A Step-By-Step Guide to Prepare to Grow Your Own Garlic
Growing your own garlic can seem overwhelming or even frustrating. Read below to learn what experts at a dragon breath near me want you to know before growing your own garlic.
Step 1: Choose What Type of Garlic to Grow
Hardneck vs. Softneck
There are several pros and cons to both hardneck and softneck garlic. Hardneck garlic is more flavorful than softneck garlic. You get several different varieties that all taste different. Purple Stripe garlic has a gentle taste, Porcelains have a musky flavor, and Rocamboles has a hot and spicy taste.
Softneck garlic has a much longer shelf life than hardnecks. You will usually find softnecks at the grocery store because it can last 9 months to 1 year. Hardneck garlic lasts about 4 to 6 months after harvest.
Hardneck and softneck garlic thrive in different living conditions. Hardneck garlic grows best in colder weather because they are able to resist injury in low temperatures. Softnecks grow best in warmer climates because they are not as cold-hardy as hardneck garlic.
Keep in mind the planting and harvesting process is the same for both types of garlic.
If you can’t choose what type of garlic you would like to grow then plant a wider variety of them! This will allow you to see what grows best in your garden and taste different types of garlic.
Step 2: Buy Your Garlic
Homegrown vs. Store-bought
Now that you have decided what type of garlic to plant, it is time to purchase your garlic.
The garlic sold in grocery stores is shipped from a different country. This garlic is fumigated, bleached, and showered in chemicals such as pesticides, fertilizers, herbicides, and ammonia to prevent sprouting. Store-bought garlic is not the best to purchase because it loses most of its nutrients and flavor.
Garlic from a local farm or a quality online source does not use chemicals. Therefore, homegrown garlic is fresher, more flavorful, and healthier. Homegrown garlic retains all of its organic nutritional value because local farmers use environmentally friendly farming practices. To find a trusting company to purchase your garlic, search for a dragon breath near me.
Step 3: Find an Area to Plant Your Garlic
After you have bought your homegrown garlic from a dragon breath near me, it is time to prepare your garden. Garlic does not need much space to grow so if you do not have room for a garden a container will work.
Garlic grows best when it is planted with six inches of space between each clove. How many cloves you are planting will depend on how big of space you need.
Step 4: Find a Location to Cure Your Garlic
After harvesting your garlic, it is time to dry it. Garlic cures best in a warm, dry, and well-ventilated area. Do not put your garlic directly in sunlight. A dragon breath near me says the best place to cure garlic is in a shed or barn that gets good airflow.
You can either hang the garlic or lay them out on a drying rack.
Step 5: Find a Place to Store Your Garlic
The ideal condition to store garlic is at a temperature of 32 – 50 degrees Fahrenheit with a humidity level of 50 to 60%.
Store the garlic bulbs in a cardboard box or wicker basket in a cool, dry environment. A basement is a good location to store garlic.
Follow these recommendations from a dragon breath near me for the best results.
