Hello fellow green living gardeners. I am writing today as I find myself at an impasse. The summer is coming to an end and as the harvest approaches my quandary is this; should I plant garlic in the fall? We all know that garlic is delicious and an integral component to any Italian dish, but did you know of its health benefits? Garlic is an antioxidant like the blueberry which tends to garner all the attention.

As you may (or may not) have read, antioxidants are believed to help ward off heart disease, cancer and even prevent premature aging. Apparently garlic can do all that plus help lower your bad cholesterol, is good for diabetics and can help those with a blood pressure problem. That’s a whole lot of goodness packed into that clove.

When adding garlic into your diet you should know a few simple facts:

1. The smaller garlic is chopped or diced the more pungent it is
2. Store unpeeled garlic in an open container in a cool, dry place away from other foods
3. Whole unpeeled cloves should never be refrigerated or frozen because moisture is a natural enemy to the garlic clove. There is a loophole to this fridge rule though. To save time you can store peeled cloves in a sealed airtight container in the fridge, this helps when cooking in a hurry during the week (say for Meatless Monday). However, garlic should not be store in the fridge for long periods of time. I would say no longer than a week to ten days.

So with all this goodness, why am I debating growing this miracle food when it should be a no brainier? I had heard that when growing garlic in Canada, it does best when planted in the fall about three weeks before the first frost or when the ground is still slightly pliable. One is able to grow garlic by planting the individual segments of cloves in the soil. This all sounds good especially because your garden is dormant in the long, cold, harsh winter months. Well I think that may not really the case as I have learned that garlic in this region is best harvested in mid July. Seeing as most people plant on the May twenty-fourth long weekend, depending on the weather conditions, I would be losing a patch of land for a long period of time. A patch that is perfect for plants like tomatoes to be able to grow properly.

I have a few more trepidations about this endeavor. The work of growing garlic is not over in mid-July either. The work of a garlic farmer is never done or so I have researched. Crops, once harvested, must be hung in the shed or other cool, dry, dark place to dry before reaching their pique which is some time in late July early August. That is why many garlic festivals are normally in the late August and early September. Therefore in the end, this would be quite the endeavor to undertake. If you read this blog regularly you know that although my heart is in the right place often my garden tends to have a mind of it’s own and I fear that could happen with the garlic.

Another alternative would be having a dedicated plot away from my garden. I started thinking what would become of the little plot of land where the garlic once grew when it is harvested? I figured I could always grow lettuce, even from seed it only takes a few weeks before you are able to cut it. I have successfully planted lettuce from seeds in the past, even in late August and if it is warm enough have been cutting well into September. 

Looking at all the pros and cons I feel that I would love to grow garlic. I just have to find ways to not accidentally uproot the garlic before it is finished. I wonder if planting it in a planter will work? I guess a little more research is needed because I would hate to have another garden fiasco like the bussel sprouts and the Sicilian Zucchini. If you have any garlic expertise and have any tips, tricks or knowledge please share it with me. I am really leaning towards undertaking this endeavor! Remember it takes a village to grow garlic successfully. Happy organic gardening while it lasts.

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