# Grow Garlic for your plate and Garlic Spray for your Garden.

- Link: https://rd2.co.nz/grow-garlic-for-your-plate-and-garlic-spray-for-your-garden/
- Published: 2024-05-27T04:42:47+00:00
- Author: RSF Admin

As the shortest day of the year approaches, it’s time to think about preparing your
garden bed to grow Garlic!  As a heavy feeder, Garlic requires fertile, free draining
soil and full sun to produce big fat bulbs. Not only is garlic great for culinary
uses, but it also serves as a powerful organic pesticide with BioRepel.

### Preparation for planting Garlic

Prepare your garlic garden bed a few weeks in advance of planting by generously 
adding lots of organic matter such as aged compost, potting mix, and/or manure. 
If you’re an ‘off the cuff’ gardener, you could instead dig a trench down 200-300
mm at planting time and add manure at the bottom of the trench, backfill the trench
just deep enough to plant the garlic cloves about 50mm deep.  Plant cloves 200mm–
300mm apart with the pointy tip side up and cover.

The limited root system of garlic, indeed all _Allium_ plants, makes them extremely
reactive to beneficial mycorrhizal fungi – [Rootella T grow bags](https://rd2.co.nz/product/mycorrhizal-fungi-rootella-t-garden-20-t-bag-organic/).
These beneficial organisms will assist in the uptake of water and minerals and enhance
resilience to disease, and our environment will thank you. 
A layer of mulch on 
top of your garden bed is also great for insulating the developing garlic bulbs 
from extreme temperature changes over the growing season.

### **Feeding your Garlic**

To grow Garlic, it needs lots of balanced nutrients throughout the season including
at the end of the season when bulbs are bulking. Garlic will take about 6-7 months
from planting to harvest and the bulbs are formed in the last six to eight weeks.
It is important during this time to choose products that are high in Potassium and
Phosphorus but not Nitrogen, such as [K-Forte Powder](https://rd2.co.nz/product/k-forte-mineral-fertiliser-home-garden-range/).
About a month before harvest you should reduce watering to improve the keeping quality
of your garlic and help the bulbs focus on swelling. Good spacing and keeping the
plants dry is important to avoid rust and mites. 

### **Keeping the pests at bay with BioRepel**

Garlic isn’t just perfect for your pesto and garlic bread, its odour is a powerful
repellent and makes a great organic pesticide. Roots, Shoots & Fruits BioRepel is
great for keeping many pests, such as thrips and mites at bay.

[BioRepel](https://drive.google.com/file/d/151oTRYSj-1Q4lPekPTH6z9W6YQ1JSGca/view)
is a natural Garlic Spray made from pure garlic juice.  The strong odour dissipates
after it’s sprayed but remains offensive to insect pests. As an organic pesticide,
BioRepel is a good choice as it is non-toxic and will not harm beneficial insects.

### **Time to Harvest**

Traditionally, having been planted on the shortest day of the year, Garlic is harvested
on the longest day but keep an eye on your plants and harvest after 2 to 4 leaves
have died back and there are still 5 or 6 green leaves remaining.  
Don’t wait until
all of the leaves have completely died back as bulbs will have started to split.

So, start preparing to plant your garlic and invest in some organic pesticide Garlic
repellent to protect your whole garden from pests.  
Shop BioRepel here:

 * ![Bio Repel](https://rd2.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/RSF-Pouches-May-2022-
   Bio-Repel-300x300.jpg "Grow Garlic for your plate and Garlic Spray for your Garden.
   1")
 * Bio-Repel – Garlic Insect Repellent – Organic Garden Range
 * $45.46
 * Rated **4.00** out of 5 based on 2 customer ratings
 * [Add to cart](https://rd2.co.nz/grow-garlic-for-your-plate-and-garlic-spray-for-your-garden/?output_format=markdown&add-to-cart=5198)