By Barbara Boone
Long known for its culinary attributes, garlic (Allium sativa) is a hardy perennial member of the onion family. Garlic differs from onions in that it produces individual cloves covered by a thin skin rather than one bulb. Sources indicate there are more than 600 cultivars globally, classified as either hard-necked with a flower stalk or soft-necked which do not usually produce a flower stalk. Soft-necked garlics are recommended in the South Alabama area with the following varieties growing well: Blossom, Thai Purple, Thai Fire, and Lorz Italian.
Garlic is easy to grow in the garden. Plant each clove about 3 inches deep and 6 inches apart in full sun (6-8 hours a day) and well-drained soil. Colder temperatures are not a concern as this allium tolerates frost. Time to maturity occurs from late spring to mid-summer. Drying garlic bulbs are often braided for long term storage.
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