Bear garlicis a valued herbal material with bactericidal properties and a beneficial effect on the circulatory and digestive system.Bear garlicis also used in cooking as a seasoning and addition to many dishes. See what else you can do with it, whatgrowing wild garlicin the garden and in a pot looks likewhen to harvest wild garlicto make its leaves as delicious as possible. Here are all the secrets of wild garlic!
Bear garlic
Wild garlic - application
"Bear garlic(Allium ursinum) is a short-lived perennial that produces underground onions. They are the delicacy of bears and hence the name of this plant. Wild garlic grows 20-50 cm in height, produces green leaves similar to those of a lily of the valley, blooms white from April to May. In the natural environment, it occurs in humid forests of Europe and Asia. In Poland, wild garlic is quite rare, and since 2004 it has been under partial species protection. As an edible plantbear&39;s garlic was usedas an ingredient in dishes and as a herbal raw material. There are so many uses of wild garlic that even whole books are devoted to this plant, for example, wild garlic - tasty, cheap, he althy, by Claudii Boss-Teichmann. "
Healing properties of wild garlichas similar properties to common garlic. However, it is easier to digest and does not burden the liver so much. Wild garlic leaves do not leave an unpleasant garlic aftertaste in the mouth after consumptionApart from these advantages, it is also worth noting thatwild garlic compared to common garlic, has more sulfur compounds (several times more!). These compounds have a positive effect on the cardiovascular and digestive systems, and also help to fight viruses, bacteria and the yeast Candida albicans, the culprits of so hard to fight mycoses of the digestive system. Wild garlic can also be used against parasites of the digestive system, such as pinworms, roundworms and tapeworms.
It was also found that the abovementionedsulfur compounds contained in wild garlicon the one hand protect the body against free radicals, and on the other hand stimulate the immune system to fight cancer cells. Therefore, research is being conducted on the use ofwild garlic as a non-invasive form of cancer treatment(including glioblastoma, one of the types of brain cancer).For now, we can assume that eating wild garlic is a way to lower the risk of cancer.
The strong bactericidal effect of wild garlicis worth using when treating the upper respiratory tract. In addition to killing bacteria, it also stimulates the secretion of mucus in the bronchi.Wild garlic is also used to treatatherosclerosis, treat hypertension and heart disease, and to stimulate digestion.Regular consumption of fresh wild garlic leaves promotes weight lossSo, wild garlic is also a way to help you lose weight!
Wild garlic harvest
Fig. pixabay.com
Wild garlicis also used in the kitchen as an addition to many dishes. Fresh wild garlic leaves are suitable for seasoning salads, sandwiches, sauces and dressings. They should not be boiled, because then they lose their flavor.However, they can be marinated in olive oil or preserved in s alt.
It is very easy to preparewild garlic pesto recipe3 simple ingredients are enough: 5 bunches of wild garlic leaves, 100 ml of olive oil, s alt. Garlic leaves should be washed, drained and chopped very finely. Then we rub them with s alt and olive oil, put them in a jar and close. Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to several months. This will allow us to consume wild garlic long after the date of harvesting its leaves.
Bear garlic leaves should not be dried , because then they lose many of their properties. If we want to eat them outside the harvest season of fresh leaves, it is much better to simply freeze them.
Note!Wild garlic should not be obtained from the natural environment due to the need to protect this species and the possibility of a fatal mistake with the poisonous May or autumn wintertime lily of the valley .That's why I recommend growing wild garlic in your own garden.
In the gardenbear's garliccan be planted both in vegetable beds and decorative beds with bulbs. It is worth taking advantage of the fact that its garlic scent deters many nuisance plant pests. Both common garlic, ornamental garlic and the bear's garlic discussed here are great plants that repel moles and voles.
Bear garlic - growing in the garden
Growing wild garlicin the garden requires a semi-shaded or shady position (preferably under deciduous trees) and humus, well-drained, fertile and constantly slightly moist soil with a slightly acidic reaction.Wild garlic requireswatering, especially in the spring. In summer, after flowering, the plant gradually dies and fades away. Then watering is no longer necessary. Every spring, it is worth enriching the soil with compost.Wild garlic hibernates well as long as the soil is not too moist (excessively moist soil in winter contributes to the rotting of the bulbs).
Bear garlic - cultivation on the plot
Fig. Elżbieta M, forum.PoradnikOgrodniczy.pl
Wild garlic can be plantedalso in pots filled with ordinary soil for flowers with the addition of 1/3 of the volume of fine gravel (this loosening of the soil prevents the garlic bulbs from rotting). Pots with wild garlic are best placed near the windowsill on the north side. We water to keep the soil constantly slightly moist, but between waterings allow the top layer of 1-2 cm to dry slightly. Every two weeks, it is worth adding a small dose of liquid fertilizer to the watering water.
Growing wild garlic can be started by sowing seeds in the autumn.However, this method is quite unreliable, because the seeds require a long period of stratification and quickly lose their ability to germinate.If we decide, it is worth choosing the best quality wild garlic seeds, hermetically packed. Hermetic packaging ensures long sowing durability and high germination capacity of these seeds.
Planting wild garlic bulbsat the end of summer or at the beginning of autumn gives a higher chance of cultivation success. September to the beginning of October is a great time forplanting bear garlicWe plant it a bit earlier than typical winter garlic (common garlic for winter cultivation is not planted until around the second half of October).
In the following years of cultivation in the summer, when the plant dies and enters a state of dormancy,adventitious bulbs are separated from the mother bulbs, thus increasing the number of wild garlic .
Young wild garlic leaves are harvested before the plant blooms
Fig. pixabay.com
When to harvest wild garlic?
Bear's garlic leaves are harvested from March to AprilThe most delicious and valuable are young leaves, 10-12 cm long. Later, when the garlic starts to bloom, the leaves will become unpalatable, stringy and lose most of their he alth properties. also leave a few young leaves on each plant so that it can continue to develop and bloom. Thanks to this, the plant will go through the entire development cycle and in the summer we will be able to obtain
new bulbs for the propagation of wild garlic
