Hands on - Garlic

Garlic plants can be grown from seeds or from bulbs. Seeds aren't always easy to get hold of so bulbs are usually used. You can use bulbs from your local shop, but special types that are better for planting can be bought from garden centres and seed companies.

They should be planted in late Autumn. Split a bulb into cloves and plant each clove 2.5cm deep under the soil about 10cm apart from each other. Make sure their pointed ends poke upwards and don't press the soil too hard, otherwise you might stop the roots from growing properly.

Water and weed your garlic plants regularly. By late winter and through to the spring, stems will start to sprout from each clove. As they grow, the cloves multiply to form bulbs.

By the time summer is in full swing, they will be complete bulbs and ready to you to eat.

Around the middle to the end of summer the leaves and stems turn from green to yellowish. This signals they are ready for digging.

Gently loosen the bulbs out of the soil and carefully remove them (they are still quite soft and will bruise easily). Leave the bulbs on the surface of the soil to dry and ripen off in the sun for a few days.

Once dried, your garlic is ready to use. For storage, your crop can be hung up in string bags or simply laid in boxes in a cool but frost-free place. A shed is ideal. If it's cool and dry enough, your store will last all year.

Why not save a few bulbs to plant for next year too? Follow the same steps again.