Garlic (Allium sativum)
The plant grows like a small leek and has flat centimeter wide leaves. In the summer a flower stalk sometimes grows in the middle, but you should cut it off so it doesn't take energy from the plant, which needs it to produce the garlic cloves. The fresh flower stalk is soft before the bud at the top has opened and can be used for cooking. The flowers are pink to purple and there are also bulbils (small cloves) among them. The bulbils can be used as sets, but since they are so small you have to wait two years before they give full sized garlic. Otherwise you set cloves late in the autumn (best) or in early spring. When the leaves have wilted there is a bunch of garlic cloves at the bottom, surrounded by a white paper like sheath. There are varieties with red sheaths or white sheaths. The flower stalk can also be hard or soft - the soft types can be braided.
Plant garlic cloves late in autumn when the soil temperature is around 10 °C and 4-6 weeks before the ground freezes. Set the cloves around 5 cm deep at a distance of about 10 cm and 20 cm between the rows.
A good sign for harvesting garlic is when about 3/4 of the leaves lie down or have wilted. Don't let it stay in the ground for too long, as the protective outer sheath will crack and you risk mould. Let the garlic dry well in a well ventilated and warm place for two weeks. Dry room temperature is best.