Mixed culture – What are good neighbors?
Tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries, carrots, dandelions, lettuce, and beets all grow well with garlic. It is not recommended to plant them next to beans or cabbage, as the nitrogen enriched in the soil by these plants negatively affects garlic growth.
Botany – What kind of plant is this?
Garlic is an herbaceous plant in the allium family and can reach a height of up to 90 cm. The plant is divided into the bulb, which is surrounded by a white or reddish covering, and the stalk with the leaves and inflorescences. The bulb consists of a main clove, around which five to twenty secondary cloves are distributed. The leaves are flat and bluish-green. The inflorescence of the garlic is a false umbel and thus sterile. They are pink or white and usually trifoliate. The high health value of garlic is widely believed. Constituents such as vitamins A, B, and C, as well as selenium, iodine, potassium, iron, calcium, magnesium, and zinc support this theory. Garlic is characterized by its smell: the sometimes dreaded "garlic breath" is due to the sulfur-containing amino acid alliin, which causes the garlic smell.
Cultural history – How did garlic come to us?
Garlic is one of the oldest cultivated plants in the world. It was cultivated in ancient Egypt over 5,000 years ago and played a significant cultural and mythological role there. For example, it was a burial offering of the pharaohs. The white bulbs were given to the workers and slaves of the pyramids as food; they were believed to increase stamina and strength. Garlic has been known in Korea, China, and India since around the 6th century. Even then, it was used to cure certain health ailments. Garlic was also widespread in ancient Greece and Rome. Warriors and soldiers ate the bulb before competitions or battles to strengthen themselves for the tasks ahead. Later in the Middle Ages, garlic was considered a protective shield against demons, vampires, werewolves, and diseases. Garlic probably arrived in Germany with the advancing Romans and quickly spread through cultivation in monasteries. Today, the herb is particularly popular for its pungent aroma and is a healthy flavor enhancer for many meat and vegetable dishes.
TEXT: Merle Hildebrandt
