The best planting date for this onion plant, which is indispensable in many German kitchens, is autumn. The tubers become larger than when planted in spring, but the problem with possible pests increases a little because this gives the garlic fly a lot of time for its destructive work. Anyone who brings garlic into the beds now should protect their plants with a culture protection net or plenty of vegetable growing fleece.
How can you grow garlic yourself?
To grow garlic yourself, plant undamaged garlic cloves 2-3 centimeters deep in autumn, with the bulb base facing down and a planting distance of at least 10 centimeters. Prepare loose soil enriched with compost and sand and protect the plants with straw or mulch in winter.
Otherwise, the great tuber is extremely easy to care for and is also suitable for self-planting in raised beds as well as on the balcony and, if necessary, even on the kitchen windowsill. Your garlic harvest next spring will be particularly aromatic, spicy and he althy if you use local and of course fresh garlic, preferably from the region, to grow your own.
Hardly any effort to grow your own garlic
From mid-September, the garlic cloves, which are as undamaged as possible and which have previously been separated from the bulb, are placed approximately two to three centimeters into the soil with the bulb base facing down. The optimal planting distance is at least ten centimeters and the planting depth is no more than three centimeters. Professionals insert the toes at a slight angle into the prepared planting holes and thereby avoid possible root rot, which can be particularly damaging to young plants if there is excessive autumn rain. Since garlic prefers loose soil, it is best to add a little compost mixed with a little sand to the soil when planting. Even though garlic is generally considered to be hardy, it can't hurt if the plants are protected from freezing temperatures with a cover of straw or mulch during the cold season. Depending on the temperatures in the autumn, regular weeding by hand while loosening the soil will make a significant contribution to ensuring that your garlic is not only juicy and large when harvested, but also a culinary hit in terms of taste.
From the difficult path to real garlic plants
Anyone who regularly visits our garden portal already knows at least a little about the common types of garlic. But where are such plants that are suitable for growing in the garden? If you look for sources in garden shops, you will quickly notice that the variety of garlic has simply been lost. Chinese garlic is more than dominant, which is hardly surprising considering the prices on offer. We therefore did a little more thorough research in German-speaking countries and essentially found two sources of supply that could almost be considered insider tips.
And he actually still exists, the real garlic farmer. Although not here in Germany, but in Austria, Wolfgang Mayr has bred more than 50 different types of garlic as part of his pure breeding program, whose aromatic properties range from mild to very hot. He is already drying the 2017 harvest in his attic and a wide range of his delicacies can be viewed and purchased on the “Schaetzausoesterreich” page.
Not quite as big, but certainly no less delicious, is the offering from the aroma gardening company in Werder an der Havel, which also sells older German garlic plants.
