Growing garlic at home is now very popular - mainly due to the increased interest in Mediterranean-style cooking, but also that garlic is a very healthy vegetable to eat.
Garlic grows well in any sunny, fertile site. For every square metre (yard) add a bucketful of organic matter or 50g (2oz) of general-purpose fertiliser before planting.
It is best not to plant garlic cloves bought from a supermarket - they may carry disease and may not be suited to the climate. Instead buy them from a garden centre or mail order supplier. Break up the bulbs and plant individual cloves just below the soil surface 15cm (6in) apart and in rows 30cm (12in) apart. Birds can be prevented from pulling up the cloves by covering the rows with horticultural fleece. Garlic is best planted in late autumn/early winter, but some cultivars can also be planted in spring.
Garlic casts no shade and is vulnerable to being smothered by weeds. You can avoid this by growing through opaque mulching film; otherwise remove weeds regularly before they become established. Garlic does not need watering and only suffers from a few problems. Rust can spot the foliage, but there is no remedy except to avoid growing garlic in the same place more than once in every three years. White rot can attack the roots – again there is no remedy except to avoid growing garlic (and other onion family crops) in the same place year after year.
Snip off any flowers that form – they seldom do.
Green leaves can be gathered green and used as a garnish or in salads, but the bulbs are harvested once the leaves have turned yellow. Carefully lift them with a fork or hand fork. Lay out the bulbs to dry in an airy place. When rustling dry they can be stored in ventilated containers until you're ready to use them.
Often ‘top sets’ or garlic cloves form on the stalk. This is due to changeable weather in spring. Gather and use the top sets in the usual way.
