How To: Grow garlic in your home garden

Garlic is good for you and adds great flavor to your cooking. Add this versatile plant to your garden this fall and in no time at all you'll be pulling up fantastic cloves of fresh, home grown garlic that you can use and share with your neighbors.

If you're looking to spice up your sauce, saute mushrooms, or keep vampires at bay, nothing is better than fresh homegrown garlic.

You Will Need

   * Garlic cloves
   * Fertilizer
   * Water
   * Mulch
   * Baking soda (optional)
   * Liquid seaweed (optional)

Step 1: Choose your garlic

Choose the type of garlic you'd like to grow. There are two garlic categories, softnecks and hardnecks.

Step 2: Prepare the bed

Prepare your bed by loosening the soil and adding fertilizer such as compost.

Step 3: Plant the cloves

Plant as close to the autumnal equinox as possible and plant the cloves, root side down, in 2-inch-deep holes, 8 inches apart from each other.

To protect your crop from fungal diseases and pest infestations, soak each clove in water mixed with 1 tablespoon baking soda and 1 tablespoon liquid seaweed per gallon.

Step 4: Mulch

Mulch around emerging green shoots them from frost. Keep the soil moist – but not wet – and weed-free.

Step 5: Harvest

Harvest your garlic when most of the lower leaves have turned brown. Gently dig around the bulb and remove it from the soil.

Step 6: Store the garlic

Store your garlic in a moderately humid area between 50 and 65 degrees. Once you're ready to dig in, peel back the skin, and enjoy the pungent perfection.

The ingredient in garlic that is responsible for its pungent smell as well as its antibacterial and potential healing properties is called allicin.