Are you interested in learning how to grow garlic in pots? If you are into garlic so much and you are always in need of them for your cooking, you can always grow one at home. Not only may your plants have more flavorful results, but imagine the fun whenever you harvest them. Just because you don’t have enough land or soil or space, it doesn’t mean that you can’t grow them. Use the pots and learn how to do it right, so you can grow one for your own.
Starting off
Before we dig into the details of how to grow garlic in pots, you need to realize some of the basic facts. For a starter, it’s a long-term project because you need up to 8 months (9 months, top) for a small clove to finally grow into a fully grown garlic. But it’s worth the wait. And once you have the first harvest of the garlic, it will grow year-round, regardless of your location. It’s also a good thing that garlic can be easily grown in containers.
Do you know that there are two garlic types? They are hardneck and softneck. Both are pretty tolerant to cold temperatures, which is good news if you live in colder climates. softnecks have smaller cloves in one head, but they are more numerous. They produce better in mild climates and they can store up to a year. On the contrary, hardnecks have bigger but fewer cloves. They are doing well in colder climates and they can store within 6 months only.
How to Do It
Knowing the right time to plant is one key to successful garlic growing. No matter what garlic type you choose, make sure that you start during fall. Because of the dropping temperature, it would be an ideal timeline. In cooler weather, garlic can produce roots without causing the leaves to emerge just yet, so it can grow well in spring.
Buy the seed garlic from a trusted source, but it’s better if you don’t buy it from the grocery store. What’s next?
- Go with the right container.
- Fill it halfway before you add up organic fertilizer. You should mix them well and evenly.
- Split the cloves. Go with bigger and firmer ones only, removing the smaller and softer ones.
- Each clove should be pushed inside with the pointed side facing upward. Give each clove enough space. 3 inches should be enough.
- Once you have planted all of the cloves, water the container. Make sure to water it down thoroughly until you can see excess water coming out of the bottom. If you see some of the cloves being exposed because the potting mix somewhat moves around, no fret. Just add more mix so the cloves are fully covered.
- When you start seeing leaves (especially after the chilling time), move the pot to a place where it can get at least 8 hours of sunray in a day. Don’t forget to water it down a lot. If you live in a hot and dry climate, you may need to water it daily.
- Fertilize your plant once every two weeks. If you can find organic fertilizer that is especially designed for garlic, that’s even better.
Handy Tips
To ensure a successful outcome, there are some things to keep in mind.
- Go with a plastic container instead of a clay one. Garlic needs a lot of moisture. Plastic pots can retain moisture better than the clay types because clay will absorb the moisture. Not to mention that plastics are lightweight, so you shouldn’t have any issue when moving it around.
- Garlic takes around 2 months within 40 degrees Fahrenheit to properly grow. If you grow garlic outdoors, you need to protect and cover the pot. You can use fallen leaves or thick straw layers so the roots would be protected. Once it’s spring, you can remove the protective cover. If you don’t want to have any protective cover, place the pot in an unheated spot, such as the garage. Do this until spring comes.
- Never water the potting mix, especially when it’s frozen.
Indoor vs Outdoor Grown
When you learn about how to grow garlic in pots, most of the methods and steps are for outdoor setting. So, how to grow garlic in pots indoors? Is it even possible? Yes, it is but the mechanism and the purpose may be slightly different.
You see, garlic needs lighting to grow well. If you don’t have any supplemental lighting, then the indoor garlic would have better leaves, which you can eat, instead of the bulbs. It doesn’t mean that you can’t grow garlic indoors for the bulbs, but don’t expect them to be as good or perfect as the outdoor garlic. If you are okay with the levy results for the indoor garlic, you need to cut the leaves up after they are several inches long, and do it right away. You can make them into salads or blitz them into dressing, pesto, or oil.
Conclusion
It takes patience and dedication to grow garlic, but again, it’s worth the journey. What do you want to do now that you have learned about how to grow garlic in pots?