This week's newsletter is all about growing your own garlic. Garlic is where it all started for GIY, so of course, we grow loads of it at GROW HQ. Mick is pretty obsessed with it still, and VERY particular about it! Since most of the garlic available in supermarkets is from China (still, grrrr), it's a great one to grow yourself.
Micks Garlic Story
A man walks into a supermarket…
This is told at least once a day down GIY way. If it hasn’t been told yet today, and you hear Michael clear his throat, run. When we hear the start of this story we all get really busy, out in the garden, digging a trench, to hide in. Nonetheless this is our origin story whether we’re sick of it or not and everyone has to hear it. So we’ll tell you once and hopefully, like chicken pox, you’ll be immune for life. But like chicken pox, there’s no guarantee.
This is Michael’s version of a Road to Damascus conversion, his eureka moment, his apple falling from the tree.
It takes place in a supermarket, an unlikely location for an epiphany I grant you, but bear with us…
Once upon a time there was a pale, chubby IT salesman called Michael, or Mick, but never Mike. One day Mick was food shopping for the family. Mick likes garlic, so Mick decided to buy some garlic. Good man Mick. But, wait a minute, what’s this?! On a 90cent garlic bulb the sticker read “product of China”. Now Mick has nothing against the Chinese per se. But China is a good 5,000 miles away from Ireland. And garlic is not exactly fussy. It’s not like a panda, it doesn’t need a specific temperature and nutrition and mood music and all that malarkey. So why the hell did someone decide to treat this garlic to the trip of a lifetime for 90cent a bulb?
That was the moment, the one on which Mick’s entire life pivoted. Not content to remain a pale, chubby, foreign-garlic-buying IT salesman any longer he sallied forth from that mid-priced supermarket to grow his own damn garlic! And thus began the GIY story….
Garlic Growing Guide
Sowing
Most GIYers sow garlic in early winter (Oct-Dec, but before the shortest day of the year – Dec 21st) as the bulbs benefit from a cold snap. Some varieties however can be sown in spring but they won’t grow as big. Pick a sunny site, with good fertile, free-draining soil. Apply an organic fertiliser before sowing. Sow each clove just below the surface, about 4-5 inches apart, in rows 12 inches apart. If soil is very wet, sow in module trays and transplant when sprouted.
Growing
As with onions, garlic hates weed competition so keep the bed weed-free. Hoe carefully around the bulbs once or twice over winter. Water occasionally in dry weather but don’t over-water.
Harvesting
Harvest when at least half to two-thirds of leaves on each plant are yellowish-brown. Autumn sown garlic will be ready in early summer. Do not allow them to go too far as they lose flavour. Lift carefully using a trowel. Dry on racks in sun (or indoors in wet weather) for two weeks. Hang in plaits.
We recommend getting your garlic from garden centres or directly from producers as most garlic sold in supermarkets are grown in different countries and therefore usually need to grow in different climates to Ireland. If you do want to chance it and grow some supermarket garlic try growing them in containers!
Weekly Challenge
Watch GROW COOK EAT
GARLIC EPISODE
To find out more about growing this fantastic veg why not grow along with Mick and Karen? Garlic took the role of our superstar veg in series 1 of GROW COOK EAT. Series 1 & 2 are available to watch on our YouTube channel now.
Our full range of GROWBoxes are back and make the perfect gift for someone you think needs to get growing. From bees to salads there is something for all kinds of growers. You can shop the full range on the GIY website.
We are joining the Microsoft Community Challenge, a fund supported by the Microsoft Datacenter Community Development team facilitated by ChangeX. The challenge offers a new way for changemakers to get funding and mentorship to start ideas like our own challenge - GROW At School.
Each team that joins the challenge will have 30 days to build their team and come up with their action plan to be eligible for seed funding. Applications are now open to communities in Greater London and South Wales. Get more info about GROW At School here: https://www.changex.org/ie/grow-at-school
GIFT VOUCHERS
Gift the gift of a GROW HQ experience - our gift card can be used in our award-winning cafe, for any of our courses, and our retail shop.
