Garlic (Allium sativum) belongs to the onion family, and has been used by humans for over 7,000 years. Why? If you ask me it’s because it tastes so amazingly good, but of course one can’t neglect the medicinal properties of this plant.
Allium sativum, known as garlic, from William Woodville, Medical Botany, 1793.
Why We Like It
As permaculture practitioner Ben Falk says, garlic is “food and medicine combined as one.”
It’s also one of the easiest plants to become 100% self-sufficient on.
It’s one of the easiest plants to grow and to save as well as to propagate and breed for improvement (simply by selecting the best cloves for replanting each year). It’s crucial immune system enhancements from the natural occurring allicin – a strong antibiotic, anti fungal and anti-parasitic make it of primary importance. Garlic is also renowned for circulation and heart health. Being one of the most reliable plants on top of these functions make garlic a no-brainer to grow in quantity. – Ben Falk, Whole Systems Design
Where To Get It
High Mowing Seeds (Certified organic, non-GMO seeds)
Territorial Seed Company (Hardneck garlic cloves)
Burpee (big selection of cloves)
If you’re not picky about varieties you could even just pick up some organic cloves from the food store and plant those. But keep in mind that while using cloves that you buy in the supermarket CAN work, you run the risk of introducing diseases into your garden.
