Mighty garlic

Why to eat garlic?
Garlic is one of the most ancient plant that was used as a medicine for centuries, because its anti– inflammatory, anti – oxidant and anti – bacterial properties.
Some of the amazing benefits of eating garlic:
- It has anti – cancer properties: eating garlic can reduce risk if cancer (prostate, stomach, breast, colorectal, pancreatic).
- Fights colds and flu plus reduce the severity of symptoms once you start to consume garlic. Its also an awesome preventive measure. Frankly, I don't remember when I was sick last time. 
I eat at least on clove of garlic every day, plus put a generous amount in the dishes I am cooking. Here some of my recipes that you might found useful:  – liver – cleansing beetroot soup;  - something very easy and healthy to cook.
- Garlic is a powerful detoxifier. 
- Reduce the high blood pressure and its a natural blood thinner.
- Improves cholesterol level, making thus a prevention against heart deceases.
And finally, the feature I love the most, garlic is an antioxidant. 


Meaning:
- Fight and prevent Alzheimer disease, believed to be caused by oxidative free radicals and 
- Fight with aging, wrinkles and help to look younger!
Its recommended to eat 2 cloves of garlic daily to get all the above benefits.
Garlic's drawbacks:
Yes, I know. Garlic smells. 
Solution:
If you planed a date, don't eat garlic!
Eat after. 
Also, they are can be some side effects as fatigues, problem with stomach (gas, bloating), sweating. Also some of my clients who like to meditate, refrain from eating garlic as it can potentially agitate the soul and body. 


Why to grow garlic?
Try to grow your own garlic or at least buy locally grown, because: unfortunately, most of the garlic in the shops is imported. Its mean: 
- that it was in the storing room for mounts (and there is no much of nutrition left in it), to prevent sprouting it was heavily sprayed with growth inhibitor together with gamma radiation. Gamma radiation is forbidden for food treatment in Australia, however it doesn't apply for the products that are imported.
- All those beautiful white garlic, most likely, come from China and was bleached with chlorine to look pretty and more customer – appealing. 
As was reported by Henry Bell from Australian Garlic Industry Association, garlic that was brought from China (and most of imported garlic is from China) was grown in untreated sewerage http://www.theage.com.au/news/epicure/fresher-and-smellier/2005/07/18/1121538895265.html
- Australian custom regulation requires to fumigate all imported garlic with methyl bromide. Methyl bromide is a highly toxic gas, contributing to ozone layer depleting and as such is banned in many countries. This gas is also affect nerve system and kidney. Australian government recognises that methyl bromide is a dangerous substance for workers to handle, nevertheless, we are allowed to eat it in the form of imported products.
If I convinced you to grow your own garlic, then the next part of this post is for you:


How to grow garlic?
- In Victoria, plant garlic in autumn to get a good harvest. However, I plant it whole year around as its an excellent companion to strawberries, alpine strawberries, tomatoes and roses.
- Buy organic garlic from local organic producer or Australian nursery (remember, that even organic garlic that was imported was chemically treated in accordance with Australian custom standards). Break it gentle into cloves, if you damage the bottom disk of clove it won't sprout. Break it just before planting.
From big cloves you'll get the big bulbs, from small – little, that why I plant only the big.
- Prepare the soil in a sunny position: add manure, compost and blood and bone. Garlic like rich soil with neutral ph, without lumps. Remember that it will be in the bed all the rainy season, that why good drainage is crucial. Frankly, I was very surprise to get such a good harvest this year after so wet winter. Must be doing very well with my drainage. 
- Don't plant garlic after potatoes as they prone the same deceases. They will loved a the spot where used to grow cabbages, zucchinis and pumpkins.  
-Plant them 3 – 4 cm deep, pointy end up, 10 cm apart, 20 sm between the rows. 
- Keep it weeds free by mulching (straw, coffee, mushroom compost) as garlic has a very thick root system and don't like competition.
- Water a few first weeks after planting.
- As it takes 6 – 8 months to mature, I usually interplant it with other more quicker growing plants – salad, radishes, parsley.
- When their leafs start to turn brown, its mean your garlic is ready. You can pull it at early stage, just you'll have one big bulb, without cloves. Be careful when you dig it out, its very easy to slice the bulb, that why I like to do it with a gardening fork.
- Before storing, dry garlic. If there is no rain you can just leave them in the bed. Store it in a well - aerated and dry space.