How to grow garlic? Let’s discover it together

Garlic is a very useful vegetable in the kitchen, so versatile and aromatic that it would be convenient to always have it at hand.
Garlic plants lend easily themselves to DIY cultivation, both in pots and on the ground, and do not need excessive care. For this reason, they are also perfect for cultivation beginners.

The garlic plant: crops and types

Garlic is a plant native to Asia, however, its bulbous nature allows it to grow a bit well all over the world and to adapt perfectly also to our Mediterranean climate.
For this reason,the garlic plant is one of the first crops chosen by experts in horticulture, precisely because the simple collection of bulbs is very satisfactory and easy to make.
The bulb with the segments that we are used to seeing and using every day is the part that grows underground, from which long fragrant leaves grow. Sometimes, even the leaves are used in the kitchen: their taste is more delicate than the segments, but nevertheless rich in personality, makes them very appreciated.
There are different types of garlic, many of which are safeguarded to protect the biodiversity of the plant: in Italy, the most famous is the pink garlic of Naples and the red garlic of Sulmona.

From sowing to harvesting, how to grow garlic

Cultivatinggarlic is very common in our country, it is a plant that takes little space, is very resistant to the weather, and is surprisingly long-lasting even in the potted version.
To start sowing, just get some cloves of garlic and plant them below ground level: this is a very simple and fast operation.
When you plant the garlic, you will have to put the apex upwards, because it is from it that the sprout will come to life.
Among the various rules on how to grow garlic at its best, you will certainly have to pay attention to the distances to be maintained: 10 cm between one plant and the other and 35 cm between the rows, this will allow you to have homogeneous cultivation and give the bulbs all the space necessary for optimal growth.
The best time to plant garlic is in winter, while harvesting takes place in late summer, usually in July, when the vegetative phase of the plant ends and the leaves begin to dry up.
The ideal temperature for the sprouting of the garlic plant is between 15 and 18 degrees, generally during the spring.
In summer, the plant is uprooted: at this stage, it is necessary to take great care not to tear some parts of the bulb, to make it come out whole and clean.
The garlic plant is often accompanied by other crops, such as salad, tomatoes, strawberries or cabbages precisely because, thanks to its strong smell, it keeps harmful insects away.

Cultivating garlic: tips and warnings

The cultivation of the garlic plant does not require special attention, however, it is always better to prefer dry soils, which allow making the underground bulb more enlarged.
The growth of garlic is greatly hampered by water shortages which, by causing excessive humidity, can give rise to fungi and cause diseases to proliferate.
It is therefore advisable not to water too often, but rather to always make sure you have well-drained and loose soil.
Garlic is not afraid of cold or heat, indeed it resists perfectly both when the thermometer marks temperatures below zero, and in arid climates.