In this month’s Food Gardening Magazine, you get everything you need to know about growing garlic—a staple in every kitchen. And planting and harvesting garlic is not as difficult as you might think. If you want everything you need to know about planting garlic and enjoying it, this Gardening Guide is for you!

Garlic is one of the oldest crops in the world, and it’s still a food staple in almost every culture around the globe today. In the United States alone, we eat over 250 million pounds of garlic a year!

Every home cook uses garlic at one time or another, and many prepare dishes with this flavorful food item several times a week. That’s why we’ve prepared this all-in-one guide for you about growing, harvesting, and eating—with some easy-to-prepare and tasty recipes—home-grown garlic.

In this Gardening Guide, you get all the garlic growing tips, techniques, and advice about how to start and maintain an awesome garlic garden. And we cover growing garlic for beginners and skilled gardeners alike.

You get specific advice about garlic plant profiles—from the best garlic to grow for your needs to the characteristics and features of each variety. Types of garlic plants and garlic plant care are covered in great detail for you, so that choosing which variety to plant is an easier decision for you to make. You’ll harvest, well, “glorious garlic” from your garden when you follow all of this advice.

This Gardening Guide about garlic is your #1 guide for being the best garlic gardener you can be! You should refer to this Gardening Guide whenever you have questions about the best way to grow garlic—from planning to planting and from maintaining and nurturing to harvesting and reaping the rewards in your kitchen. You’ll have everything you need about taking care of garlic plants in your garden with this Gardening Guide!

First, you get a complete Introduction to Garlic—including the history and background of this pungent and aromatic plant. While some think of garlic as an herb or spice, botanically speaking, garlic is technically a vegetable!

Did you know that garlic has been found in the artwork and writings of ancient Egypt, Greece, Babylonia, and China? And it even gets a mention in the Bible. Garlic’s longevity is a testament to its versatility, easy cultivation, and delicious flavor. And do you know about the annual Garlic Festival in Gilroy, California? Get all the details about the history and background of garlic when you read this introduction now.

In the Feature Articles about Garlic, you’ll discover:

• Types of Garlic—do you know about the two main types, softneck garlic and hardneck garlic? Do you know the differences, especially when it comes to growing and cooking with these two different types of garlic plants? And what about planting elephant garlic? Hint: while called “garlic,” elephant garlic is more closely related to a completely different plant. Then, learn about harvesting garlic scapes—what are “scapes” and how can you grow and use them? This article will help you decide which type of garlic is best for your needs.
• Growing Garlic: From Preparing Your Beds to Planting and Mulching—what are the best practices for preparing your garden bed for planting garlic? What type of soil helps garlic thrive? Want to start growing garlic in pots or containers? Well, the pot must be at least this deep and wide—get the answer in this article now. And exactly how should you mulch your garlic garden? Hint: don’t use this item in your mulch if you’re in a damp region—it can promote mold and destroy your plants.
• Fertilizing, Watering, and Harvesting Your Garlic Plants—what type of fertilizer for garlic is best? How often should you water your garlic plants—and what techniques for watering garlic should you use? What telltale and colorful sign indicates that you have garlic ready to harvest? Get all the answers in this article now.
• Choosing a Garlic Variety to Plant—garlic can grow in almost any climate, which is why you find it growing from Florida to Alaska in the U.S. Which garlic variety is best for cooler climates? And what about warmer zones—is one variety preferred? Find out now.
• How to Spot, Treat, and Prevent Common Garlic Diseases—garlic plant diseases can be caused by bacteria, fungi, and viruses—and they can spread through the soil, water, air, infected tools, animals, and even by gardeners themselves. Find out how to treat and prevent all these diseases—in this article right now.
• Pests that Can Harm Your Garlic Plants—pests in your garlic crop, left unchecked, can damage and destroy your plants. Discover the best ways to spot pests and treat any affected garlic plants. Find out the best methods when you read this article.
• Tips for Avoiding Diseases and Pests In Your Garlic Crop—in this article, you get the top four methods for preventing garlic plant diseases and for garlic pest control. Read all about these prevention techniques now in this article.
• Essential Tools and Equipment for Growing Garlic—get the full list of essential gardening tools and equipment for growing garlic … and for almost all of your gardening needs.

Next, this premium Gardening Guide highlights five popular garlic varieties to help you choose the variety you want to grow—this is just a sampling of the many varieties available, but this is a good guide for selecting the type of plant that’s best for your garlic growing conditions and your cooking needs:

• Chesnok Red Garlic
• Dujanski Garlic
• Spanish Roja Garlic
• Inchelium Red Garlic
• California Late Garlic

And all of your garlic-gardening efforts are made more satisfying when you have quick and easy-to-make recipes, to ensure your harvest is enjoyed by everyone you serve at your home. Food Gardening Network is all about providing delicious recipes for making yummy dishes. Try these recipes and enjoy your garlic harvest in the most satisfying ways:

• Roasted Garlic
• Gremolata
• Balsamic Vinaigrette
• Garlic Aioli
• Garlic-Scape Stir Fry
• Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

Next, you’ll learn all about the health benefits of garlic with Nutrition Facts about Garlic and Home Remedies & Health Benefits of Garlic. Learn about all the wonderful and beneficial attributes of garlic—and how you can use garlic to boost your health.

And to be sure you have everything you need to grow your own garlic, we’ve included a Resources about Garlic section—so that you can easily find additional tools and information about garlic … and all sorts of other general gardening resources.

Finally, our Glossary section gives you the explanation of key garlic-growing and gardening terms and concepts—so, you’re never in the dark or confused about growing garlic or harvesting garlic.

Check out this premium Gardening Guide now—Glorious Garlic: From Garden to Table—and you’ll really learn everything you need to know about garlic!

Kathleen Cubley, Norann Oleson, Victoria Arnold, and Samantha Pulcherz contributed to the creation of this collection.