Garlic is one of those markedly unforgiving crops. It doesn’t matter whether you want to be a home grower or have ambitions to be a small or micro commercial grower, if you want to grow garlic with some degree of success you will have to confront the plant’s slightly petulant nature and arrogant outlook on life. Yes, I’m serious. If you don’t get the nutrient balance, soil humus ratio, bacteriology and watering regime right you get treated to a stalk shaking, sulky refusal to grow those large lucious bulbs and mouth wateringly juicy cloves the Turban group is famous for. Specifically, the local cultivar, Monaro Purple, grows widely in the region and has now adapted well to our climate and elevation. Originally brought to Australia by European migrants working the Snowy Hydro Scheme, this variety is now known as a totally Australian cultivar and is registered as a cultural food with the Slow Food International Movement’s Arch of Taste. Wynlen House Artisan Village Farm was able to register the variety in 2016. The result is that Monaro Purple is now recognised internationally as a food of cultural significance to Australians. Well, at least to us garlic lovers.
That aside, how do you grow beautiful garlic that cures well? First, your soil needs to be the correct PH. Garlic is a little bit sensitive to variations that don’t matter to other vegetable species. Get it right from the start and save angst and effort later. Second, you need boron and sulphur. While every plant also needs these elements, garlic will be particularly happy if you make sure they get a generous amount. Third, garlic loves soil full of organic matter and hates weed competition. So make sure you delete the weed seed before you plant the garlic. Compost and green manure crops rise in importance when talking about the Allium family. Trace elements, good seaweed based complete fertilizer, deep watering not shallow watering, and, of course, talk to your plants nicely, don’t stress them. Remember Monica Gagliano’s work from the University of Western Australia is getting closer to showing that plants have a psychological life and are a bloody lot smarter than we give them credit!.
Want to Grow Great Organic Garlic? Come to our on-farm workshop in late February. See https://wynlenhouse.com.au/store/on-farm-classes/
Come to Bundanoon and make a day of it!
