Why Every Gardener Should Grow Garlic

There are so many wonderful things you can grow in your garden. My list of “must grows” for our garden is always bigger than I have room for but garlic is something I think every gardener should grow garlic. Garlic is easy to grow, doesn’t take up a lot of space, and has many uses, even outside the kitchen. Today we’ll take a deeper look at why every gardener should grow garlic. 

MINIMAL PESTS AND DISEASES

For us, garlic has always been a pest and disease-free. Garlic can suffer damage from nematodes, botrytis rot, and white rot. However, the biggest threat to garlic is weeds. Keep your garlic bed clean and make sure to plant garlic in well-fertilized, loose soil and you’ll greatly reduce the risk of pests and diseases.

PLANT A LOT IN A SMALL SPACE

You can grow garlic 6” apart on all sides. That means you can fit a lot of garlic in a small garden bed. Did you know garlic can be grown in large containers, it can! In our next post, I’ll show you how to set up the perfect container to grow an abundant supply of garlic.

IT STORES FOR A LONG TIME

 If you grow the right types you can store fresh garlic for up to a year. Light and moisture are garlic’s worst enemies, as they both cause mold to grow. Instead, store garlic at room temperature in a dry, dark place that has plenty of air circulation, like in a wire-mesh basket or open paper bag in a cupboard or pantry

GARLIC PROVIDES A BONUS CROP

Have you ever heard of scapes? Scapes usually sprout out of the ground in late spring, and are thin, curly, green stems, resembling grass or wild onions. Garlic scapes can be used in a variety of dishes

Now you know why we think every gardener should grow garlic. How about you, do you grow garlic? Do you have a favorite flower, plant or herb you can’t imagine not growing? I’d love to hear about it in the comments section or let us know in the private Facebook group.