The bulb and cloves of garlic
Garlic, Allium sativum, has long held its place in the culinary world for flavoring foods. Garlic grows as a bulb, which is segmented into a dozen or more cloves held together by a thin white skin. Does this Spark an idea?
Soil Preparation
Garlic grows well in loamy soils with a high content of organic matter like manure or compost and full sun. Fertilizing is important for encouraging the growth of your garlic bulbs.
Planting
Plant garlic in the fall, so it can get a start on root development and have better growth in the spring. Plant cloves 3 to 5 inches apart and keep them in an upright position. Wait to divide bulbs into cloves until right before planting.
Watering
Keep soil moist, as dry soil will produce deformed bulbs. Usually an average of an inch of water a week will suffice for good growth.
Picking
Harvest in August by digging up garlic bulbs to avoid injuring the plant. Let bulbs and stems cure before storing. When dry, cut off the stem an inch above the bulb.
Storing
Garlic cloves keep up to seven months in storage. Temperatures may vary, but garlic stores best at 32 F with humidity around 65 percent, according to the Ohio State University Extension.
Tags: garlic bulbs, Garlic grows