Allium sativum

Garlic, or allium sativum, was a new addition to our vegetable garden this year.  It turns out that it is one of the easiest things to grow.  I grew a soft-neck variety so I could braid the heads for storage.  If you can braid hair, then you can braid garlic!

For folks who have limited gardening space and love to cook, this is a prefect thing to plant in the autumn.  Just follow these steps: 

1. Buy a head a garlic
2. Break apart the cloves (but don't unwrap them)
3. Plant them 2-3 inches deep in late October or early November
4. Let them grow all winter & spring
5. When the stalks turn brown and flop over, you are heady for harvest (June or July)

Easy as can be!  I bought my first head of garlic from a nursery because I've heard that garlic from grocery stores have often been sprayed with growth suppressant.   Yesterday I planted 1 head from Safeway, 1 from my garlic this year, and a new variety I bought at a local nursery....so we'll see how the Safeway garlic does.  For more garlic information, including a sweet garlic calendar, visit Hood River Garlic.

Happy planting!