How to grow garlic? First of all, let's start by saying that garlic is a bulbous perennial plant considered precious for its many healing properties known in antiquity and cultivated throughout the world for its aroma and the unmistakable flavor it gives the dishes.
In southern Europe, the most widespread quality of garlic is Allium sativum, but Allium vineale, Allium ursinum and fragrans grow with excellent results.
Garlic is a vegetable that adapts well to any climatic condition, but its cultivation requires time and patience. It is possible to grow it both on the terrace and in the garden and pick it up at the end of summer.
The cultivation of this plant does not require great skills, but it is essential to choose the most suitable variety for our climate and plant it at the most appropriate time of year.
How to grow garlic: the choice of varieties.
After selecting the type of garlic that is going to be planted, it is important to plant the bulbs correctly (ie the 'garlic cloves') at 3 cm depth, leaving the apex upwards.
The best time to plant garlic is from November to March. Since the choice of bulbs is very important to obtain an abundant harvest, we suggest you select the largest teeth and ensure that your garlic has a constant temperature between 15 and 20 ° C.
How to grow garlic: soil and irrigation.
Once selected, the garlic bulbs should be kept in a sunny place and should be planted in well-drained soil. The excesses of water and stagnation, in fact, are the worst enemies of garlic that in these conditions easily tends to rot.
An exception is the wild garlic, which, on the other hand, prefers the penumbra and decidedly more humid soil.
To obtain garlic for food use, it is necessary to prevent the plant from blooming because, by producing flowers, it will disperse most of the nutrients that the teeth contain. Then cut the stems of the flowers. soon as they begin to produce the shoots. On the other hand, if the lens is more decorative than anything else, keep in mind that garlic blooms are particularly pleasing to the eye and durable.
How to grow garlic: harvesting
When the leaves of the plant are completely dry, it is possible to proceed with the collection of the bulbs. To do this, the plant should be started and left to dry outdoors for a week.
After this time, it is necessary to carefully clean the garlic bulbs of the outer tunics, roots and foliage, and create braids very similar to those we bought in the supermarket. Avoid storing garlic in plastic bags that could cause the bulbs to rot quickly.
Naturally, you can grow garlic both in the garden and on the terrace or on the balcony, following the same indications given here.