 2-3 inches deep and 4-6 inches apart seems to be standard. Use a good fertilizer when planting, it helps the growth of your garlic, and then mulching 2 to 4 inches on top is ideal for the soil and to protect your garlic. Expect to see some growth before the spring and then it’ll go dormant. Once spring does occur you can remove the mulch and add bone meal or other super soil to your garden bed and watch it continue growing.
I anticipate the growth of the scape, I love the way it comes up and curls. The scape is tender when cutting it off at an early stage and makes a great pesto or stir fry, in addition, it’s good for the garlic so that the nutrients can go back to the garlic. You can leave a couple to grow- it’s fun to observe the flower it makes!
Did you know there are many health benefits to eating garlic, such as: it helps lower cholesterol and blood pressure, it’s great for clearing up acne, it’s supports the immune system, and detox the body. Read more here: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-proven-health-benefits-of-garlic
Want to learn more? Watch Jordans video here, he is so helpful! https://youtu.be/o4XT6dDvoy8
Happy planting! love eva aboud , food security coordinator.
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