Wild garlic is a popular plant for refining spicy recipes in spring. If you do not want to use wild garlic collected in the wild due to the risk of confusion and the risk of fox tapeworm, you can also plant the plant in the garden.
How do I plant wild garlic in the garden?
To plant wild garlic in the garden, plant the bulbs or sow the seeds in a shady or semi-shady location, ideally under deciduous trees or bushes. Make sure that the soil never dries out completely and protect young plants in the first few years.
Planting wild garlic in the garden
You can grow wild garlic in your own garden in different ways. The wild garlic grows up through the ground cover from deep-seated bulbs, which you can uncover with a digging fork. However, only dig in wild garlic bulbs if you have the landowner's consent to do so. You should also always leave enough onions in the ground so that the crop can recover. In addition to the underground version, wild garlic also reproduces through the fine seeds that form on the long stems after flowering. If you carefully collect the spent wild garlic flowers and bring them into your garden in a bag, you can sow the seeds in summer and autumn. However, as a frost germinator, wild garlic may need up to two years to germinate.
The right location for wild garlic
The most important prerequisite for successfully establishing wild garlic in your own garden is selecting a suitable location. This can be located below deciduous trees and bushes, as the wild garlic can overwinter with some protection in the winter. The place should be either completely shady or partially shady, as the soil for the wild garlic must never dry out completely. If wild garlic feels comfortable in one location, it usually spreads into a larger population without any further action. However, you should protect young wild garlic plants a little in the first few years, as each harvest of the leaves weakens the plants somewhat.
The use of wild garlic in the kitchen
Some people can't stand the taste of wild garlic at all, while others love the intense garlic note. For example, wild garlic can be used in the following dishes:
- Wild garlic capers made from wild garlic buds
- Wild garlic pesto
- Wild garlic spread
- Wild garlic soup
Tips & Tricks
Wild garlic should always be sown on the spot when sowing seeds, as germination can take up to two years and transplanting is rather difficult.
