Garlic not only protects vampires, but it also makes everything taste better. Fresh garlic from potted garlic plants keeps nearby bulbs crunchier and tenderer than anywhere in the grocery store.
Growing garlic in containers requires some planning and the appropriate type of container. Read on for some tips on how to grow garlic in a bowl and pick up the bite of fresh onions in your home recipes or food preparations.
Ah, the garlic. I have a complicated relationship with the scent bulb, which is often referred to as “the stinky rose.”
As a child, I suffered from severe phobias. I am afraid to dump my cookies if you have never heard of this term before.
I read somewhere that garlic can help prevent stomach flu, so when I was 12 I became a clove of garlic by foot.
I ate it raw, a lot, every day. I shredded things and put them on toast. My classmates complained that the smell was coming from my pores.
Finally, after a year of this obsession, I ate so much that it made me sick.
This put an end to lamp overfeeding. But I still love these things and love to include them in my cooking.
Garlic is a staple in some of my favourites: fresh sauces, soups, Italian dishes, Indian cuisine (garlic naan, anyone?), And much more.
One winter at my home in Alaska, I finally decide to start some indoors in a container, starting with store-bought organic bulbs.
I will explain how to do this specific method of posting in another article (soon!). But in this one, I’ll focus on teaching you everything you need to know to grow it in containers, whether indoors or outdoors.
Here is the content of this article:
SUMMARY
ALL ABOUT GARLIC
For a detailed look at the history of garlic, check out our article on how to grow it in your outdoor garden.
We’re just going to have a brief overview here.
Garlic is part of the genus Allium, and it is a member of the Amaryllidaceae family. Other plants in this genus include onions, leeks, chives, green onions, and leeks.
There are two main varieties that gardeners grow: A. sativum, or “soft” garlic, which has a flexible stem, or A. sativum var. ophioscorodon, stiff-necked type.
Most of the time, what you see at the grocery store is A. sativum. The bulbs are easy to grow and mature and have a long shelf life when hardened or dried.
The hard-necked variety A. sativum var. ophioscorodon, grows a solid stem that remains straight and does not fall apart when ready to be harvested.
This subspecies grows edible landscapes – flower stems and flowers – as well as bulbs.
You will not find garlic as we know it in nature. It has been cultivated for thousands of years and used as a herbal medicine in many parts of the world, helping people fight everything from tooth pain and heart disease to high cholesterol.
Here’s how to grow this delicious and aromatic addition to home cooking in containers.
GARDENING GARLIC CONTAINERS
Garlic belongs to the Allium family, which includes onions and leeks. The bulbs are the strongest flavor on plants, but green vegetables are also eaten. These intoxicating bulbs are the basis of the farmhouse. Each one is planted 5-7.5 cm deep and should have room for roots to grow.
This must be taken into account when choosing your container. Fall grown garlic is ready for harvest in June. Growing produce in pots near the kitchen is a space-saving trick, but it also allows for family cooking easy access to the freshest ingredients possible.
WHY CHOOSE CONTAINER GROWTH
You may be wondering why you should grow garlic in containers.
Maybe you’re like me and just love to grow things in containers. You can easily move pots and plant garlic at any time of the year and save space if you have a small home or small garden.
The long growing season this plant needs before it is ready to harvest means it has ample time for many pests and diseases to attack as it grows in the garden.
It’s also easy to control the environment your plant grows in – you can easily keep the soil loose and moist, being careful not to make it too wet. You can even transport your container inside or outside the sun or rain.
Plus, you don’t have to worry about weeds or worry about how to protect the soil from freezing and reposition the bulbs during the winter.
By keeping an eye on your young crop, you’ll have a better chance of enjoying fresh, locally grown A. sativum in your kitchen.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT CONTAINER
To start, you will need a container at least 8-10 inches deep. This will give the roots enough room to grow comfortably.
Cloves should be planted four to six inches apart, so keep that in mind when choosing your pot.
A container that is 24 inches long and 8 inches deep can hold about four to six plants, which will keep you well stocked for a while.
Or choose several deep containers but grow one or two cloves each.
This makes more sense if you want to be able to move containers or if you are growing in a smaller space.
If you like the look and feel of a clay planter, this will work well, but be aware that clay tends to dry out faster than other materials.
Or choose a sturdy plastic container for something lighter.
If you live in a hot climate, choose a light-colored pot because black pots, when placed in the sun, can cause the soil to overheat.
Either way, make sure the pot has drainage holes and add some gravel to the bottom to allow the water to drain away from the roots.
Check out our guide to choosing containers for an overview of the different materials they’re made from.
PREPARE YOUR CONTAINER
Fill the container with one of these items:
- Loose soil amended with 10-10-10 NPK, according to package directions.
- Garden soil, filtered with wire mesh or sieve to remove lumps and stones, and amended in a 50-50 ratio with compost or compost.
- sativum likes loose, well-drained clay soils rich with a pH between 6.0 and 7.5.
Check the soil of your garden with a soil test to see if it has the right pH for cloves.
And be sure not to use the recently planted soil with other alliums. This will help prevent the pests and fungi that are attracted to alliums from thriving near your newly transplanted cloves. Some fungi can survive in the soil even after previous Allium plants have died out.
HOW TO GROW GARLIC IN CONTAINER
Here’s what you’ll need before you plant garlic.
Equipment / Tools:
- garden shovel
- an irrigation plate
Materials:
- A large, well-drained bowl
- High quality potting mix
- Fatty, firm and healthy garlic cloves
- Slow release fertilizer
Once you gather your materials, planting becomes easy.
The most common method of propagating garlic is by planting the pods from an existing bulb.
You can also start garlic from the bulbs, which are the tiny, delicate pods that grow on the stems and flowers. You can grow them just as you would regular cloves, but you can expect them to take up to two years to ripen, so be patient.
You can get clove seeds – of regular size, not bulbs – at your gardening center or nursery. Some of them will be pre-cooled, or “pre-evaporated,” allowing you to plant immediately without having to worry about putting the bulbs in the fridge first.
Or, you can do what I did: buy organic bulbs at the grocery store and spread them around the house.
The reason you need organic bulbs in this case is because garlic traditionally grown at the grocery store is sometimes sprayed with growth inhibitor to prevent it from germinating.
She wants you to grow. So go to membership!
Bear in mind that you will usually only find soft-necked items at the grocery store. These thrive in USDA resistance zones 8 and above.
The hard-necked varieties have more complex flavors than the soft-necked varieties and usually produce larger cloves – which means less peeling before cooking.
They are also ideal for gardeners in Zone 7 and below, as these varieties need at least six to eight weeks of exposure to cold below 45 degrees Fahrenheit before germinating.
The best way to do this is to plant in the fall and let the bulbs winter by placing your container outside.
If you don’t live in an area where temperatures drop to 45 degrees Fahrenheit or below in the winter, you can still grow hard-necked varieties.
But you will need to place the cloves in a paper bag and store them in the refrigerator for eight to twelve weeks to divide them into cool layers before planting.
The best time to plant garlic in most regions is September or October – just before winter arrives, at least two weeks before the first severe frost.
But since you are growing in containers, you can plant anytime you want, especially if you choose to purchase pre-cooled ready-to-use bulbs.
Groceries or bulbs that have not been previously cooled should go into a cool basement or stay outside in cold weather for eight to twelve weeks before returning to the sun and heat to grow.
While varieties with a soft neck may benefit from some cooling time, they will grow happily without it. You can plant them at any time and plant them indoors if the weather outside is very hot (above 90 degrees Fahrenheit) or too cold.
I planted mine inside during February. I plan to put my container outside here in Alaska next week as the weather rises steadily to around 45 degrees Fahrenheit, so they can take advantage of cooler growing conditions.
It will be ready to harvest in July.
We’ll talk more about the harvest time in a moment. But first, let’s find out how to grow cloves!
SOIL MIXTURE FOR GARLIC PLANT POTS
An appropriate soil medium is important for growing garlic in pots. It cannot retain moisture or be too dry, and it must contain lots of organic nutrients for the bulbs. A good mix of peat, perlite or vermiculite, soil or compost, and a little bit of building sand will give you the drainage and retain the moisture and nutrients needed to grow garlic in containers.
WHAT SOIL IS BEST FOR GROWING GARLIC IN A POT
When it comes to learning how to grow garlic in a pot, your success depends on a lot of things, but one of the most important – and often overlooked – matters is choosing the best soil for the job. . Garlic needs a well-drained soil mixture or the cloves can rot, especially during the winter if you receive a lot of rain.
But garlic also needs fertile soil that is heavy enough to support tall plants and expanding shoots in the spring and summer. For this reason, I recommend mixing high-quality potting soil with compost in a 75:25 ratio. This means that for every 3 cups of potting soil, mix 1 cup of compost. If you don’t compost yourself, buy it from the bag. To save money, you can also use my basic hand-planted soil recipe found here if you want to mix your recipe from scratch.
PLANTING GARLIC CLOVES
The first thing to be sure to do is to leave the skin on the cloves when separating them from the onion. The skin protects the cloves and helps ward off infections.
Once the pot is filled with the soil of your choice, take your cloves and dig small holes roughly the same depth, 1 to 2 inches deep, spaced apart. Inches.
Place a lobe inside each hole with the pointed side up. You can actually see green buds sprouting from carnations, as it did when you planted it for me.
The roots will grow from the bottom of the cloves, so you don’t want to accidentally plant this side up.
Cover lightly with soil and a well of water.
For soft-necked varieties planted in the spring, you can either plant the plants indoors or place them outdoors in a sunny location as long as the air temperature is consistently above 45 degrees Fahrenheit.
This is because soft-necked varieties planted in the spring have a much shorter growing season – usually around 90 days from planting to harvest, depending on the cultivar you choose. You will get smaller lobes, but you will get them earlier.
For soft-necked or firm neck varieties planted in the fall, place your pot outside as soon as you plant it in a sunny location.
And remember, garlic needs at least six to eight hours of sunlight a day. In zones 7 and up, soft-necked species will grow throughout the winter through spring and summer, producing heart-smelling bulbs about 240 days after planting.
Hardnex will become dormant during the winter months and then begin growing in the spring.
Both varieties require about six to nine months to reach maturity, depending on the growing conditions and the specific cultivar you have chosen.
CONTAINER MAINTENANCE
It is easy to care for garlic once you plant it. Make sure the area where you place your containers is sunny enough, move them if necessary and give them 1/2 to 1 inch of water every week.
To check the moisture level, dig into the soil next to the garlic, about two inches from the plant and four inches lower. If the soil is wet there, you do not need water yet. But if it’s dry, keep the water well.
If it rains heavily, avoid watering your plants for at least a week – garlic dislikes wet feet, which can cause them to rot.
Do you live in a waterlogged area all the time? (I’m looking at you, Seattle!)
This is where you’ll benefit from container growing: Simply move your containers to a sheltered location or even indoors after a day or two of rain.
Use a grow light instead of direct sunlight while they are indoors if needed, then bring them back outside once the rain stops.
You can stop watering tough varieties after the first frost. Although the water will not freeze inside your pot, it will still be cool enough to start the evaporation process, during which time the plant does not need water.
Go ahead and cover your plants with an inch of mulch, if desired, to keep moisture trapped.
You can resume watering in the spring two weeks after the last frost.
It’s also a good time to mix 5-10-10 NPK granular fertilizer onto the soil, according to the directions on the package.
You can also add more mulch, especially lighter-coloured mulch (such as straw) to remove the heat from your plant as summer arrives.
Keeping the soil cool is an important factor in the success of your growing bulbs.
The plant will start forming bulbs underground once the soil begins to warm up in the spring, but if the soil warms up too much, the bulbs may stop growing early, leaving you with little or underdeveloped bulbs. .
When spring blooms in your area, you will need to cut the long, curved stems (flower stems) of your hard-necked plants.
This ensures that the plant directs its energy toward bulb growth rather than flowering and seeding.
If you cut the stems while they are still tender, try roasting or sautéing them. It’s delicious!
You can even try making garlic pesto. Try this recipe from its sister site, Foodal.
This is what is so beautiful about a stinky rose: not only does it provide bulbs, the tough varieties also give you landscapes and even pretty flowers …
… and bulbs to plant if you let one or two of your plants go to seed.
GROWING TIPS
- Plant in the fall for best results, at least two weeks before the first frost.
- Provide 1/2 to 1 inch of water a week
- Fertilize in spring with a 5-10-10 NPK fertilizer
- Mulch with straw or other light-colored organic matter to keep the soil cool in summer and retain moisture.
Garlic not only protects vampires, but it also makes everything taste better. Fresh garlic from potted garlic plants keeps nearby bulbs crunchier and tenderer than anywhere in the grocery store. Growing garlic in containers requires some planning and the appropriate type of container. Read on for some tips on how to grow garlic in a bowl and pick up the bite of fresh onions in your home recipes.
CULTIVARS TO SELECT
You can grow any variety in a pot. Here are two ideal types that you can spread anytime in a pot or bowl:
HARDNECK
For full-bodied cloves that peel easily, try growing a hard-necked variety. This is the one I chose:
SIBERIAN
Ideal for those who live in northern climates, “Siberia” is native to Russia and Eastern Europe and is popular in Alaska. I will definitely be adding this item to my container garden this fall.
“Siberia” produces spicy bulbs that turn sweet and delicious when cooked. And these plants, which grow up to 18 inches in height, are guaranteed to produce beautiful and delicious landscapes, provided they provide the right care!
Plant in the fall for the next summer harvest, about 240 days later.
Even better, if you chop the bulb yourself in the refrigerator eight to twelve weeks before planting, you should be able to harvest the bulb in about 90 days at any time of the year.
You can buy 1/2 a pound of the ampoule with 6-8 cloves each from Burpee.
SOFTNECK
For a smoother clove with an incredibly long storage capacity – I’m talking six to eight months – why not plant soft-necked garlic?
CALIFORNIA EARLY
This delicious and popular soft-necked bulb produces sweet cloves that garlic lovers around the world love.
With an excellent shelf life, this plant reaches 24 inches in height.
If you plant them in the spring or summer, you can harvest them after 90 days whether you grow them indoors or outdoors.
Just be sure to bring your pets indoors if temperatures are above 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
For winter planting, keep them indoors until the weather warms to around 45 degrees Fahrenheit, then place the pot outside for some sun and warmth if desired.
For autumn outdoor planting, expect a harvest in about 240 days.
THE BEST GARLIC FOR GROWING IN POTS IN A COLD CLIMATE
I live in Pennsylvania which means cold winters, so tough garlic is my favorite choice due to its potency. There are hundreds of delicious varieties of calluses to grow.
But, here’s something very important to understand when it comes to growing garlic in containers: Tougher garlic varieties should be exposed to 6-8 weeks of temperatures below 45 degrees Fahrenheit. It grows and turns into a head full of garlic. Next season. If you live in a cold wintry climate like me, that’s okay. Harden garlic is your choice.
THE BEST GARLIC FOR GROWING IN POTS IN A MILD CLIMATE
If you live in a warmer climate that does not get at least 6 to 8 weeks of temperatures below 45 degrees Fahrenheit, you have one of two options. Plant soft-necked garlic by planting it in the fall, or pre-cool hard-necked garlic to mimic garlic. Yes, you read it correctly.
Give stiff neck garlic a false winter by placing the bulbs in a paper bag in the refrigerator for about 8 weeks before planting them in pots in early spring. They will think they have gone through a winter and will grow up as if you were living in a cold climate. Who Said You Can’t Fool Mother Nature?
THE BEST FERTILIZER FOR GARLIC GROWN IN POTS
Once you have filled the container with a mixture of potting soil and compost, it is time to add the appropriate compost. Garlic is a bulbous plant, just like the flowers of daffodils and lilies, and to produce tall garlic heads, plants need a reasonable amount of phosphorous. Mix 2 to 3 tablespoons of a granular compost specially made for bulbs in the pot. I love BulbTone, but there are other brands as well. Use a trowel to incorporate the compost and distribute it evenly throughout the container.
PEST AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT
Since you are growing garlic in containers, you don’t need to worry about any pests or diseases from the existing soil or neighboring plants.
Plus, this plant really does a good job of deterring hungry creatures with its pungent odour.
If you suspect garlic is attacked, we have a guide to identifying the pest and mitigating the damage.
Downy mildew can sometimes be a problem in damp environments, or if plants are growing close together. They appear as white spots on leaves.
Also watch out for basal rot, which starts out as yellow around the base of the plant and progresses to leaves that die and turn brown.
If your plant has reached this stage, there isn’t much you can do other than remove the infected bulb and as much of the surrounding soil as possible to prevent it from spreading.
If all plants in the container become infected, dispose of the plants, dirt, and sterilize the pot. Add fresh soil to the container and try again.
The good news is that if you use soil that you haven’t planted Allium yet, the chances of getting a basal rot infection will decrease for your plant. These fungi can thrive in the soil for years, which is why it is so important to start with clean, fresh soil.
Make sure the soil is well-drained and do not overwater your plants or allow outdoor plants to get wet.
WHEN TO HARVEST GARLIC FROM CONTAINER
When to harvest garlic is an imprecise science. You’ll want to harvest when the onions are ripe and before they begin to separate and rot.
The main rule is to harvest when the leaves begin to turn yellow. But you may need to dig a clove to see if it is time to harvest. Do not pull garlic from the stem; Dig into the ground, being careful not to damage the bulb.
Gently shake and wipe off the dirt from the bulb. Leave the leaves, and gather the garlic loosely and hang or spread the garlic heads to dry.
You should dry the garlic in a warm, well-ventilated place, out of direct sunlight. It will take two to four weeks for the neck to dry and the skin to turn to paper. At this point, cut off the tops and roots. Once the garlic has hardened, store the garlic in a cool, dry place.
HARVEST GARLIC IN A CONTAINER
In the summer, most likely in July or August, when the tops of your plants begin to turn yellow, stop watering them.
After about two weeks, about a third of the leaves should be yellow and elastic.
Each plant can ripen at a slightly different time, so you don’t feel you have to harvest them all at once.
Wait until everyone shows signs of availability – yellowing of a third of the leaves. It’s the same whether you are implanting a hard neck or a soft neck.
To harvest, dig gently so that your hand touches the onion and gently pull it out. Resist pulling the leaves, as this can cause the stem to break and separate the bulb from the leaves – you need those leaves and stems to remain intact for the next step – drying.
GARLIC REMEDY
If you want to use your fresh harvest right away, just wash and peel the dirt to reveal the plump cloves. Fresh garlic generally has a milder and finer flavor than dried garlic.
To keep garlic growing in a pot, you need to either treat it or dry it completely.
To do this, wait until you wash your crop. It is not necessary to wash the dirt from the plant with water before storage.
The goal of drying is to allow all moisture to dry from the leaves and stem, and into the clove itself. It is advisable to clean some dirt by hand or with a dry cloth, and it is recommended to pick in dry weather. But wait until you rinse garlic with water right before you are ready to use it.
This helps the cloves store for longer and prevents them from falling prey to fungi, mold and viruses while they wait patiently for you to eat them.
For treatment, hang plants in a dry, shady location, such as a covered patio, or in a well-ventilated indoor room.
After about two to four weeks, the top and roots should look completely brown and dry. This is when you can cut the stems and roots and peel off the outer shell, to reveal a nice, clean bud on the inside.
RECIPES AND COOKING IDEAS
Garlic is one of the greatest gardening gifts to mankind and it will never taste better than when you grow it yourself in your potted garden.
There are so many things you can do with our cultivated garlic packaging. Here are some of my favorite suggestions:
Mash and sauté with onions and celery for a delicious soup base.
Roast it and pour it into the sourdough when making the bread.
Or make garlic and Parmesan potatoes with this recipe from our partner Foodal.
Fancy some cookies?
Try this quick and easy version of garlic and cheese, and also from Foodal.
Is your mouth watering? The mine is safe.
The smell of La Rose did not smoke more than ever
There is a reason why this beloved aromatic bulb is called the “stinky rose”.
It’s smelly, beautiful, and multi-layered, and makes any dish a thousand times tastier, in my opinion. In addition, garlic may help fight colds, reduce cholesterol, and calm your stomach.
And when you plant your bulbs in a container, you can reap these satisfying benefits anytime you want.
Don’t go overboard with the latter, like I did when I was twelve!
And don’t forget to check out these articles on growing your own produce in containers next:
WHAT TO DO WITH GARLIC POTS IN THE WINTER
Place the garlic bowl in a sunny location that receives at least 6 to 8 hours of full sun per day. If you live in a temperate climate, you can leave the pot in one place all winter, but if you live in a cold climate, when winter comes, move the pot to a sheltered location near your home.
To help isolate the soil and bulbs, stack leaves or straw on the sides of the container. Do not stack them over the pot; Just about its outward appearance.
RECOMMEND READING:
- HOW TO GROW GARLIC FROM SEED
- IS IT SAFE TO EAT RAW GARLIC EVERY DAY- 11 PROVEN REASON WHY IT’S GOOD
- HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR GARLIC TO GROW & MATURE
- HOW TO GROW GARLIC INDOORS
- HOW TO PLANT GARLIC IN THE FALL
- HOW TO GROW GARLIC IN WATER
Instead, I wrapped the jar in a few layers with bubble wrap to give it extra insulation. You can skip this step if you don’t mind risking bulbs freezing. In most years they will be fine. But if an old-fashioned “polar vortex” decides, all bets will be over.
HOW TO TAKE CARE OF POTTED GARLIC IN THE SPRING AND SUMMER
When spring comes, place your garlic bowl back in the sun and water regularly. Sprinkle an additional 2 tablespoons of granular organic compost on the surface of the soil. In early spring, small green shoots will appear from the ground. Soon they will become large green stems.
If you’ve grown hard-necked garlic in your pot, it will produce a scape (curly flower stalk) in early summer. Scape break to divert energy from the plant to grow a larger bulb. Then let the plants grow until the foliage is 50% yellow. When that happens, it’s time to harvest!
Source: Gardenerspathworld
