Garlic Information

Garlic appears in almost every country’s cuisine. It is easy to grow, stores well and takes little space in the garden. It has few pests and in fact is a natural insect repellent.

Garlic can be planted in the fall or spring. However, in Canada, most varieties do best when planted in the fall.

• Neck – Refers to the stalk that grows upward from the garlic bulb. Hardneck and softneck are the terms used to distinguish the varieties of garlic.
• Hardneck – Have a stalk that emerges from the center of the bulb and turns rigid at maturity.
• Softneck – Stalks are made up of leaves rather than the central stalk which remain soft and flexible at maturity.
• Head – The bulb of garlic.
• Cloves – The individual segments which make up the head or bulb.
• Scape – The narrow stalk that forms as the seed head, when harvested young and green it is edible. Harvesting the scape will not harm the bulb.

• It is best to keep the head whole.
• Remove any dirt.
• Trim off any roots or leaves.
• Keep the papery outer skin on. You can remove the dirtiest outer ones if desired.
• Remove the tops and roots.
• Keep in a dark, dry place with good air circulation.
• Do not store in your basement if it is damp.
• Do not store garlic in the refrigerator as this can cause it to sprout and become bitter.