Garlic - Enchanting Herbals
Garlic
Information
Garlic ~ Allium sativum
*Antibiotic
*Expectorant
*Lowers blood pressure
*Reduces blood clotting
*Increases sweating
*Antidiabetic
*Expels parasites/worms
Traditional remedy - before antibiotics were developed, Garlic was used for its amazing healing powers to fight off all sorts of infections including bronchial (chest), colds & flu, ear infections, even wounds.
Circulatory remedy - Garlic helps prevent circulatory problems and strokes by keeping your blood thin. It also lowers cholesterol levels and blood pressure.
Digestive health - various digestive infections respond well to Garlic. The herb also helps expel intestinal parasites
Other uses - Garlic is used for infections and may be taken to support conventional antibiotics and help with side effects. It also reduces blood sugar levels and can help with late-onset diabetes.
Digestive health - various digestive infections respond well to Garlic. The herb also helps expel intestinal parasites
Other uses - Garlic is used for infections and may be taken to support conventional antibiotics and help with side effects. It also reduces blood sugar levels and can help with late-onset diabetes.
Plant Garlic cloves in the fall before ground freezes. For your first crop get cloves from a nursery/garden center OR buy organic Garlic from the grocery story. The reason it has to be organic is because it will not have been treated/sprayed and will sprout for you.
Break apart the head into the cloves and use the larger cloves because they will produce the larger bulbs.
Plant them pointy end up : 2" deep space them 6" apart
Avoid growing them where you may have had any onion family crop.
After planting but before the ground freezes, mulch with a thick layer (5-7")of straw or leaves to protect them and encourage worm activity, which helps keep the soil loose and workable.
In the spring when the daffodil leaves are peeking out a few inches, remove the mulch and spread some compost on the bed. I usually just leave a thin covering of straw (1 ")
Harvesting - it's time to harvest in late summer, when the bottom 2 or 3 leaves have turned yellow or the tops fall over. Loosen the soil with a garden fork or very carefully with a shovel just to break apart the soil and pull out bulbs.
Curing is key to long storage - spread the bulbs on a screen for good air circulation and cure in full sun. Best to use an open shed or porch to protect from rain, but you can just cover them if you need to. Curing can take up to 2 weeks, but is complete when skins are dry and the necks are tight. Remove the tops and store bulbs in a cool, dry place.
Plant Garlic
pointy end up!
