Growing your own garlic at home is a great way to make sure you always have fresh garlic on hand when you need it.You can use garlic as a flavor in your recipes if you trim the greens regularly.It will be worth it once you have a bundle of fresh cloves.To learn how to plant, care for, and harvest garlic indoors, check out the steps below.
Step 1: The container should be at least 20 cm deep.
To allow the garlic roots to grow into the growing medium, the container needs to be deep enough.Choose containers that are large enough to hold all of the cloves you want to plant.Whether you grow your garlic indoors in a flower pot, wooden crate, or any other type of container, it needs to be deep enough to allow the roots of the garlic to grow.If you want to grow 3 cloves of garlic, you need to make sure the container is at least 30 cm wide.You can find containers at garden supply stores, home improvement stores and online.You can check out local craft supply stores for interesting planting containers.
Step 2: The container should have drainage holes at the bottom.
If there are holes that will allow for drainage, check underneath the container.If there isn't a way to drain excess water from the soil, garlic cloves will rot.There are drainage holes at the bottom of most plastic or terracotta pots.To cut out a drainage hole in a plastic container, use a sharp knife.A bit made for drilling glass and tile can be used to drill small holes in glass or clay containers.
Step 3: To promote drainage, fill the container with a soil-less potting mix.
Excess water can be drained easily with a soil-less mix.If you want your garlic to grow well, use a high-quality soil-less potting mix made of vermiculite or perlite that has coconut fiber or peat in it.The container should be filled within 2 inches of the rim.A medium that will allow excess water to drain easily is what you need to plant garlic in.At garden supply stores, home improvement stores and online, you can find soil-less potting mixes.If you want to make your own soil-less mix, you can use vermiculite or pearlite or coconut fibers.
Step 4: To settle it down, water the mix in the container.
Before planting garlic cloves in a container, make sure the container is draining properly and give it a good watering so it can settle down.Use a watering can or fill a glass with about 8 fluid ounces of water and pour it over the mixture.Excess water should be running through the holes at the bottom.
Step 5: Buy organic garlic bulbs from a store.
Most of the garlic bulbs you see at your local supermarket have been treated to make them last longer.You can buy garlic bulbs from a local plant nursery or online.Some grocery stores may sell organically grown garlic bulbs, which may not have been treated, so they will grow if you plant them.Do you know if your local nursery has organically grown garlic bulbs?You can find organic garlic bulbs online.
Step 6: Keep the husks on the cloves if you break the bulb.
Use your hands to open the garlic bulb.The best cloves to plant are the largest ones.Don't remove the cloves from their protective husks.Before you plant the cloves, separate them.They won't be able to grow if you break them apart earlier.The garlic won't grow if you remove the husks.
Step 7: Make holes that are 2–3 inches deep and 5 inches apart.
To create a hole for each clove of garlic, use a stick or finger.Make sure they are deep enough to allow the roots to grow unimpeded.The holes should be wide enough to fit the cloves.
Step 8: The cloves should be covered with 1 inch of mixture.
The clove should be placed into the holes with the flat end facing down.Then bury them in the hole with the mixture on top.Place a clove in each hole.To settle the mixture on the garlic, pat it on top of it.
Step 9: The container should be placed somewhere that gets at least 6 hours of sun.
A south or west-facing window with lots of sunlight will help your garlic grow.If you put the container on a windowsill, it will be exposed to at least 6 hours of sunlight a day.You can grow indoors if you place the container under a fluorescent light.
Step 10: There is water.
The garlic cloves are hydrated if the mixture is water regularly.The cloves have a protective husk.Slowly pour water into the container until you can see the drainage holes at the bottom.Don't soak the garlic.
Step 11: The garlic should be fertilized every 3 weeks.
Add the organicfertilizer to the water you give your garlic plants.An adequate amount of time in between is once a month or every 3 weeks.You can read the instructions on the packaging.You can buy organic liquidfertilizer at garden supply stores, department stores and online.
Step 12: The medium should be kept damp but not soaked.
Depending on the temperature of your home, the amount of sunlight you get, and the humidity in the air, how often you need to water your garlic plants will vary.Don't oversaturate your garlic plants.You can see the excess drain through the holes at the bottom of the container if you add enough water.In warm and sunny climates, you may need to water your garlic plants a few times a week to keep them happy.
Step 13: Pests and rodents can be found on your plants.
You should keep an eye out for bite marks on your garlic plants, as mice can be attracted to the smell, and may even bite on the green shoots, or even pull them out of the pot.If you see pests in your garlic plants, get rid of them as soon as possible.If you find bite marks on garlic leaves, you should get rid of mice.If you want your garlic to be safe to eat when you harvest them, you should use a natural pesticide to get rid of pests.
Step 14: Wait until the greens are about 15 cm tall.
Once the garlic greens have grown tall enough to harvest, you can eat them.You will be able to harvest fresh garlic greens if you wait longer.The garlic plant will grow green leaves for the first 6 months.
Step 15: Cut the greens with scissors and leave an inch of growth.
The plant can recover if the greens are trimmed at the base of the plant.The garlic plant gets more energy from cutting the green leaves.
Step 16: Chop up the greens and use them as an adornment.
Use a sharp knife to cut the greens.They can be used as a seasoning on a plate.The fresh greens add a bit of garlic to soups.Fresh chopped greens add a fresh and sharp flavor to a dish.
Step 17: After 10 months, remove the cloves from the container and let them cure.
The garlic cloves are ready to be harvest after the green leaves start to brown and die off.Pull the cloves out of the soil.Hang them in a dry place that has good air circulation.You can use garlic as you please.The cloves can take up to 2 weeks to cure.