Mmm...garlic-y!

I have a little garden with all the veggies we love to eat! This is the first year, but I have become slightly obsessed with it. Whether I'm just checking on my babies...er...the plants to make sure they're still alive or weeding in the garden for therapy and peace, I am out there a few times a day. With my obsession has come the need to can things (as I'm sure you're noticing) and finding ways to grow more things cheaply and easily.

I love garlic! Turns out its pretty darn easy to grow. The suckers at the grocery store sold me these 2 garlic bulbs at .48 a piece. Now I'm about to turn them into 40 bulbs!

Break up the bulb so you have your individual cloves of garlic. They need a space in the garden that gets lots of sun and not too much water. Plant them 4 inches apart and an inch deep. your rows should be about 18 inches apart. Make sure they are upright when you plant them.

When your garlic is ready to harvest, the leaves will turn brown and die off. You can immediately replant some of the cloves for a late fall or spring harvest if you'd like. Take your awesome, homegrown garlic bulbs and hang them to dry in a nice dry and cool place for about a week. Brush the dirt off and just wash before you use them.

Weird but true garlic story: When I was little, if I ever had an earache my grandma would cut off a piece of garlic clove and stick it in our ear. She would then put a piece of cotton in our ear to hold it in. I'm not sure why, but I just know that it worked. Obviously if you try this, don't cut it too small. :)