Homegrown Garlic is one of the most satisfying foods one can grow in the garden. The key is not to be in a hurry. Although it requires a little bit of patience, here are three reasons why we think you should make space in your patch for garlic.
1. Superior Flavour
Compared to the long stored and long traveled store bought garlic, the flavour of new garlic is a revelation. Sweet, yet spicy, fruity, more intense and complex than the store bought variety.
2. More Bang for your Buck
A single garlic clove will make a full head of garlic. You therefore need just a few bulbs to grow yourself enough garlic to use until you have to plant another crop. Plus, unlike other perishable vegetables, garlic stores well, giving you months and months of real flavour.
3. The option of Heirloom varieties
There's an enormous and exciting range of heirloom varieties of garlic that cannot be found in the store and one would also be quite lucky to find at the farmers market. You'll love experimenting with the different flavours of purple, red, and striped garlic varieties such as Egyptian pink garlic, Chesnok Red and Kharbar garlic.
4. Takes up very little space
When you are space starved you need to go with edible plants that will really revolutionize the way you cook and garlic is one such vegetable. A garlic bed can be tucked in to a sunny position of the garden or be given a small full sun nook. For the urban gardener, this vegetable does well in containers and raised beds.
5. Fairly pest free
Given the right planting conditions and the correct nutrition, this vegetable is troubled by very few pests. In fact a garlic concoction is created to ward off pests from other plants.
Still feeling intimidated by the idea of growing your own garlic?
I have good news for you, I'll be running a free online Garlic Masterclass, teaching you everything you need to know in order to grow, harvest and store your homegrown organic garlic.
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