Garlic is a staple in the home kitchen.  Garlic powder, garlic paste, marinated garlic, frozen garlic and, the best, fresh from the garden garlic give us lots of options for kicking up the flavor of our favorite dishes.  

• But, did you know…
• China now produces 75% of the world’s supply of garlic.
• April 19 is National Garlic Day.
• Garlic is probably native to Central Asia but has long been naturalized in Southern Europe.
• Garlic has been associated with lots of health benefits including improved heart health, anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties.
• Most of the garlic (90%) grown in the US comes from California.
• Garlic (Allium Sativum) is a member of the Amaryllis family (Amaryllidaceae), which also includes leeks, onions, and shallots.
• Garlic is derived from the old English term garleac, which means “spear leek”.
• It is a perennial.
• It grows as an underground bulb (head) composed of pungent bulblets commonly called cloves.
• Chicago got it's name from the Algonquin Indian word for the wild garlic and onion that grew around Lake Michigan - "chicagaoua".
• Garlic is truly a worldly vegetable with references to it appearing in the history and lore of Egypt, Korea, China, Greece, India and of course the countries where vampires are legend.
• While you can easily find garlic at local farmer’s markets at this time of year (and often at the winter markets), garlic is easily grown in your own back yard. 

You might want to consider growing it — the flavor of locally grown garlic far surpasses what is sold in your supermarket.

So how do you grow your own?

You should plant garlic in October.  Don’t bother to try and plant garlic that you have gotten from the store — 

buy garlic for planting from a local garden center so that you know it is adapted to this growing area.  

Check with local garlic growers for their source.

Garlic grows best on friable (crumbly) loamy soils that are fertile and high in organic matter. Gardeners who can grow onions can grow garlic since the culture is similar.  

Follow soil test recommendations for your particular garden soil. The soil must be kept evenly moist as dry soil will cause irregularly shaped bulbs. 

Heavy clay soils will also create misshaped bulbs and make harvesting difficult. Add organic matter, such as well-rotted manure or compost to the soil on a yearly basis to keep it friable.