Garlic

Growing facts

Scientific name

Allium sativum

Origin

Central Asia

Plant size

18–30 in upright leaves over a bulb

Growth rate

Slow

Sun

Full sun

Soil

Loose, rich, well-drained soil; rots in soggy ground

Soil pH

6.0–7.0

Pollination

Not needed; grown from cloves

Cold hardiness

Very cold-hardy in the ground; hardnecks need several weeks below about 40°F to form bulbs

USDA zones

3–9 in the ground over winter; softnecks and Creoles for 8–10

Harvest

About 8 months from fall planting

When to plant (zones 9–11)

Oct–Nov

When to plant (zones 5–8)

Oct–Nov

Water

About every 4 days once established, without rain; more in heat, in pots and while young

Feeding

About every 30 days

Taste

Sharp and hot raw; sweet and mellow roasted

Nutrition

Allicin and other sulfur compounds form when cloves are crushed; small amounts of manganese and vitamin B6

Is garlic safe to eat? Edible and toxic parts

What you can eat

• Cloves, raw or cooked
• Scapes (hardneck flower stalks)
• Young green leaves, like scallions

Toxic parts and cautions

• Toxic: Garlic stored in oil at room temperature can grow botulism, which is deadly. Keep homemade garlic oil in the fridge and use it within 4 days, or freeze it.
• Toxic: Toxic to dogs and cats. Onions, garlic, chives and leeks damage red blood cells and can cause anemia days after eating, raw, cooked or powdered. Cats and Japanese dog breeds are most sensitive. Call a vet if a pet eats a meaningful amount.
• Take care: Garlic supplements and very large amounts can raise bleeding risk with blood thinners and before surgery. Normal cooking amounts are fine.
• Good to know: Raw crushed garlic left on the skin can cause chemical burns; don't use it as a home remedy on skin.

Pets: Toxic to dogs and cats in every form, and more concentrated than onion. Keep garlic powder and garlic-seasoned food away from pets.

How to eat and enjoy garlic

• The base of countless dishes
• Roasted whole and spread on bread
• Aioli, toum and pesto
• Garlic scapes grilled or blended into pesto
• Pickled garlic

Garlic varieties (7)

• Ajo Rojo

  A Creole garlic with deep-red clove wrappers.

  Origin: Spain · Taste: Rich, medium heat

  Creole types do well in warm climates and store well.

• California Early

  A softneck artichoke-type garlic that grows well in mild climates.

  Taste: Mild

  Softneck. Stores well; a good choice for the South.

• Chesnok Red

  A purple-striped hardneck garlic known for flavor when roasted.

  Taste: Rich, sweet when cooked

  Hardneck; needs cold winters.

• German Extra Hardy · also German White

  A hardneck garlic with big, easy-peeling cloves.

  Taste: Strong

  Hardneck; very cold-hardy. Not for Florida.

• Inchelium Red

  A large softneck garlic found on the Colville reservation.

  Origin: Washington · Taste: Mild to medium, rich

  Softneck; stores well.

• Lorz Italian

  A strong-flavored softneck artichoke-type garlic.

  Taste: Hot, robust

  Softneck; tolerates heat better than most.

• Music

  A hardneck porcelain garlic with a few very large cloves.

  Taste: Hot, rich

  Hardneck; needs cold winters. Not for Florida.

Pests and diseases to watch for

• Scale insects

  Small bumps, waxy or shell-like, on stems and leaf veins; sticky honeydew and black sooty mold below.

  What to do: Scrub small colonies off with a soft brush.

• Mealybugs

  White cottony clusters in leaf joints, under leaves and on fruit stems; honeydew and sooty mold.

  What to do: Blast off with a strong spray of water.

• Aphids

  Clusters of tiny soft insects on new shoots; leaves curl and get sticky.

  What to do: Spray off with water.

• Sooty mold

  Black, papery film on leaves and fruit that wipes off; it grows on honeydew.

  What to do: Control the insects making honeydew; the mold then weathers away.

• Spider mites

  Fine pale speckling on leaves, dusty undersides and fine webbing; leaves bronze and drop.

  What to do: Hose the undersides of leaves.