Garlic Flavor - Allium sativum

Flavor Pink Garlic is a spring variety that produces bulbs with light pink cloves. It is a regenerated variety, free from the OYDV virus (Onion Yellow Dwarf Virus). It offers a good yield and good storage. Plant in February - March and harvest in June - July.

Garlic is a very hardy perennial plant, cultivated as an annual. It belongs to the Liliaceae family, like onions, shallots, and chives. It comes in the form of a large bulb, called a head, topped with long flat leaves. The garlic head contains several cloves. It is these cloves that will be planted in the ground and give rise to new heads.

There are 3 categories of garlic: white, purple, and pink. White and purple garlic are planted in the autumn. They are quite early, have a good yield but limited storage. In contrast, pink garlic is planted in the spring. It is well adapted to regions with harsh winters. Its productivity is less important, but it can be stored for longer.

In terms of cooking, garlic can be consumed raw or cooked. Its pungent taste flavours raw vegetables, meats, mushrooms, or stuffings. Garlic has the particularity of being rich in sulphur compounds and selenium. Finely chopped white or purple garlic leaves flavour omelettes and fresh cheeses, just like chives.

Harvest: Garlic is harvested when the leaves wither, in June and July. Dig up the bulbs and let them dry for a few days on dry and shady soil (to avoid sunburn). Autumn garlic foliage (white and purple) is harvested in April and May, while still green.

Storage: Cut off the leaves or braid them for hanging. Store garlic away from light, in a dry and fairly warm room such as the kitchen. Check beforehand that the bulbs have not been bruised to avoid rot that could contaminate the entire harvest. Garlic heads can be stored for several months (6 months to 1 year, with pink and purple garlic storing better than white garlic).

Gardener's tip: Prepare a garlic decoction to prevent damping-off of seedlings and to treat spider mites and fungal diseases such as mildew and rust. Crush 100g (about 10 cloves) of fresh garlic in 1L of rainwater and let it steep for 24 hours. Boil gently, covered, for 20 minutes. Let it cool (still covered) for 1 hour. Strain.

Use undiluted:
- either in the watering can, to combat damping-off of seedlings.
- or by spraying on the foliage of plants (including the underside of leaves) to combat fungal diseases and spider mites. You can add a little milk to the mixture before spraying to allow for better adhesion to the foliage.

Repeat the process 3 times at 3-day intervals. The garlic decoction does not keep and must be used within 48 hours.