Segment: Growing Garlic
Episode: 12
Presenter: Trevor Cochrane
TX Date: 9th May 2020

Garlic is famed for its antibacterial, antiviral and immune system building qualities, and is a great plant to grow in your garden.

• Garlic contains sulphur compounds including Allicin, which is believed to give a number of health benefits as it moves through the digestive tract. It can help to defeat free radical cells that could turn malignant.
• Garlic grows through the winter, so this is the perfect time to plant it. Get your hands on Australian bulbs, as overseas bulbs may have been dipped in an insecticide and growth retardant treatment.
• Pick a bright, sunny spot in your garden and cultivate the soil to make it loose and friable. This will allow the young roots to move through the soil easily, and lots of air will boost the microbial action in the soil.
• Plant your bulbs 10cm apart, popping them into the soil with the pointy side facing up – this is the growth shoot and needs to find sunlight. Plant them 5 to 8cm deep in free draining soil, as heavy waterlogged soils will see them rot.
• The bulbs will generally take 7-9 months to mature, meaning you’ll be harvesting them around December/January. To harvest, take the plants out hole and hang them to dry in a coolish, shaded position.