🧄 Plant, Grow, and Care For Garlic in Your Garden
- ketogenicfasting
- Mar 31
- 4 min read
Updated: Aug 1
The Power of Garlic: A Global Superfood Staple
Garlic isn’t just a pantry essential — it’s a flavor powerhouse and ancient health booster. As a beloved member of the onion family, garlic (Allium sativum) has been treasured for over 5,000 years by civilizations including the Babylonians, Egyptians, Greeks, Chinese, and Indians.
From zesty Italian sauces to rich Asian stir-fries and savory Mediterranean spreads, garlic’s pungent, spicy aroma adds irreplaceable depth to dishes across the globe.
Garlic is one of Chef Janine’s signature ingredients, regularly featured in her gourmet keto creations for its bold flavor and time-tested health benefits.
Garlic in America: A Nation Obsessed
📊 Fun Fact: The average American eats 3 pounds of garlic per year!
🌱 400 million pounds are produced annually in the U.S. — mostly in California.
🌟 Garlic Capital of America: Gilroy, CA
While California leads domestic production, most grocery store garlic still comes from China, Mexico, and South America.
🌍 Garlic: A Resilient Grower
Garlic is cold-hardy, drought-tolerant, and easy to grow — thriving in USDA zones 0 to 10 (yes, even parts of Alaska!).
Southern California sits in Zone 8, meaning with a little prep, homegrown garlic is well within reach.
🌿 Why Grow Your Own Garlic?
✔️ Super beginner-friendly
✔️ Try rare heirloom varieties
✔️ Harvest buttery garlic scapes (the tender green shoots you’ll never find in stores!)
✔️ Cultivate garlic tailored to your climate and flavor preferences
🌱 Getting Started: Garlic Growing Tips
🛍️ Step 1: Buy Seed Garlic
Look for certified organic, disease-free bulbs from a trusted seed company.
💡 Pro Tip: You only need to buy seed garlic once — save the best cloves from each crop to replant the next year.
❄️ Step 2: Chill Your Bulbs (Southern CA Tip)
Simulate winter by refrigerating garlic in a plastic bag at ~40°F for 1–2 months (December–January). This mimics vernalization, helping the bulbs split properly.
💧 Step 3: Soak Before Planting
Soak your cloves for 8–12 hours before planting to help prevent disease and fuel quick root growth.
🧄 Best Time to Plant Garlic in Southern California (Riverside County):
In Southern California, including Riverside County, the best time to plant garlic is typically in late fall to early winter, but with a few specific adjustments due to the region’s mild winter climate.
Ideal Planting Time:
Late January to early February (after a simulated cold treatment—see below)
Why the delay?
Garlic typically needs a chilling period (called vernalization) to trigger proper bulb development. Because winters in Riverside County are too mild for natural vernalization, you’ll need to pre-chill the garlic cloves in the refrigerator.
🧊 Pre-Chilling Instructions (Vernalization for Mild Climates):
Store garlic cloves (unpeeled) in a paper bag or breathable mesh bag in your fridge at 35–40°F for 6 to 8 weeks.
Begin chilling around early December, so cloves are ready for planting by late January.
Optionally, soak the cloves for 8–12 hours in water (or a diluted kelp/fungicide solution) just before planting to encourage strong growth and disease resistance.
🌱 Summary Timeline for Garlic Planting/Growing in Riverside County:
📅 Time of the year | 🧄 Action |
Early December | Begin fridge chilling garlic cloves |
Late January – Early February | Plant chilled cloves in garden beds |
Late Spring – Early Summer | Harvest (when most leaves have browned) |
To explore this topic in more depth, check out this excellent article by Logan Hailey:
🌬️ Hardneck vs. Softneck
Garlic belongs to the Allium family, alongside its close cousins—onions, scallions, leeks, shallots, and chives.
🥶 Hardneck garlic:
Best for cold climates – they require a chilling period and produce garlic scapes.
🌞 Softneck garlic:
Perfect for warmer climates like Southern California — also the type you’ll most often find in stores.
🧄 Garlic: Nutritional Data (per 1 raw clove, ~3g)
heart health📊 Nutrient | 💪 Amount | 🌟 % Daily Value |
🧬 Calories | 4.5 kcal | — |
🍞 Carbohydrates | 1 g | <1% |
🧂 Manganese | 0.1 mg | 7% |
🔋 Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) | 0.1 mg | 6% |
🧈 Vitamin C | 1 mg | 2% |
💧 Selenium | 0.4 mcg | 1% |
🧂 Calcium | 5 mg | <1% |
🧲 Potassium | 12 mg | <1% |
🌿 Sulfur Compounds (e.g., allicin) | — | ⭐ Powerful antioxidant |
🌿 Garlic Health Benefits
Garlic is a flavorful and aromatic bulb rich in sulfur compounds that have earned it "superfood" status across many cultures. Celebrated not only for its bold taste but also for its medicinal properties, garlic has been used for centuries to promote health and wellness.
🩺 Benefit | 🌟 How Garlic Helps |
❤️ Heart Health | Lowers blood pressure, improves cholesterol, and may reduce heart disease risk |
🛡️ Immune Boost | Antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal — helps ward off colds and infections |
🔥 Anti-Inflammatory | Contains compounds like diallyl disulfide that fight chronic inflammation |
🧪 Antioxidant Power | Protects cells from oxidative stress with allicin and selenium |
🧠 Brain Protection | May support memory and reduce risk of cognitive decline |
🧬 Cancer Prevention Support | Studies link garlic to reduced risks of stomach, colon, and esophageal cancers |
🍽️ Digestive Aid | Encourages healthy gut flora and stimulates digestion |
🍃 Detoxification | Supports liver function and heavy metal detox with sulfur compounds |
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