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Doctor Bob's Northern Gardening Tips: Garlic: A timeless romance
November 12, 2002 -- by MSU-Bozeman News Service
Garlic tolerates our cold winters and hot summers, so it’s a great plant for Montana gardens. Scientists believe it originated in Central Asia, though no wild types of modern garlic have been found. This pungent plant has been a favorite in the human diet for thousands of years. It may even have caused the first labor strike.
The Egyptians wrote about growing garlic over 5,000 years ago. The builders of the pyramids lived mostly on onions and garlic. The laborers who built King Tut’s tomb were so dependent on the bulb that they went on strike when their garlic rations were decreased. Things must have panned out though, because the boy king met the afterlife in splendid style, accompanied by four garlic cloves.
Today we have three types of garlic. Soft-necked garlic is strong-flavored, stores well and is easy to braid, but is slightly less winter hardy than stiff-necked garlic. The cultivars Dixon, Inchelium, and New York White grow well in our climate.
Stiff-necked garlic, also called Rocambole, is the most winter hardy variety. It is milder in flavor than soft-necked. Roja, Purple Italian, and German Extra Early are good cultivars.
Elephant garlic produces the largest bulbs and is mild flavored and easy to peel, but is the least winter hardy of the garlics and will not keep as well. Many Montana gardeners extend the growing season by planting their garlic in the fall.
Want to know more about growing garlic? Contact your local MSU Extension office for a copy of MontGuide 199904, “Growing Garlic in Montana,” or visit MSU Extension’s online catalog at http://www.montana.edu/publications. You can also search Dr. Bob’s website at http://gardenguide.montana.edu.
Contact: Robert Gough (for additional information about horticulture topics), (406) 994-6523
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