Garlic is an extremely versatile cooking and medicinal herb. It is a great herb to grow in the backyard, because it is relatively easy to propagate at home, and it is expensive to buy at the store.
Cloves separated ready to be planted
Uses for Garlic
1. Skin care
2. Organic insecticide
3. Mosquito repellant
4. Cold sore treatment
5. Cooking
6. Fresh in salad
7. Anti-fungal
8. Flea deterrent
9. Cough
10. Intestinal Parasite Killer
When to Plant Garlic
It really depends on where you live, but typically sometime in the fall. Immediately after the first light frost is a good time.
What type of garlic, hardneck or softneck?
Hardneck garlic is great for northern climates as this type of garlic is very hardy. It also tends to have a flavor closer to wild garlic. Softneck garlic is not quite as hardy, but you can grow it to zone 5 or 6. Softneck garlic does store better than hardneck, and it has a milder taste.
Soil Type?
Garlic does best in rich, loose soil, with plenty of organic material, and a soil pH near 6.5. It is a greedy feeder of nutrients.
How to Plant Garlic?
Separate the cloves right before planting. Plant the cloves 2-3 inches deep with the root side down and the pointed side up. Maintain at least 6 inches space between cloves. Apply 4-6 inches of straw. This will help to keep the garlic from freezing in the winter.
Garlic planted pointed end up
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~ Phil Williams
Phil Williams is a permaculture consultant and designer and creator of the website foodproduction101.com. His website provides useful, timely information for the experienced or beginning gardener, landscaper, or permaculturalist. Phil's personal goals are to build soil, restore and regenerate degraded landscapes, grow and raise an abundance of healthy food of great variety, design and install resilient permaculture gardens in the most efficient manner possible, and teach others along the way.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://peakprosperity.com/how-to-grow-garlic/