Bulbs are amazing plants; each bulb a clone of some old mother bulb that has grown, regrown and multiplied its original cells for thousands of years.
One of the most recognizable and beloved bulbs is Garlic (Allium Sativum). A favorite of chefs with its distinctive aroma and flavor, it ranks as the second most important allium crop right behind onions.
Divided into two subspecies – ophioscorodon (often called hard neck or ophio) and sativum (soft neck). The ophio garlics are similar to wild garlic. They produce woody flower stalks topped by an umbel of arial cloves call bulbils. Known as “scapes”: the stalks twist above the leaves in a loose curl or a tight coil depending on variety; then stand straight up as the below ground bulb matures. The hard necks typically produce between 4 and 10 easy peeling large flavorful cloves.
The sativum garlics tend to produce more cloves per bulb and are highly productive in a wide range of climates and soils. Soft necks do not grow scapes and bulbils so energy is not diverted and they typically store longer then the hardnecks. The soft necks also make it easy to braid them.
Garlic is an ancestral plant, cultivated for thousands of years, perhaps one of the earliest wild plants tended by humans. Believed to have originated in South-Central Asia.
Most garlics prefer winter cold. Below ground roots and bulbs are seldom damaged by subzero temps. Snow cover usually insulated soil against rapid deep freeze but a thick mulch will ensure protection if winter snows are scarce. The idea is to plant about 4 to 6 weeks before ground normally freezes; this allows for good root development but not top growth prior to winter. That means garlic is best planted in the fall and October is the month for us here in NW Montana.
Mid-October is ideal but with warmer temps you could get by with a later October planting.
Soil preparation is important for garlic quality. Light and loamy with ample organic matter and good drainage, adding well-rotted manure or compost is very beneficial.
Select healthy medium-large bulbs for your seed stock. Gently pull apart into the individual cloves that will be planted. These cloves are then pushed 1 -2 inches deep into the prepared soil. Adequate soil over the top provides protection against cold and upheaval of cloves by repeated freezes and thaws.
Make sure your cloves are put in with the pointed end up and the small flat end (basal plate) down. Garlic doesn’t like to be planted upside down! Space them 4 – 6 inches apart in rows 8” apart. Pat down the earth after planting to ensure good contact between clove and soil. Water the rows and then mulch. Straw or chopped leaves are good mulches, helping to moderate soil temps and moisture levels while also suppressing weeds. Your garlic is now tucked in for the winter to grow a healthy root system during the next several weeks and then wait for warm weather.
The spring thaw will coax leaf growth above ground for us to discover as we pull back the mulch, revealing the tiny green spears popping up. Later when the scapes appear, snap them off to keep energy directed to the bulbs below ground.
Besides being a culinary essential, garlic is a world-renowned cure-all. The ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, often called the father of western medicine, is credited with saying “Let food be they medicine and medicine be thy food”. Hippocrates prescribed garlic to treat a variety of ailments. It’s been used for lung ailments, high blood pressure, sore throat and bronchial congestion. To help colds, flus, fevers and infectious diseases. Good for circulation, nervous disorders and regularizing liver and gall bladder. Helpful for all intestinal infections and ridding of parasites.
The fresh raw clove is the most effective. Formation of sulfur compounds happen when crushed or chopped, also producing allicin, a beneficial enzyme that aids the immune system.
Caution: When you use raw garlic, you will inherit the smell along with the benefits!
Recently black garlic has gained a lot of attention. It is regular fresh garlic that has been slowly aged under controlled heat and humidity for several weeks. This fermentation process converts amino acids and natural sugars into dark sweet umami rich components said to have higher anti-oxidants than raw garlic and helping heart health and cholesterol. Black garlic has a mild sweet flavor that some prefer over the strong taste of fresh garlic.
Allium Sativum is sure to add a richness to your life: whether raw or fermented, used in cooking or medicinally
Let the beauty of the bulb begin again this fall.