Garlic

Origin: Central Asia

Family: Amaryllidaceae
Subfamily: Allioideae
Scientific Name: Allium sativum

Folk Names: Ajo, garlicke, Por Man’s Treacle, Stinkweed

Magical

Element: Fire
Day: Tuesday
Planet: Mars
Zodiac: Aries
Deities: Hecate, Mars

Parts Used: Bulb, flower

Magical Properties: Exorcism, health, protection, banishing

Substitutions: Ginger

Botanical

Garlic is closely related to onions, shallots, leeks, chives, and Chinese onions.

Type: Perennial herb
Plant size: up to 1m
Leaves: Leaf blades are flat, linear, solid, and 1.5-2.5cm wide
Flowers: Edible pink/purple flowers
Bulb: Bulb contains 10-20 cloves

Etymology: “Garlic” comes from the Old English garleac, with gar meaning ‘spear’ to mean “spear-shaped leek”.

In the Garden

Type: Perennial
Sow: Autumn
Light: Full sun
Soil: Loose, dry well-drained soil

Companion Planting: Apricot, cherry, parsnip, peach, pear, peas, raspberry, rosemary, and roses.

Tips:

• Individual garlic cloves can be planted (point-up) to grow entire new plants.
• You can remove the flowering stem when it’s produced to encourage bulb growth.
• Harvest in late spring or early summer.