Is Garlic an Herb or a Vegetable?

Garlic is not only useful in our kitchens but also beneficial in our gardens. It protects other plants from pests such as snails, slugs and aphids because of the taste. It is helpful to plant garlic near lettuce, cabbage and beets. Planting garlic near lettuce and cabbage helps keep pests away, and planting it near beets gives them a better flavor.

Now here is a question for you: Do you consider garlic a vegetable or an herb?

Here is some more information. Let's see if you can figure it out.

Garlic is traditionally planted on the shortest day of the year. That way, you know it is not being planted too early or too late. But in our case, with early freezing temperatures, it is usually planted in late fall. There are two main ways garlic is planted. The first is with garlic cloves. One clove will produce a bulb with 10-20 more cloves, so it is self-sustaining. The other way to plant garlic is to use garlic seed. If cloves are readily available in your kitchen and can be planted for no additional cost, what is the advantage of planting seeds? The rationale is that seeds offer a higher success rate of growing. Because the cloves are prone to disease, there is more of a chance that the cloves will not produce. With brand-new seeds, there is less of a risk for the diseases.

Not quite sure of the answer yet? Read on!

Two diseases encountered in the growing process are garlic rot and rust. Signs of garlic rot are dying leaves and white fungal growth at the top of the growing bulb. This disease can be caused by extreme high or low temperatures during the growing process. Rust is characterized by a reddish orange color on the leaves of the plant, with the leaves eventually dying. The garlic bulb could produce a smaller yield, or the plant will die completely. To prevent disease, inorganic products are available commercially. For organic growers, crop rotation and healthy seeds are best.

Harvesting garlic occurs twice in the year. The first harvest is in the spring. Scapes develop on the tops of the garlic bulbs. These can be cut off and used like green onions. The scapes can be stored in a plastic bag in the crisper of your refrigerator for up to seven days. Later in the summer, the bulbs finish developing. The best time to harvest is when half the leaves around the bulb are brown and the other half are still green. This is best for storing purposes. After the garlic is picked, it is hung to dry for a week. After that week, the dirt is brushed off the bulb, but the bulb is not washed. Washing the bulb would cause some of the leaves to come off, and the garlic would not store well. Garlic bulbs are stored in a cool, dry place.

Here comes the answer!

Garlic is part of the onion family, along with over 500 other members. Because it is put in the Alliaceae family, garlic is a vegetable and not an herb.

There are a couple of main health benefits of garlic. Allicun and diallyl sulphides are chemicals produced when cloves are crushed or chopped. Allicun has antibiotic and anti-fungal properties. When cooked, the medical properties of allicun disintegrate. Also, too much allicun can cause digestive irritation or damage. Diallyl sulphides are less intense than allicin. The medical properties are not affected by cooking. Diallyl sulphides can help to lower bad cholesterol, improve circulation, and they also have immune boosting properties. Garlic is also a good source of manganese, vitamin B6, vitamin C and selenium.

Garden Blessing 

Meet Virginia Zenzen  

My name is Virginia Zenzen, and I am back for a second year of summer gardening. I grew up on an organic dairy farm near Belgrade, Minn. We just sold our cows, which has been a big but exciting change for us. My family will now be crop farming, and we may go back into dairy farming in the future. Nothing is set in stone yet. I am a junior nutrition-dietetics major at the College of Saint Benedict, currently a psychology minor (but that might change to environmental studies).

I decided to come to CSB/SJU because of the friendly people and the beautiful location. I didn't want to go to a school that was in a big city. Both campuses have lots of outdoor space. I initially wanted a job where I would be able to do work similar to work on the farm. Now, as I have started looking at what I want to do in the future, I have decided that at some point in my life I want to own a CSA.

This summer, I hope to learn more management skills, what kinds of funds it will take for start-up and upkeep for this goal to become a reality. This summer, I also want to bring our community closer together. I plan on helping to plan garden programs so we can all get to know each other better. We can learn about the garden and learn how to use the vegetables in the shares each week. We have had a really good start with the vegetables this spring, and I expect these upcoming summer months to be just as fruitful. I look forward to meeting you all! 

Recipes

What's Next

Vegetable Forecast: Look forward to more greens, alcosa cabbage and peas.