Garlic has been farmed for well over 10,000 years, and over that period it has found its way into a wide range of dishes. Not only that, but many of their wellness benefits are not merely literary legends, but have been scientifically confirmed.
Garlic is reasonably easy to cultivate and suffers from few pests and illnesses when grown in well-drained soil. Garlic is often interspersed among other crops by gardeners, not only because it consumes up little space but also because it is said to repel several pests.
Where To Plant Garlic
When growing garlic, there are two things to keep in mind. Foremost is that if the soil is not free-draining, the bulbs will decay, and if they are water-logged, they will not thrive when planted. If your soil is dense and absorbs a lot of moisture, adding a lot of compost and, particularly, some sharp horticultural sand will help to open it up.
Garlic takes up very little space, so a little deep digging won’t be too tough. Growing them in containers is another viable option; they prefer open soil and, while they will require some watering, it will be minimal.
How To Grow Garlic In Pots UK
The following are things to note on how to grow garlic in pots in the UK.
Autumn is without a doubt the ideal season for planting garlic outside. The rationale for this is that garlic cloves profit from a period of cold weather early in the year because it helps the cloves split and form properly.
The issue is getting them to reach a suitable size (about 20cm to 25cm / 8 inches to 10 inches tall) before the winter season arrives. The third week of November is the best time for autumn planting in open ground (UK average).
Plant the garlic cloves in the last week of November if you wish to grow it in pots or start it in trays and transplant it later (excellent for colder locations of the UK).
It’s ideal to consider moving the garlic to a shed, unheated greenhouse, or up against a wind-free wall of a heated house if there is a lengthy period of very cold weather during the winter. This will keep them safe from the worst of the winter weather.
In the first week of April, garlic grown in containers during the winter can be transplanted outside. Tickle the individual plant roots out tenderly striving to maintain as much soil undamaged as probable.
Plant them as soon as possible, at the same depth as in the container, and water them thoroughly. This should be done on a day when the soil is not frozen.
How To Care For Garlic
The following are various ways to care for garlic.
They tolerate dry weather well, but in extremely dry periods, they will benefit from a good soaking to maintain the bulbs growing uniformly.
However, from mid-July onwards, do not water at all to avoid rot developing in the nearly fully grown bulbs. Weeding regularly will keep them healthy.
Conclusion
I hope you find this article helpful. I would like to hear from you. So, let me know if you have any questions about growing garlic in pots in the UK.
Recommended Products
- Garden Pots, buy on Amazon
- Germinating Tray, buy on Amazon
- Gardening Wheelbarrow, buy on Amazon
- Gardening Gloves, buy on Amazon
- Gardening clothes, buy on Amazon
Further Reading
- Production and economic specificities in growing of different garlic varieties, RESEARCHGATE JOURNAL
- Variation in Morphological and Quality Parameters in Garlic (Allium sativum L.) Bulb Influenced by Different Photoperiod, Temperature, Sowing and Harvesting Time, NCBI JOURNAL
- Influence of Different Photoperiod and Temperature Regimes on Growth and Bulb Quality of Garlic (Allium sativum L.) Cultivars, MDPI
