Growing Garlic in your herb garden is rewarding, whether it will be used for making great garlic bread or as one of the medicinal herbs.

Garlic Herb Plants

Garlic is a member of the onion family and it is well known as a culinary herb. In recent years the popularity of Garlic has grown as more people learn of the medicinal value of eating Garlic.

Plant Type:

Plant Type: Hardy Bulb

growing Zones:

Growing Zone: Zone 3 - 9, depending on species.

Propagation:

Plant the individual cloves in the spring after the danger of frost or in the fall before the ground freezes. Divide the garlic bulbs into individual cloves and sow in composted, well drained soil which is moist, but not wet.
Plant in full-sun, 12 inches apart, in 12 inch rows Consult our gardening zones map for safe planting dates for your area.

Harvest:

Harvest the herb when the top turns brown, in about 90 days.

Drying and storage

Tie the tops in a bundle and hang in a dark, cool location; or in a mesh bag until the bulbs are dry. After the garlic is dry, leave the tops on for braiding, or trim the tops to ½ inch and store the in the same mesh bags in which they were dried.
The individual garlic cloves or bulbs may also be stored in baskets or ventilated jars. Do not store garlic bulbs ore cloves of garlic in sealed containers.

Uses:

Research supports the many Benefits of Garlic

Herbalists have long claimed strong germ killing properties of garlic, although some medical uses are in question.
A substance in the herb called Allicin gives it its strong odor and is also known to be capable of killing many bacteria and fungi. I can be used in the treatment of athlete's foot.
In treating typhus, it is said to be more effective than penicillin; garlic is effective against staph and strep bacteria.
Recent research indicates garlic oils may be used as an anticoagulant.

it is the taste that makes us love garlic!

Here are some great Garlic Recipes:

Garlic Vinegar: Heat white vinegar to the boiling point. Add the garlic cloves and let cool. Transfer to jars and let it "perk" for a few days, then discard the garlic. Use the garlic vinegar in salad dressings and marinades.

Roasted Garlic:

Without detaching the garlic cloves, cut the top half inch from the heads of garlic.
Put the head trimmed end up in a small ovenproof dish or pan.
Over the cloves of garlic, drizzle a teaspoon of olive oil per head.
Add a quarter-cup of water or stock to the pan.

Roast in a 500°F (260°C) oven 30 minutes.

Individual cloves can also be roasted in their skins. Just omit the water, and roast for 20 minutes, until the cloves are soft to the touch.

Serve the Garlic with warm bread and a good Chianti!