It’s Garlic planting time

Traditionally Garlic is planted on the Winter Solstices. More and more we are breaking with tradition and planting this staple crop as early as March and right through April and May. Garlic is an easy crop to grow, however last year was a terrible rust season and many of us grew miserable crops. Give your organic garlic the best start to life in 3 easy steps.

Prepare your garlic bed

If you have hard, compacted garden beds then spend a chilly morning double digging to turn your soil into a luscious living sponge cake. Aerated soil allows the roots of your garlic to penetrate deeper into the soil helping the plants to grow bigger and stronger.  When I was younger we had a bench seat at the dinner table that all of us kids would sit on. While eating we were constantly banging elbows and being told to “keep our wings in”. This is a little bit like what happens when the soil is compact. Instead of boney elbows it’s the roots that are banging up against each other competing for nutrients. Give them some space and at the very least give your soil a gentle fork over.

Apply quality, microbial active compost

We all know compost is the key to good soil health, so why don’t more of us do it? If you are relishing in the glory of a big pile of home-grown compost ready to pile on your garden, then I salute you. A few inches of your finest spread out over your freshly dug garlic bed will provide much needed microbes and nutrients and keep your crop happy. If you are not already creating your own compost, then beg or borrow some from a switched on grandparent or your friendly, local organic gardener. Other options are well-rotted cow or chicken manure and even vermicast from your wormfarm. If you are planning to buy it, go for certified organic compost as commercial products are often made from crops that have been sprayed with weed-killers that are toxic to soil.

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Soak your garlic to give it a microbial boost

Use animal manure, worm juice, quality compost, bokashi juice and any other material filled with beneficial microbes to soak your garlic prior to planting. Mix the manure with ample water to make a slurry. Break your garlic bulbs down into individual cloves and soak in the mix ideally overnight – but even a few hours is better than nothing. Similar to the benefit of taking probiotics for humans, soaking your garlic in microbes will give it stronger protection from disease and infection from the get go. Once you have soaked your garlic, you can use the remaining mixture to give your fruit trees a pleasant boost.

Go forth and plant

Set your garlic up for the long haul by preparing your soil, applying compost and soaking it a microbial brew. All three of these focus on creating a healthy environment for your crops so they grow bigger and stronger. The healthier your soil, the stronger your garlic. The stronger your garlic, the less susceptible to disease it will be.

I would love to hear from you! Come join the Nurture Earth Community for more tips on how to grow great garlic or comment below with your own personal garlic tips or questions you may have around garlic prep.

Wishing you an abundant garlic crop x

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