Yes, garlic significantly affects soil by acting as a natural biofumigant, improving microbial health, boosting nutrient cycling (like nitrogen and phosphorus), and potentially altering pH and electrical conductivity, creating a healthier environment for roots and deterring pests, though effects vary by garlic type and amount used, with crop residue improving fertility and growth.
Bad companions for garlic include legumes (beans, peas) because garlic hinders their nitrogen-fixing, and other alliums (onions, chives, leeks) due to shared pests and diseases like onion flies. Also avoid planting garlic near asparagus, sage, and parsley, as it can stunt their growth or attract similar pests, and strawberries, which can suffer from fungal issues.
The trick is to let the plants begin to die back, but harvest before all the leaves have turned brown. The top-most, green leaves extend down, into the soil, around each garlic bulb.
Planting garlic can be a bit particular when it comes to companion planting. Garlic tends to inhibit the growth of certain plants, especially those in the Allium family (onions, shallots, leeks), beans, and peas. It can also affect the growth of some herbs like parsley and sage.
Garlic water is an easy and simple way to rid your plants of pests without using harmful chemicals that may be toxic or may leech into the ground water. Organic gardening is about using natural products to produce food that is chemical free.
The "10-minute garlic rule" means you should chop, crush, or mince garlic and let it sit for about 10 minutes before cooking to maximize its health benefits and flavor, allowing the beneficial compound allicin to fully form from its precursors (alliin and alliinase) before heat deactivates the enzyme. This resting time creates more allicin, enhancing garlic's potential anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, even if cooked later.
Frost can damage garlic cloves and inhibit bulb formation, leading to poor garlic crop yields. To protect fall planted garlic, cover the garlic bed with a thick layer of organic mulch like straw mulch or shredded leaves to insulate the soil and garlic roots from cold winter temperatures.
Within 2 to 3 years you will find yourself with a densely planted garlic patch growing heads of garlic about the size of a green onion or scallion bulb.
Larger pests like mice, moles, rabbits, and even deer are deterred by the smell of garlic as well.
When planting your garlic, it's worth noting that it companions well with the following plants:
In September, you can plant cool-season veggies like lettuce, spinach, kale, broccoli, and radishes, plus roots like carrots and beets, while it's still warm enough in many areas for heat-lovers like beans, tomatoes, and cucumbers, and herbs such as parsley, dill, and mint, depending on your climate (cold, mild, or hot). Flowers like zinnias, marigolds, and cosmos, along with bulbs and perennials, also thrive when planted in September.
Garlic is a great companion plant for your garden. It's especially beneficial to grow garlic alongside your roses for an extra barrier of protection against insects, pests, and diseases. Pests detest the fragrant smell of garlic, so planting it alongside your roses will keep any harmful pests at bay.
Garlic is an effective weapon against some of the most pernicious flying and crawling garden nuisances, including aphids, mites, ticks, nematodes, caterpillars, beetles, and slugs.
The cloves should soak for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight. Oftentimes we start the soak and are not able to plant the next day. We have found the maximum time to leave the cloves in the fertilization soak is 3 days.
In southern New South Wales, garlic is planted during March/April and the vegetative phase lasts through winter and into spring. Bulb formation then starts in response to higher temperatures and lengthening days. Maturity is reached from early November to January.
When you leave your garlic heads in the ground,the cloves break away from the bulb and begin to grow new plants. Because they are not adequately spaced these overcrowded garlic plants will grow a very much reduced head of garlic.
Yes, sort of. I leave a small patch and let it go to seed (small bulbs on top of the garlic — don't clip the scapes). Then you can in the autumn spread those small bulbs across your garden, just by tossing them around. Or you can let nature do it.
Bad companions for garlic include legumes (beans, peas) because garlic hinders their nitrogen-fixing, and other alliums (onions, chives, leeks) due to shared pests and diseases like onion flies. Also avoid planting garlic near asparagus, sage, and parsley, as it can stunt their growth or attract similar pests, and strawberries, which can suffer from fungal issues.
Soaking garlic cloves before you plant them is a practice that many gardeners swear by, including organic garlic producers. These same gardeners swear that it improves growth, creates robust roots, boosts disease resistance and even – every gardener's favorite – increases yields.
To release its most potent flavour, garlic must be crushed or minced very finely, which triggers the maximum creation of allicin. Slicing or roughly chopping the clove will yield fewer chemical reactions within the garlic cells, thus the resulting flavour will be subtler.
The blood thinning effect of garlic, of any type, is well known, decreasing the risk of blood clotting and thrombosis. Garlic is thought to interfere with platelet function by altering thromboxane production, preventing degranulation and interfering with the binding of fibrinogen with glycoprotein IIa/IIIa (45).
While garlic has many benefits, eating too much can cause issues. Some common side effects of eating raw garlic every day include bad breath, stomach irritation, and acidity. In rare cases, it may thin blood excessively, so people on blood-thinning medications should avoid overconsumption.