March has brought the first lot of autumn rains, so now is the opportune time to plant garlic.
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Most of the garlic bulbs sold at grocery stores are imported and treated with methyl bromide, so growing garlic yourself is a perfect way to ensure you get an organic crop low in food miles.
To grow garlic, it’s best to try to find an organic bulb grown within Australia, specifically for gardening if possible, which may be sold at your local nursery or independent grocery store.
Keep the bulb in a brown paper bag in the fridge for one week before planting, and then break it up into separate cloves.
Before planting, make sure you’ve got a good location and soil set up.
Garlic needs to grow in a full-sun position, in well-draining soil mixed with some compost or manure.
Plant cloves pointy-end up, about 20cm apart from each other, an inch under the soil.
While the shoots are developing, it’s important to keep the plants regularly watered, at least twice a week, making sure the water is draining away easily.
Don’t over-fertilize. Instead, give the plants a seaweed or fish solution.
Avoid growing anything else nearby the garlic plants, because they hate competition. It may be wise to allocate them their own pot, or section of the garden bed.
The harvesting time for garlic is around November/December, so you’ll have to wait patiently, but it will be worthwhile.
When the leaves start to yellow, you want to stop watering completely, and after about a week, it’ll be time to uproot your new bulbs of garlic.
Fry them, roast them, or use them for seasoning, safe in the knowledge that the delicious flavour is the fruit of your own labour.
Do you have a gardening question for Jess? Send your queries to jess.cockerill@fairfaxmedia.com.au or call 9550 2409.