★How To Raise Garlic

Garlic is a must-have ingredient for discerning cooks. It’s easy to grow, needing little attention other then keeping the beds free of weeds.

When to plant

It is best planted between November and April although you will generally get a bigger and better crop if you plant it in the autumn.

The general rule of thumb is to plant cloves before Christmas and they will take around 16 weeks to mature.

Where to grow garlic

Garlic grows best in an open sunny position on light soil, which is low in nitrogen so don't grow it on freshly manured ground. Good drainage is vital and it’s important, except in a drought, not to water and especially once the bulbs are in the final stages of growth and have produced round, symmetric bulbs, as this could encourage rotting.

How to prepare the soil

Prepare your soil well. Mix in lots of good compost long before you want to start planting. When planting, carefully break up the bulbs and plant immediately the individual cloves, pointed end up, 3-4cm below the soil surface and 15cm apart.

Make sure you don’t crowd plants, as this increases humidity and increases the likelihood of diseases such as Leek Rust.

Dispose of any badly affected plant material, and don’t grow garlic, leeks or onions in the same spot for three years.

Prevent birds from pulling up the cloves by covering the rows with horticultural fleece. Carefully remove any weeds as they appear and also snap off flower spikes as soon as they emerge.

When to water

You'll need to water your garlic during dry periods throughout the growing season, stopping watering completely during the last few weeks.

Carefully remove any weeds as they appear. In February feed them with a sprinkling of sulphate of potash.

When to harvest

Garlic is ready to harvest when the lower leaves start to change color from green/yellow to brown, which will be anytime between May and August depending on variety.

Carefully lift them with a fork. Lay out the bulbs to dry in an airy place then store in net bags, keeping the bulbs in the dark – in sunlight the flavour will deteriorate, in a cool, airy place. Do not put garlic in the fridge as it will sprout and become bitter.

Softneck garlic verus hardneck varieties

Softneck garlic varieties, which produce a softer stem, with no flowering spike, are ready when the lower leaves yellow and flop or “go weak at the knees” and lie on the ground. Softneck cultivars generally produce larger and more irregular-shaped bulbs with white, papery skin and between eight and twenty clover per bulb. They are less tolerant of prolonged cold temperatures although usually keep well, often for up to nine months.

Hardneck varieties will thrive in severe winters. They produce fewer cloves per bulb, which usually have a more intense flavour.

They need to be used up with four months of harvesting and also produce a flower spike or scape, which can be used in stir-fries.

Elephant garlic, although not true garlic but a variant of the garden leek, is fun to grow, as it is capable of reaching up to 15cm in diameter and weigh over a kilo! Plant from September and give it a bit more space to develop, planting the cloves 20-30cm apart. Its mild flavour makes it perfect for eating raw in salads.