Germidour Garlic plants (autumn planting) - Allium sativum

Violet 'Germidour' Garlic is a very early and productive autumn variety, offering pods with ivory-white flesh and pronounced aromas. It is a regenerated variety derived from 'Violet de Cadours', free of OYDV virus. In the vegetable garden, you will plant 'Germidour' garlic from September to December for a harvest in June - July.

Garlic is a very hardy perennial plant cultivated as an annual. It belongs to the Liliaceae family, like onions, shallots, and chives. It comes as a large bulb, called a head, topped with long, flat leaves. The garlic head contains several cloves. These cloves will be planted in the soil, giving birth to new garlic heads.

There are three categories of garlic: white, violet, and pink. White and violet garlic are planted in autumn. They are quite early and yield well, but their storage is limited. Conversely, pink garlic is planted in spring. It is well adapted to regions with harsh winters. Its productivity is less important, but it can be stored for a longer time.

In terms of cuisine, garlic can be consumed raw or cooked. Its strong taste flavours raw vegetables, meats, mushrooms, or stuffings. It is notably used in aioli and snail butter. Garlic has the particularity of being rich in sulfur compounds and selenium. Finely chopped, the leaves of white or violet garlic flavour omelettes and fresh cheeses, like chives.

Harvest: Garlic is harvested at maturity in June and July when the leaves wither. Dig up the bulbs and let them dry for a few days on dry and shaded soil (to avoid sunburn). The foliage of autumn garlic (white and violet) is harvested in April and May while still green.

Storage: Cut the stems or braid them to hang them. Store garlic away from light in a dry and relatively warm room, like the kitchen. Check beforehand that the bulbs have not been bruised to avoid rotting, which could contaminate the entire harvest. Garlic heads can be stored for several months (6 months to 1 year, with pink and violet garlic storing better than white garlic).

Gardener's tip: prepare a garlic spray to prevent seedling damping off and, as a curative measure, against mites and cryptogamic diseases (caused by fungi) such as mildew and rust. Soak 100g (about ten cloves) of crushed fresh garlic in 1L of rainwater and let it steep for 24 hours. Boil gently, covered, for 20 minutes. Let it cool (still covered) for 1 hour. Strain. Use undiluted:

• Either by watering or combatting seedling damping-off.
• Or by spraying on the foliage of plants (including the undersides of leaves) to combat cryptogamic diseases and mites. You can add a little milk to the mixture before spraying to allow better adherence to the foliage.

Repeat the operation three times with a 3-day interval. The garlic mix does not keep and must be used within 48 hours.