“There are five elements: earth, air, fire, water and garlic.” — Louis Diat
Growing garlic on my farm is important. Garlic is an important seasoning for many dishes that I cook for my family. I use it mixed with butter to flavor fresh bread I pull out of my oven as well as to spice up a pan full of fresh grown vegetables from my backyard.
Besides flavoring our meals, there are health benefits to eating garlic. Actually eating garlic provides several health benefits! The two benefits I value the most for my family is that it lowers blood pressure and help us ward off colds and coughs.
I learned from my elders when I was growing up that if you eat two raw crushed garlic cloves at the onset of having a cold or a cough it will reduce the severity of your illness. This is one “old wives” tale that I do follow and it has worked for me.
Working hard to put food on the supper table for my family is a rewarding experience. I love the fact that I can produce food to keep my family fed as well as to provide nutrition that they need to be healthy. Growing garlic in the South can be very challenging. We often fight a hot and humid summer here, but if a few rules and considerations are followed, producing garlic on your piece of land can be achieved.
Soil
Garlic will need to be planted in well-drained soil area. Prepare soil by removing growing weeds and mixing in a bit of compost.
Location
Garlic needs full sun to grow properly. While growing garlic you will need to weed to keep competing weeds from taking all the nutrients available in the soil.
Planting
Planting garlic is easy. You can plant directly in the soil in your garden or even in a container on your patio.First, divide each garlic bulb into individual cloves. Plant each garlic clove with its pointy end facing up. Plant the garlic clove about 2 inches deep and 4-6 inches apart.
Water
Water the garlic well about once a week with about an inch of water. Also mulching around the garlic will help to retain moisture.
Producing food for my family is a labor of love and self-sufficiency. I love that I can grow garlic on my farm and bring it to my supper table to flavor my dishes and to provide health benefits for my family. We are fortunate to have the knowledge to make the most of what we do have, the ability to work hard, a whole lot of passion and determination, and a bit of luck to scratch out a living in our corner of the woods.
To learn more about my adventures in farming, raising livestock, and being frugal and creative in my corner of the woods in Texas visit my blog http://thetexaspioneerwoman.blogspot.com/
— Texas Pioneer Woman
