- Garlic grows from the garlic plant Allium sativum, a hardy perennial plant that belongs to the same family as the onion, leek and chive. Garlic differs from the onion in that it produces several small bulbs -- called cloves -- rather than one large bulb like the onion, with each bulb offering a dozen or more cloves. Each is covered with a thin skin as the outer cloves typically provide the best-tasting garlic.
- Garlic is believed to be native to Central Asia but has long been grown in Europe, the U.S. and elsewhere, reports the Ohio State University Extension service. The plant thrives when grown in relatively light, crumbly and fertile soil with a high concentration of organic material. Moisture content of the earth must be maintained to ensure the proper shape and pattern of the garlic bulbs.
- Garlic requires a long growing season and should be planted early -- typically March or April -- even in cold-weather northern locales. This is a crucial step to ensure that the vegetative base of the garlic plant has significant time to develop prior to the commencement of warmer weather; cool days are vital in the early growth stage of this plant, otherwise the yield of garlic cloves will be diminished. Planting in the fall for a spring harvest is also an option.
- Garlic seed is rarely commercially available and the plant produces very little of it; therefore, garlic cloves must be planted in order to propagate the plant. They should be spaced 3 to 5 inches apart in an upright position, with a set depth of 1 inch. Established rows should be spaced 20 to 30 inches apart. Gardeners will wish to separate the cloves from the bulb only immediately before planting -- this will help to ensure a high yield from the crop.
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