Natural Life Magazine #54 - Herb Garden - Garlic
Garlic
    
    by Rachel McLeod
    It is surprising to realise that about thirty years ago
    garlic was used mostly for cooking and then only by those who were interested in European
    cooking or who had a tradition of using it regularly. In fact it was about 30 years ago
    that we realised that garlic would grow well in Canada and we were discovering how to grow
    really good cloves. Nor was garlic generally recognised for its wonderful medicinal
    qualities at that time. Now of course it is different; stores, not only health stores but
    supermarkets too, are full of such a bewildering choice of garlic pills and capsules that
    it is hard to know which to buy.
    Garlic has been used for centuries. It has been mentioned in records dating back to
    2000 BC from China and even earlier from the Middle East. A daily ration of garlic was
    given to the builders of the pyramids by the Pharaoh Cheops, and according to other
    papyrus records, garlic had a variety of uses. These included determining if a woman was
    fertile and putting a garlic clove in a snake's hole to prevent it from emerging.
    Garlic bulbs contain an odourless substance containing amino acid derivatives called
    alliin; when a garlic clove is crushed this is converted to allicin. It is this substance
    which is a powerful anti bacterial agent but also is the origin of the strong odour, which
    many find offensive. It has been demonstrated that garlic does protect us from infection,
    normalises blood pressure and decreases high blood pressure. Also that small quantities
    increase the action of the peristaltic muscles thereby helping digestion. (Some people
    however do find that garlic is indigestible – a problem that may be alleviated by
    taking it in conjunction with parsley).
    As I said earlier, there are many garlic products on the market. It is like a maze for
    the consumer trying to find the way to the best garlic product through a multitude of
    capsules and pills. Also it is generally agreed that processing garlic tends to weaken the
    action of some of its qualities. In view of this, there is no doubt that it is best to
    grow garlic in your own garden to supplement any garlic pills you may take. As well as
    being unprocessed, home grown garlic has a much better taste than garlic bought from a
    store.
    It is not difficult to grow garlic and it does not need much attention. The garlic bulb
    is divided into sections called cloves. Each of these will grow into a full sized garlic
    bulb in a season. Once you have started a bed of garlic you will always be able to keep
    some of the best cloves to plant the following year. Try to buy your first garlic cloves
    from a herb farm or farmers' market. The garlic sold in stores may have been treated so
    that it will not sprout and so would be a disappointment in your garden.
    Garlic needs a rich, well composted soil and plenty of moisture. In its native habitats
    it grows in lush meadows. However it will produce in less than perfect conditions as well.
    I manage, on my shallow soil and in a rather shady west facing bed, to grow enough for us
    for the year. The cloves should be planted in October or November about four centimetres
    deep and about 15 centimetres apart. If you were not able to plant the garlic in the fall
    it is a good idea, in the winter, to pot some cloves up in individual pots and grow them
    in a cool place in the house, transplanting them into the garden as soon as the frost is
    out of the ground. This way the roots will have grown and the garlic should mature by the
    end of summer.
    Garlic shoots will appear in very early spring and the bed should be kept weeded and
    mulched. Then in early summer the flowering stems will appear. It is important to cut all
    these off so that they do not take the strength from the plant that is needed to form the
    bulb. After this the garlic can be left to grow until August. Then when the leaves start
    to wither, it is time to dig the corms up. This is the time to make the braids of garlic
    and hang them to dry. Braiding is hard and skillful work so my garlic is stored loose.
    However both the loose and the braided garlic should be set to mature in a warm, dry place
    such as a porch or shed for three or four weeks. If this drying is done thoroughly the
    garlic will not sprout in storage.
    In addition to its culinary and medicinal uses, garlic is also proving to be useful in
    the garden as an insecticide. It is often grown in the company of roses to prevent black
    spot. Valuable as garlic is – especially to our health – there is no doubt that
    when it is absorbed into our bodies its odour is unacceptable to many people. Herbs such
    as parsley and mint seem to help to mitigate this problem and it is a good idea always to
    use fresh garlic with parsley in cooked dishes and in salads.
    Rachel McLeod has over 20 years
    experience in the herb business, having founded Kiln Farm Herb Garden in Puslinch, Ontario
    in 1974. She still occasionally lectures about herbs and wildflowers.