Growing great vegetables, try planting garlic

By Bob Eister

OSU Ext. master gardener volunteer

If you want to chase away pesky monsters or improve your health, try planting garlic.

It is a perennial bulb, is in the lily family (Alliaceae), along with onions, chives and leeks.

Garlic likes to grow in a sunny, well-drained, weed-free area of loamy soil. In late September or early October, fertilize the area before planting, based on soil test results.

Plant by separating cloves from the main bulb and plant each clove 1 to 2 inches below the soil and 4 to 6 inches apart. Rows should be 12 to 18 inches apart.

Be careful of the shallow roots around the bulbs when cultivating and pulling weeds.

Water and cover with mulch to protect from freezing; remove mulch in the spring.

Cloves planted by early October will develop roots before the ground freezes. They obtain the required chilling process and are ready to take off in spring.

Choose a hardneck variety. Softneck varieties have a longer storage life, but are grown in warmer climates. Our OSU experts say these may develop a bitter taste when grown here in Ohio.

The hardneck varieties (Allium sativum var. ophioscorodon) produce a flower stalk, or, technically, a scape, and are often termed “topsetting” or “bolting” varieties.”

Hardnecks are better suited to cold winters and have a milder flavor, but a shorter storage life.

In a study at Michigan State University, hardneck varieties German White and Music provided good yields.

If you like a hotter flavor, Polish Softneck garlic has good production and excellent storage life.

Garlic is harvested in July. The bottom half of the foliage will turn brown. At this time, you can use a garden fork to slowly raise them out of the ground.

Plants can be dried whole or bulbs can be cut off, but they must be dried by placing on screens or newspaper and kept in a place that is dry, warm and windy. Direct sun is not recommended. It takes seven to 14 days to dry them.

Garlic can be placed into a cool (32-38 ∞F) dry storage for six months. Most gardeners place bulbs in a cool, dry basement.

In addition to making your meals tastier, garlic has many health benefits. Garlic is used for many conditions related to the heart and blood system. These conditions include high blood pressure, low blood pressure, high cholesterol, inherited high cholesterol, coronary heart disease, heart attack, atherosclerosis, and more.

It has also been shown to have antimicrobial properties.

Although not all of these are scientifically proven, garlic is a great source of antioxidants.

When planting next years’ garlic, remember: Rotating crops in the garden, providing good air movement and well-drained soil will help avoid common pest and disease issues.

For information on garlic and varieties to plant in your garden, visit http://go.osu.edu/moregarlic.