How to Grow Garlic at Home

Want to know how to grow garlic at home? If you're in need some tips on growing garlic then you've come to the right place!

You know what time of year it is? Garlic planting time! So, go get a shovel and start plantin' away!

Where to Plant

Choose a partly sunny location where it doesn't rain heavily too often. You can either plant garlic in the ground or in a container, both work perfectly well. However if you choose a container, make sure it's wooden or plastic, and has drainage holes.

Type of Soil

The soil quality is very important when considering planting garlic. The soil should be sandy and well-drained. If you can't get your hands on sandy, well-drained soil, mix a bit of sand and pete moss, into normal soil. If your winter is colder than 8°C, put some hay onto the soil after you've planted the garlic.

Planting

Now we're ready to plant the garlic! You should be planting garlic in autumn. Take garlic clove out of a garlic head, but DO NOT take the flakey layer off of the clove. That layer will protect the clove from rotting in the soil. As you can see, there is a pointy top and a flat bottom. The pointy top should always be at the top. Dig a hole in your soil, about four inches deep. Place the garlic clove into the hole, pointy side up. There should be about three inches from the top of the close to the top of the soil.

Growing

In about 2-3 weeks, a sprout will start growing from each clove. The sprout will look like green onion (but it isn't, so don't eat it!). The garlic sprout should stop growing when winter starts. For the whole winter the garlic clove should be in the soil. When spring starts, the top of the sprout will turn brown. That is the cue to take the garlic out of the soil. Once you took the garlic clove out of the ground, the clove won't be a clove anymore, it will become a garlic head!

Even though it takes a long time to grow garlic, it's worth it! Once you place the farm-fresh garlic in your mouth, you will become addicted!

Tips and Tricks

Make sure you are planting garlic in the end of autumn (about in October), or you can plant it in early spring and take the garlic out in late summer.
If it is colder than -8℃, put some hay “ON” the soil (but not “IN” the soil).

How to Make Garlic Bread

Once you've harvested your garlic, make this delicious garlic bread, it's the easiest, yet best recipe there ever was:

Step 1

Take a baguette, any kind will do, and make short cuts in it, each about 2 inches deep and 2 inches apart.

Step 2

Then, grind 3-6 cloves of garlic and mix them with 3 tbsp. of olive oil.

Step 3

Next, spread a generous amounts of the garlic and oil mixture onto the baguette. You'll need to spend all of the mixture into the baguette, make it nice and oily!

Step 4

Then, sprinkle as much garlic powder as you'd like onto the top of the baguette. Sprinkle to taste.

Step 5

After that, wrap it in aluminum foil, place it on a cookie sheet, and place it in a preheated oven at 180°C for 10 minutes.

When the baguette turns light brown and had sat in the over for about 10 minutes, take it out, unwrap it and serve!

Don't have a lot of space? Learn how to plant garlic in container with this video tutorial from Growing Wisdom:

What do you think of this tutorial on how to grow garlic? Let us know in the comments section what your thoughts are with growing garlic. Will you give it a try? Let us know how it went and share your experience with us in the comment section below.

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How to Grow Garlic at Home