Hey hey! Holly Capelle out here gardening in the Pacific Northwest, and today, I'm
planting garlic. Garlic is such a powerful plant to add to the garden. It's got a tremendous amount
of benefits to so many other plants around it. It deters pests like aphids and spider mites,
Japanese beetles, snails, fungus gnats, and those cabbage loopers, I hate so much. They actually
accumulate sulfur, which is a naturally occurring fungicide, and that helps all kinds of plants
protects them from diseases. As a matter of fact, some people even make a spray out of their garlic
powder, as a natural DIY home remedy for fungal diseases so, it's so beneficial to plant.
It also deters pests like deers and rabbits, the ones that want to come in and eat everything,
so I really like planting my garlic on the edges of my beds. Keeps the deer out of what's in the
middle of my beds, so that helps a lot. Garlic is a cool loving plant usually planted in the fall
before the ground freezes. Out here in the Pacific Northwest, or at least where I am in the greater
Portland metro area, our ground doesn't freeze in the winter and usually, if it does, it would
be very late in the winter season. So, I think a big a mistake often made out here anyway with planting
garlic is that it gets put in the ground too soon. September early October is just too soon
in our area, so I find mine at least is more successful, less chance of rotting, if I plant it
at the end of October or the beginning of November. Some people I know out here even plant theirs as
a tradition on Thanksgiving, so it really does depend on where you're at and what the current weather is
in your area. Garlic should be planted with the point facing up, and it should be planted one
to two inches deep about four inches apart and there are numerous companion plants that benefit
from being next to garlic so many actually, that will put them here for you.
And then there are a few that should not be planted near garlic. Not as long of a list
but we'll put those here for you. I really hope all that worked out.
One of the keys to successful organic gardening
is really knowing companion plants because they help each other not only to grow, to flourish,
help provide nutrients that they need, but oftentimes they also deter pests and insects
from them as well, so knowing your companion planting friends is definitely the key to success.
So, there are two main types of garlic: hard neck and softneck. And between those two, there are
numerous varieties to choose from. Deciding which is best for you really depends on climate. Hardneck
is the perfect choice for very cold winters. It is super cold hardy and can handle true winter,
whereas softneck is really ideal for places that have a mild to warm winter. Out here in the Pacific
Northwest, again, we're right there in the middle so we get away with planting both types in the fall.
Another difference is, of course, the greens. The hardneck is a tall, hard, green stalk whereas the
softnecks are the ones where you see get braided in those beautiful braids when they're drying.
Softneck tends to have lots of smaller but many cloves when you harvest and hardneck, they say, has
less but bigger cloves when you harvest and of course, that would also vary with variety,
but basically, you want to choose what is best for your climate and growing zone.
Harvesting your garlic will happen anywhere from early to mid-summer depending on when you planted
it in the fall and you'll know it's ready to harvest because the greens will start to die
back and turn brown. When that happens they're ready to pull. If you have the softneck variety,
they're ready to braid. They have to cure before you can use them, so you'll want to bundle them up
and then hang them or lay them on screens in a cool, dark area for a couple weeks until they're
completely dried, and then they're ready to use! Thanks so much for joining me today in
my garden. Just a reminder to hit that subscribe button in case you haven't already, so you don't
miss any of my upcoming videos with Kellogg Garden, and you can also find me over at
Instagram @bigfamilyliving, where I share my everyday happenings. Until then, happy gardening!