NANO-XIM Hydroxyapatite & Natural Wellness

Stop!  You Must Not Toss The Garlic With the Green Things!

Have you ever been preparing a meal that requires garlic only to be frustrated to find that that little garlic clove that almost kicked your butt while you tried to peel it has a green middle, or even worse a green sprout coming out?  Don’t despair, this is actually a good thing!  Now friends, all of us culinary folks know it’s not a good thing to cook with greening garlic because it will lend a bitterness to your dish, not something you are looking for, but you can turn that little tiny clove into so much more!  Best of all?  It’s easy, like really easy.  Brace yourself, for I am about to unveil the secrets of transforming these frustrating cloves into a marvelous bounty of garlic goodness!

Garlic is not just a kitchen staple; it’s a culinary superstar! Packed with flavor and renowned for its numerous health benefits, garlic adds a punch to your dishes while supporting your well-being. From warding off vampires in folklore to boosting your immune system in reality, this kitchen essential is a must-have for every home chef.  Imagine the thrill of plucking fresh garlic bulbs from your own garden, knowing they sprouted from cloves once destined for your dinner plate (or compost bucket or worse). It’s a journey that transcends the mundane, breathing life into the soil and enriching your culinary adventures.  

The Spark of Life: Sprouting Garlic Cloves

Ah, the beauty of simplicity! Growing garlic from sprouting cloves is a simple process. If you have greening or sprouting garlic cloves by all means use them, if not, begin by selecting plump, organic garlic bulbs from your local market. Look for those with firm cloves and sprouting green shoots, for they hold the promise of future harvests.  If, like me, you are a homebody and you would rather order them from the comfort of where ever you are, here are some good ones.

With gentle hands, carefully separate the cloves, tenderly preserving their delicate shoots. Or just pull them apart and toss them into a beautiful bowl or a garden safe container.  Each clove is a whole future bulb.  Gather a bunch of them because garlic is not only amazing for its culinary delights but also its lesser-known benefits for insects and as a stellar companion plant. Get ready to discover why growing garlic goes beyond the kitchen and into the heart of a thriving garden ecosystem.

Believe it or not, garlic is a secret haven for beneficial insects in your garden. The pungent aroma of garlic acts as a natural deterrent for pests, making it an excellent companion plant. Planting garlic near your precious crops can help keep unwanted insects at bay, creating a harmonious environment for both your plants and the insect allies that support a thriving ecosystem.  Plus, the garlic cloves throw up a scape that will blossom into a big purple flower that not only provides for more tasty options in the kitchen, but is reminiscent of something out of a Dr. Seuss book.  Butterflys and other beneficial insects will flock to this funky bloom

Equip Yourself for Success: Essential Gardening Tools

Growing your own bounty of garlic is easy but you’ll need a few trusty companions by your side. Equip yourself with a sturdy trowel, *Affiliate Tip*: Enhance the magic with the GreenThumb Planting Wand – a whimsical tool designed for precise and enchanting garlic plantings. Click [here](#) to wield the wand and elevate your garlic garden to new heights., a full watering can and a sunlit patch of earth.  Note that Garlic prefers well-drained soil with good sunlight so, let’s not forget the essential ingredient for nurturing your garlic babies – coconut coir!

Coconut Coir: Nature’s Gift to the Soil

Are you familiar with the wonder of coconut coir? It’s nature’s golden elixir for soil enrichment! As someone who has hard packed soil, I cannot sing enough praises for this miraculous substance. Derived from the fibrous husks of coconuts, coconut coir is a sustainable alternative to peat moss, boasting superior water retention and aeration properties.

Simply mix coconut coir into your garden soil to enhance its structure and fertility. Be prepared to be amazed at how easy it is to keep your bed weeded and how easy it makes it for your garlic cloves to do their thing as they are provided with the ideal environment to establish roots and thrive. With coconut coir as your ally, your garlic garden will flourish with abundance beyond measure.  And remember that garlic isn’t just a solo act; it’s a team player in your garden. When strategically planted alongside other crops, garlic can act as a protective shield, deterring pests that might harm its neighboring companions. This symbiotic relationship not only enhances the health of your plants but also reduces the need for harmful pesticides, contributing to a more eco-friendly and sustainable garden.  So go ahead and toss some other seeds in with your garlic crop.  Maybe some pretty flowers such as easy to grow zinnias or even medicinal calendula (fancy term for merrigolds).  Look for future posts about calendula because it’s something I use a lot of.

Planting garlic is a relatively straightforward process. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to plant a garlic crop: (Note: the above photo is AI generated, garlic bulbs grow UNDER the ground 😆 but this photo was too funny not to include)

• Choose the Right Garlic Bulbs:
  • Select high-quality garlic bulbs from a reputable source or garden center. Look for bulbs that are large and healthy, free from disease or damage.
• Select a Suitable Planting Site:
  • Garlic prefers well-drained soil with good sunlight. Choose a location with loose, fertile soil. Ensure that the area receives at least 6-8 hours of sunlight per day. 
• Prepare the Soil:
  • Garlic thrives in well-draining soil with organic matter. Work coconut coir, compost or well-rotted manure into the soil to improve its fertility and structure. Remove any rocks or debris from the planting area.
• Planting Time:
  • Garlic is typically planted in the fall, about 4-6 weeks before the first hard frost. This allows the garlic cloves to establish roots before winter. In warmer climates, you can plant garlic in late winter or early spring.  
• Separate Garlic Bulbs into Cloves:
  • Break the garlic bulb into individual cloves, keeping the papery skin intact. Use larger cloves for planting, as they tend to produce larger bulbs.
• Planting Depth and Spacing:
  • Plant each garlic clove with the pointed end facing upward. Plant the cloves about 2 inches deep and space them approximately 6-8 inches apart in rows. Rows should be spaced around 12-18 inches apart.
• Mulch the Area:
  • Cover the planted area with a layer of mulch (straw, leaves, or hay) to help regulate soil temperature, suppress weeds, and retain moisture.
• Watering:
  • Water the garlic immediately after planting and keep the soil consistently moist. During dry periods, continue to water regularly, but be cautious not to overwater, as garlic doesn’t like soggy soil.  Because too big of a can gets too heavy and too small of a can has to be refilled too often, I pull a Goldy Locks move an use a medium sized watering can that is just right, like this one:  
• Fertilize:
  • Fertilize the garlic in the spring when shoots emerge and again in early summer. Use a balanced, organic fertilizer to support healthy bulb development.
• Harvesting:
  • Harvest garlic when the lower leaves turn yellow and start to die back, usually in late spring or early summer. Carefully dig up the bulbs, and allow them to cure by drying in a shaded, well-ventilated area for a few weeks.  I use a full sized shovel, loosen the soil around the garlic plants and then pushing the shovel deeply under the garlic, I pop it up so that it is loose enough to easily remove from the soil.  You will be surprised at how deep the bulbs grow and how strongly they grip the soil, this is why the coconut coir is highly recommended.

By following these steps, you can successfully plant and grow a garlic crop in your garden.  Now, in all honesty, I am a lazy gardener, I’m far too busy making soap, lotion stones, bug sprays etc. to be too precise in my gardening.  Whenever I am cooking and run across a piece of garlic that is beyond its prime, I toss it in an old yogurt container until I can get outside. 

I do adore coconut coir and use it abundantly, but in reality, I walk that old yogurt container over to the nearest flower bed, raised bed or fruit tree and stick the cloves in the ground.  They may or may not have been peeled, I don’t pay attention to what side is up, I don’t bother watering them in, I don’t fertilize them and I don’t always harvest them the first year. 

If you come to my ranch in the spring or summer you will see garlic growing everywhere.  The butterflies and other pollinators swarm the big funky blueish purple flowers.

In the late summer, early fall, I harvest as much as I think I will need to get me through the year.  I set it all on a table in my unheated green house for a couple of weeks, until I am overcome with the desire to clean it up.  At that point, I cut the bulbs off the stems and toss them into paper bags.  The stems and flowers get thrown into the garden where it helps to deter bugs, decomposes over the winter and helps to nourish the soil for the following years’ garden. 

See, easy peasy.  I did order and plant both hard neck and soft neck garlic the first year but have simply replanted extra cloves ever since.  Also, every year, your garlic will adapt to its surroundings and will grow bigger and bigger.  This is my favorite part, I don’t know about you, but I despise having to peal teeny tiny garlic cloves that have that sticky paper peel that clings to your hands.  My home grown garlic has large to ginormous cloves that are easy to peel, taste delicious, are grown with out chemicals and are perfect for making homeopathic remedies like Garlic Honey that I wrote about HERE.

Go ahead and give growing garlic a try.  Let me know if you have any questions or thoughts.  Stay natural my friends.