Easy-to-grow garlic


Garlic is so easy to grow and it adds so much flavor to the kitchen that everyone should try to cultivate it. Oct. 1 is the traditional date seasoned North Texans go by to get fresh cloves into the ground, although some bury a few starting in August.

Garlic (Allium sativum) originated in Asia but found its way to France and Italy, where it still grows wild. This is not the case in Texas, but that’s no reason to do without this homegrown, delightful flavor.

Many garden retailers stock specialty garlics, including imported and organic varieties, but a fresh, fleshy head from the grocery store also works. Peel off the papery skin to uncover the cloves that make up the bulb; break the head apart into individual cloves. The average garlic bulb has about 20 cloves, more than enough for a row in the garden or a sunny spot in the backyard among the perennials and annuals.

In the garden bed, turn the dirt, mix in compost, and insert each clove about 2 inches deep, pointed end toward the sky, and place them about 6 inches apart. Push the composted dirt over the planted cloves, give them a good drink of water, then sit back for about nine months.

October planting allows the cloves to develop roots before the first freeze, but you should see little to no shoots sprouting. Garlic grows slowly during the winter then picks up a serious head of steam as soon as the ground warms in the spring. Although leaves will freeze, they defrost as soon as the sun comes out.

Another plus is drought-resistance. If you forget to water it for a while, it does not mind dry feet, but don’t overdo the neglect, particularly during a long heat wave. When the ground feels dry, water.

By June, the green leaves begin to wither. When all the leaves have turned brown, the bulb is ready to harvest. Grab the leaf stalk near the dirt, wiggle the bulb loose and shake off the dirt. Trim the roots with a pair of scissors.

When you have six freshly dug bulbs, braid the leaf stalks together, tie the bundle with a string and hang it in a dark closet. Don’t wash off any lingering dirt for longer storage life. The cloves should be usable for about a year.

Fresh garlic exudes transparent juice when crushed for cooking. The clove’s meat also becomes transparent when crushed. The French refer to the aroma as the garlic’s bouquet.

Noelle Hood is a Lantana gardener and freelance writer.


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