Garlic: A Green Ally in Your Garden

Garlic and plant
Garlic, a member of the same botanical family as onions, leeks, and shallots, is renowned for its culinary uses worldwide. While it plays a starring role in kitchens globally, the surprising benefits it offers to plants make it an unexpected hero in gardens. With origins dating back to Central Asia, garlic found its way to the Near East about four thousand years ago. Documented use in India and Egypt dates back to the third millennium BC.

Garlic’s Nutritional Prowess

Garlic boasts significant amounts of vital micronutrients like manganese, vitamin B6, vitamin C, and selenium, all while being low in calories. Rich in polyphenols and antioxidants, black garlic, a transformation of white garlic under constant temperature and humidity, elevates these nutritional properties.

Garlic in plants

Versatile Uses in the Garden

Beyond its culinary significance, garlic is easily grown and harbors medicinal qualities, making it a versatile addition to any garden. Its diverse properties can be harnessed to benefit your orchard or garden in various ways.

Guardian of Fruit Trees

Garlic proves to be a formidable guardian against pests in your garden. Its presence helps repel parasites like aphids and spider mites, acting as a deterrent against fungal attacks. Planting garlic around fruit trees creates a protective barrier, and combining it with other crops can prevent parasites from infiltrating your garden.

A Natural Bactericide and Fungicide

When cultivating tomatoes or other plants, the inclusion of garlic in your garden proves advantageous. Functioning as a natural bactericide and fungicide, garlic acts as a repellent against parasites, particularly nematodes. Its benefits extend to carrot and strawberry crops, where planting garlic between carrots helps repel the notorious carrot fly.

Garlic Infusion: Aphid Repellent

A simple yet effective home remedy involves using a garlic infusion to repel aphids. Applied at dawn or dusk for about five days, this natural concoction ensures the disappearance of aphids without resorting to toxic chemicals, preserving the health of your plants and the environment.

Chopped garlic in water

Garlic as a Fungicide

To create a natural insecticide-fungicide, blend a garlic head with cloves and two glasses of water, creating a homogeneous mixture. After letting it rest for a day, mix it with three liters of water. This solution can be sprayed directly on plant leaves, offering protection against fungal infections.

DIY Garlic Insecticide: APICHI

Garlic takes center stage in creating a potent insecticide called APICHI, targeting soft-bodied insects like mites, whiteflies, aphids, and caterpillars. To concoct this homemade insecticide, peel and chop a garlic head, crush it well, and let it macerate in a saucepan with one liter of water for 24 hours. Boil the solution for 5 minutes, let it cool, filter it, and transfer it into a sprayer for use as a potent insecticide.

Harnessing the power of garlic in your garden not only enhances the flavor in your kitchen but also contributes to the health and vitality of your plants.