Fresh is best when it comes to Garlic!
From ancient Egyptians to Kiwis, we cannot get enough of the smelly, health benefit, bulb of goodness. Dating back 5000 years, garlic has become a staple in every household, the base to flavorsome rice or cous cous, to rubbing deep into our meats, or jazzing up the leafy greens, we just love it!
Now is the time to get those hands dirty, churn up the compost and plant our favorite bulbs. The experienced gardeners amongst us will tell you, June 21st the shortest day of the year is optimum garlic planting time, though three weeks either side will still produce you an exciting crop.
Get your soil ready, moist, full off good organic matter and a pinch of lime, hold up, lime? Yes, that is right, along with your horse manure and sheep pellets, adding lime to your soil helps resist rust spores. Give your soil some TLC at least two to three weeks before planting, the more nutrients you give now, the better return you will have at Christmas.
The rule of thumb, break the garlic into cloves, leaving the skin on, plant about a finger lengths depth, leaving around 20cm-30cm in between each bulb. Sit back, relax, and simply wait 6 months before you harvest.
Why should we love garlic like the ancient boys loved Cleopatra?
This list long yet distinguished, from helping regulate our blood pressure, to the Aphrodite of our immune system, to help fight the aging process. Garlic should be a key in any arsenal, to help the common cold stay at bay or fight off the bad cholesterol.
At HK our chefs can not get enough of our favorite bulb!
