Garlic, also known as Allium sativum, is one of the best anti-inflammatory herbs. It’s great to grow your own garlic so that you can have it on hand in your kitchen. Homegrown garlic tends to be extra pungent, which is great if you are a garlic lover like me.

Autumn is the ideal time of year to plant garlic. Ideally, you should plant it about three weeks before the first frost, which usually takes place any time between late October to mid-November. To plant garlic, dig a hole that is about three inches deep. Place one clove of garlic in the hole, with the pointed end up. Then, fill the hole with soil. Garlic should be planted about six inches apart.

To help the garlic grow larger, you can add a little bit of bone meal. Just sprinkle it on top of the clove in the ground before you fill the hole with soil. Be sure to cover the top of the hole with some mulch or dried leaves to protect the roots and keep them warm when they start coming up through the earth (usually before the winter comes).

Garlic is a great herb to include in your diet. Not only is it delicious, it is also anti-fungal and anti-bacterial. Garlic is among the most powerful immune modulators. Growing your own garlic ensures that you will always have it when you need it. In my opinion, we all need it every day!

The harvest time for garlic is usually in July. At this time, you can dig down and check to see how the garlic looks and see if it is big enough. Once you have harvested the garlic, it will need a lot of airflow and a dark place to prepare it. Ideally it should be hung in a dark room for a couple of weeks.

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