Gayant Pink Garlic plants - Allium sativum

Pink 'Gayant' Garlic produces medium-sized bulbs with a pinkish colour. This spring variety is planted in February - March and harvested in June - July. It is ideal for long-term storage.

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

There are 3 categories of garlic: white, purple, and pink. White and purple garlic are planted in autumn. They are quite early, have a good yield, but their storage is limited. Conversely, pink garlic is planted in spring. It is well adapted for regions with harsh winters. Its productivity is lower, but it has a longer storage life.

In terms of cooking, garlic can be consumed raw or cooked. Its pungent taste flavours raw vegetables, meats, mushrooms, and stuffings. It is notably used in aioli and snail butter. Garlic is rich in sulfur compounds and selenium. Finely chopped leaves of white or purple garlic flavor omelettes and fresh cheeses, just like chives.

Harvesting: Garlic is harvested when the leaves wither, in June and July, when it reaches ripeness. Pull out the bulbs and let them dry for a few days on a dry and shaded ground (to avoid sunburn). The foliage of autumn garlic (white and purple) is harvested in April and May, while it is still green.

Storage: Cut off the leaves or braid them to hang. Store garlic away from light, in a dry and warm room, such as the kitchen for example. Check beforehand that the bulbs have not been damaged to prevent rot that could contaminate the whole harvest. Garlic heads can be stored for several months (from 6 months to 1 year, with pink and purple garlic storing better than white garlic).

Gardener's tip: prepare a garlic decoction to prevent damping-off of seedlings and, as a curative measure, to fight against spider mites and fungal diseases such as mildew and rust. Crush 100g (about 10 cloves) of fresh garlic and steep in 1L of rainwater for 24 hours. Boil gently, covered, for 20 minutes. Let it cool (still covered) for 1 hour. Strain. Use undiluted: either by watering, to combat damping-off, or by spraying on the foliage of plants (including the undersides of leaves) to fight against fungal diseases and spider mites. You can add a little milk to the mixture before spraying to allow for better adhesion to the foliage.

Repeat the process 3 times at 3-day intervals. The garlic decoction does not keep and must be used within 48 hours.