Homegrown Garlic

Published on 19 November 2024

Homegrown Garlic

I love growing garlic at home and plaiting the stems; there’s just a really nice rustic feel to it. Occasionally I’ve been known to give a plait to a friend or family member as a present if they are lucky as I want to keep them for myself!

It is easy to grow a good crop of garlic as they don't require lots of space and can be grown in the ground or in containers!

How to Grow Garlic at Home

Plant the individual cloves in a warm sunny spot, 15cm - 18cm apart, just below the surface of the soil (about 2.5cm) with the pointed end facing up. Planting garlic during the autumn allows the roots and shoots to develop before heavy frosts. The best soil conditions are fertile but well-drained as they don't tolerate being water-logged, digging in plenty of organic matter or well-rotted manure will help.

The cloves need a period of cold weather during the winter to form into bulbs. Harvesting begins in June/July when the leaves start to wither and turn yellow. Using a fork or trowel, gently loosen the bulbs from the soil, taking care not to damage the flesh as this will inhibit the storage.

Before storing them, lay the garlic bulbs somewhere warm and dry for a few days and gently brush off the dried soil. Once dried, you can store them loose or plait their foliage and they will keep for several months.

Elephant

This is not a true garlic but actually, a stem leek, which produces cloves that are much larger than conventional garlic with a milder taste, making it suitable for a wide choice of culinary uses, especially roasting.

Rose Wight

A bulb that has creamy-white skin, delicately striped with pink, this attractive variety of hardneck garlic boasts plump, rounded cloves that form large bulbs, with an intensely rich flavour.

Maddock Wight

An excellent all-round softneck variety, featuring purple striped skin and large fat cloves with a strong flavour. This garlic grows well in the UK and may have been grown here by the Romans, originating from South-West Spain.

Rhapsody Wight

A superb softneck variety with deep purple striped-mottled skin and large cloves with a zingy flavour. As the bulbs swell, they lift themselves ready for harvest in early June.

Picardy Wight

A softneck garlic originating from Picardy in northern France and is known for its fierce flavour, great keeping and ease of cultivation in cooler, wetter climates like ours.

Carcassonne Wight

This hardneck variety originating in the south of France produces superb pink cloves with good skin cover and a strong flavour. They are perfectly suited to UK conditions.

Kingsland Wight

A vigorous hardneck variety with white skin and pink cloves that have a deliciously rich flavour. Perhaps the most versatile of hardnecks, as it can be planted in Autumn or early Spring but dislikes wet conditions, growing better in the South of England.

Caulk Wight

Vigorous hardneck variety with beautifully marbled bulbs, easy-peeling large cloves that are tasty and spicy. Originating from eastern Europe, they grow particularly well in our relatively soft UK climate, north or south but can withstand -20c.

Mersley Wight

A classic 'Silverskin' type which is one of the best for its keeping qualities as the large bulbs can be stored up to June the following year. This softneck variety is from Auvergne, Central France.

Provence Wight

A large white softneck variety, with purple streaks from Provence, Southern France. The bulbs produced can approach Elephant garlic size as they are plump and juicy with a good flavour and bouquet.

Solent Wight

This softneck variety is the original Isle of Wight garlic, particularly well suited to our UK climate, yielding large, high-quality bulbs that have a strong fragrance. They are also excellent for braiding and store attractively as plaits hanging on your wall, if kept cool and dry they can last until the following March.

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