Grow Your Own Garlic This Fall and use it in your home cooking to flavour up your favourite dishes. Besides the distinctive taste, adding garlic to your meals helps to improve your health at the same time. The antioxidants present in garlic serve many functions in the body, such as protecting your cells from damage, preventing Alzheimer’s disease, rheumatic arthritis, and other chronic diseases.
Types Of Garlic – There are two categories of garlic you can choose from for your garden: softneck and hardneck. Softneck garlic produces more cloves, but they are smaller in size than its counterpart. Hardneck varieties are larger, stronger in flavour and produce a scape (a flowering stalk). It is important to harvest the scapes in early summer, to direct energy into further growing the garlic bulb. Softneck garlic does not grow scapes. Softneck varieties grow best in areas with milder winters, while hardneck types performs better in harsher winter conditions.
3 Steps to Growing Garlic
Grow Your Own Garlic This Fall is rewarding and easy! With minimal effort, you can grow a bounty of tasty garlic that can be used for months. Homegrown garlic is a perfect addition to your favourite recipes. Garlic comes in a wide variety of sizes and flavours. Types of garlic range from ‘Regular White’ to the purple-striped spicy ‘Russian Red’. Looking for something milder? Try the large mild-flavoured ‘Elephant’ variety or ‘Chesnok Red’, a full flavoured garlic with a mellow aftertaste..
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1. When To Plant Garlic
Plant your garlic in mid-September to October, at least 4 weeks before the ground freezes. Many varieties can be planted in early spring; however, best results are gained when planted in fall. Garlic is grown by planting its seeds, called cloves. Leave the garlic bulbs whole with the papery covering intact until just before planting. This protects the cloves, keeping them in prime condition. |
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2. How To Plant Garlic performs best in well-draining sandy loam soils rich with organic matter. Avoid soggy soils as garlic tends to rot in overly wet conditions. Amend the soil with composted manure before planting. Plant in an area where your garlic will have enough room to produce good roots. Break each clove cleanly away from the bulb. Cloves should be firm and plump. Discard any that show signs of damage, mold or disease. For best success, only use the largest cloves. Plant them root side down, 3” deep and 6” apart. From spring to early summer when garlic sprouts push through the soil, watering is needed on a regular basis. |
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3. When To Harvest
Once the leaves have turned brown, the garlic is now mature and ready to harvest. Carefully dig the bulbs from the ground and gently brush off the soil from around the roots. Do not wash your bulbs in water. Dry and cure your bulbs out of direct sunlight. With the stalks and leaves still attached, tie them together or store on drying racks for two weeks in a cool, dry, and well-ventilated location. |
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13 Great Garlic Varieties Available At Nicholas Alexander
Regular (Softneck) ◦ Type: Standard ◦ Harvest: Late Summer ◦ Storing: Into Spring ◦ Yield Per Bulb: 9-24 ◦ Clove Size: Small, Medium ◦ Flavour: Mild to Medium ◦ Comments: Easy to grow, productive and adaptable to varying climates and soils. Great for braiding.
Music (Hardneck) ◦ Type: Porcelain ◦ Harvest: Mid-Summer ◦ Storing: Into Spring ◦ Yield Per Bulb: 4-7 ◦ Clove Size: Large ◦ Flavour: Strong ◦ Comments: Cold hardy, very hot when eaten raw. Great for roasting.
Chesnok (Hardneck) ◦ Type: Purple Stripe ◦ Harvest: Late Summer ◦ Storing: Mid-Spring ◦ Yield Per Bulb: 8-10 ◦ Clove Size: Medium ◦ Flavour: Sweet, Mellow ◦ Comments: Full garlic flavour with a mellow aftertaste. Award winning.
Bogatyr (Hardneck) ◦ Type: Purple Stripe ◦ Harvest: Late Summer ◦ Storing: Into Spring ◦ Yield Per Bulb: 5-7 ◦ Clove Size: Large ◦ Flavour: Strong, Fiery ◦ Comments: Strong, long-lasting heat. One of the hottest Hardneck varieties.
German Red (Hardneck) ◦ Type: Rocambole ◦ Harvest: Late Summer ◦ Storing: Mid-Winter ◦ Yield Per Bulb: 5-7 ◦ Clove Size: Large ◦ Flavour: Strong ◦ Comments: Great full-bodied and long lasting flavour. Stores very well.
Duganski (Hardneck) ◦ Type: Purple Stripe ◦ Harvest: Mid-Summer ◦ Storing: Into Spring ◦ Yield Per Bulb: 7-10 ◦ Clove Size: Large ◦ Flavour: Strong, Fiery ◦ Comments: Fiery flavour that mellows out to a rich garlic aftertaste.
Legacy (Hardneck) ◦ Type: Rocambole ◦ Harvest: Late Summer ◦ Storing: Mid-Winter ◦ Yield Per Bulb: 7-12 ◦ Clove Size: Medium ◦ Flavour: Medium, Strong ◦ Comments: Great flavour. Easy to peel. Cold hardy.
Mexican Purple (Hardneck) ◦ Type: Purple Stripe ◦ Harvest: Late Summer ◦ Storing: Late Winter / Early Spring ◦ Yield Per Bulb: 8-16 ◦ Clove Size: Small, Medium ◦ Flavour: Rich, Medium ◦ Comments: Milder flavour when baked. Colourful.
Russian Red (Hardneck) ◦ Type: Purple Stripe ◦ Harvest: Early / Mid-Summer ◦ Storing: Mid-Winter ◦ Yield Per Bulb: 6-8 ◦ Clove Size: Large ◦ Flavour: Strong ◦ Comments: Cold hardy. Grows great in northern locations.
Elephant Garlic ◦ Type: Bulbing Leek ◦ Harvest: Late Summer ◦ Storing: One Year ◦ Yield Per Bulb: 4-6 ◦ Clove Size: Very Large, Enormous ◦ Flavour: Mild, Sweet ◦ Comments: Closely related to the leek. Cold hardy. Plant 4-6 inches deep.
Metechi (Hardneck) ◦ Type: Purple Stripe ◦ Harvest: Late Summer ◦ Storing: Into Spring ◦ Yield Per Bulb: 5-7 ◦ Clove Size: Large ◦ Flavour: Strong ◦ Comments: Cold hardy, vigorous grower and long lasting in storage.
Siberian (Hardneck) ◦ Type: Purple Stripe ◦ Harvest: Late Summer ◦ Storing: Into Spring ◦ Yield Per Bulb: 5-9 ◦ Clove Size: Large ◦ Flavour: Strong, Hot Spicy ◦ Comments: Mild flavour when stored. Great for roasting and cooking.
Spanish Roja (Hardneck) ◦ Type: Rocambole ◦ Harvest: Mid-Summer ◦ Storing: Mid-Winter ◦ Yield Per Bulb: 8-9 ◦ Clove Size: Medium ◦ Flavour: Rich, Spicy ◦ Rich complex flavour, long-lasting taste. Excellent for growing in cold climates.
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