Growing Garlic in Your Spanish Garden

Garlic - Ajo

Garlic has to be one of the easiest and most rewarding crops to grow in your Mediterranean garden.
It is has to be the most useful, probably being used for cooking very day, with the knowledge that it is good for you.

A number of clinical studies have shown that garlic is effective in moderately reducing serum cholesterol, as detailed by the University of Minnesota here.

Young Garlic Plants

If you can, buy some large garlic bulbs from a market stall and simply break it into individual cloves and push them into the ground, so that the top is just showing.
We generally plant these as a double row, with the two rows about 15cm apart and about 15cm apart in the row.

Traditionally these are planted on the shortest day of the year and harvested on the longest, though in our situation, they do tend to mature a bit earlier.

When the garlic plants have matured and the top have withered to a certain extent, lift them either plait them or tie them together in bunches. Then, if possible, hang them in a positioin wherethey will get plenty of fresh air and be protected from any rain. In these conditions, they should keep for several months, even until you can use some of the next years crop.

Blog items relating to garlic
31/01/11 Planting Garlic - a Little Late
Yes, garlic should be planted around the shortest day of the year but like many people, I don't necessary have a large amount of time, and I am workin .... more

05/06/07 Harvesting the Garlic
The garlic plants have all dried off now. I have heard it said that garlic should be planted on the shortest day of the year and harvested on the long .... more