Garlic is the perfect backyard crop By JESSIE MILLIGAN

Garlic is the perfect backyard crop By JESSIE MILLIGAN

12:00 AM CDT on Thursday, October 23, 2008

By JESSIE MILLIGAN / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News
home@dallasnews.com Jessie Milligan is a Fort Worth freelance writer.

Bob Anderson lives a gardener's near-perfect escapist fantasy.

In 1993, he quit computer sales and consulting and left Dallas to live on his wife's family ranch in Bangs, southwest of Dallas. Now he makes his living growing exotic strains of garlic and selling them on the Web.

One of the beauties of garlic, beyond bruschetta or aioli at the table, is that it doesn't take much land to produce a bountiful crop. It's perfect for a back yard, where it can be tucked into flower beds and alongside roses.

Garlic in North Texas can be planted as late as January, although mail-order companies carrying specialty bulbs tend to sell out before that, Mr. Anderson says.

It can be grown from heads bought at supermarkets, if the garlic was organically grown, says Burton Mjolhus, manager at Covington's Nursery and Landscape Co. in Rowlett. If the garlic is not organic, however, it may have been sprayed with chemicals that retard its growth.

The best varieties for North Texas are the softneck garlics known as silverskin garlic, according to Texas A&M University's horticulture program. Common types in that family recommended by A&M are 'Creole', 'California Early White', 'California Late White', 'Mexican Pink' and 'Texas White'. Elephant garlic also is listed as a type that grows in Texas.

The artichoke type also can do well, Mr. Anderson says. Types include 'Inchelium Red', 'Transylvanian' – starts came from a vegetable market in that region of Europe in 1994 – and 'Kettle River'.

The porcelain type, so-called hardneck varieties, is preferred for northern climates.

TAMU planting tips

Plant garlic cloves, point up, in loose soil, 3 to 6 inches apart, in a location where they will receive six hours of sun daily. Cloves should be planted only 1 to 2 inches deep.

Soil should be watered to a depth of 2 feet and watering should be regular until harvest nears in the spring, when irrigation should taper off to prevent rot.

Bulbs are harvested when the tops dry and bend. Once dug, garlic should be left to completely dry in a covered area a week or more.

In Mr. Anderson's experience, garlic requires little fertilizing. Too much nitrogen in the soil will prevent bulbs from forming, he says.

Jessie Milligan is a Fort Worth freelance writer.

WHERE TO FIND ORGANIC GARLIC

Organic garlic for planting is easiest to find at supermarkets, although not all stores will describe which variety of garlic is in their bins.

North Haven Gardens, 7700 Northaven Road, sometimes sells garlic transplants in pots starting in November. Transplants are found among the herbs and typically sell for about $2 for a 4-inch pot.

Green Mama's Organic Garden Center, 5324 Davis Blvd. in North Richland Hills, has elephant garlic for 75 cents a head.

Feed or farm supply stores, including Marshall Grain, 2224 E. Lancaster in Fort Worth, often sell garlic cloves for planting. Marshall Grain carries organic 'California Early White' for 69 cents a head.

Shopping online is a good way to locate organic specialties that will do best in North Texas. Typically, online retailers sell planting garlic by the pound or half-pound. Expect to pay from $5 to $13 for a half-pound, which produces about 20 pounds of mature garlic. Remember that softneck varieties can be braided for display. Here are a few sites:

www.gourmetgarlicgardens.com. Mr. Anderson's garlic business offers a wide variety of organic garlic for planting. The garlic is grown on a ranch about 175 miles southwest of Dallas.

www.thegarlicstore.com. This Fort Collins, Colo., grower's Web site identifies varieties best for warm-weather climates.

www.seedsofchange.com and www.territorialseed.com. Seeds of Change, based in New Mexico, and Territorial Seed Co. in Oregon offer uncommon varieties. Both provide descriptions of each variety's distinct flavors.

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