In this article, I’m going to focus on answering your frequently asked questions about growing garlic which include growing garlic from scraps.
Read on for a detailed step-by-step guide.
Can you grow garlic from pieces of garlic?
Yes, garlic can be grown from pieces of garlic such as garlic clove scraps. It is very simple to be grown and garlic needs small space in the garden. You can grow from scraps that are gotten from kitchen leftovers or broken garlic bulbs.
Each garlic bulb contains many garlic cloves, which can be planted and grown to a new garlic plant. Under normal conditions, one garlic clove that is planted can multiply in the soil and produce a new garlic bulb that contains 5-10 cloves.
Related: How To Grow Cauliflower From Scraps (9+ Questions And Answers)
Can you plant garlic cloves from the grocery store?
Yes, you can plant garlic that you buy from the grocery store. However, sometimes store-bought garlic may be treated with chemical growth inhibitors. Therefore, if you are using scraps that are bought from grocery stores, you need to do a germination test. This helps you avoid wasting your time and energy.
Related: How To Grow Vegetables Without Seeds
Can I plant garlic that has sprouted?
Garlic that started sprouting is the type of garlic that you will look for when you want to grow from scraps or garlic cloves. This is because you already know that garlic is not treated with growth inhibitors.
Related: How To Grow Zucchini From Scraps And Seeds
How to grow garlic from scraps
Here is a step by step guide on how to grow garlic from scraps:
Test the garlic scraps: if you want to grow garlic from scraps, make sure that the garlic scraps are not treated with plant growth inhibitors. Sometimes, commercial producers of garlic used to treat garlic with chemicals in order to prevent sprouting. They do this treatment in order to increase the shelf life of the garlic.
You can confirm the garlic is free from these chemicals when you place the garlic in a damp moist paper towel for 4-8 days. Alternatively, you can place the garlic bulbs in a refrigerator for 10-14 days. If the garlic starts to sprout during this time, then your garlic is ready to be grown.
Prepare the garden spot: you need to prepare the place where you will grow your garlic. Male sure you choose a good garden location. Garlic grows well in well-drained and fertile soil that receives about 6 hours of direct sunlight daily. Garlic does not occupy much space. 12 inches by 12 inches of the garden spot will be enough to grow many garlic cloves. Losen the garden soil by digging out the 10-inch layer of the topsoil. Then, mix in like 2-3 inches of compost.
Tip: learn more on how to choose the best garden spot and how to prepare garden soil from here and here
Choose the right time for planting: garlic is one of those vegetables that love cold temperatures for proper germination and growth. However, cold temperatures are most preferred during germination and maturity. The best seasons known for growing garlic are spring and winter.
Plant the garlic cloves: before planting, you need to split the garlic bulb into its individual cloves. Remove the outer skin of the garlic bulb but do not remove the outer skin of the garlic cloves.
Plant the garlic cloves in the soil 2 inches deep down the ground. Leave 4-6 inches space between holes. This space helps is enough for garlic to thrive well.
Take care of your garlic garden: keep the garden soil moist by watering regularly. But, avoid overwatering or flooding your garlic as this can make the garlic rot. Feed the garlic with fertilizer 2 times a week. When the garlic takes like 9 weeks, reduce the amount of water you give to your garlic. Then, after like 12 weeks, you need to still reduce the amount of water.
Tip: learn more on how to take care of your garden
How long does it take to grow garlic from scraps?
Under normal conditions, garlic can take 3-4 months to fully mature after planting. When garlic plants matured, you will begin to notice your garlic plant tops started turning yellow-brown and drying out. These signs indicate that the garlic plants are matured and are ready to be harvested.
Related: How To Grow Cabbage From Scraps (9+ Questions And Answers)
How much garlic can you get from one garlic plant?
On average, a garlic clove that is planted and grown can produce one garlic bulb which contains about 5-10 garlic cloves.
Related: How To Grow Carrots From Scraps And Seeds In 8 Easy Steps
Related Questions
Can you grow garlic in a Mason jar?
Yes, whether for a project or germination test, you can grow garlic in a Mason jar that contains a small amount of water.
How to grow garlic in the water?
To grow garlic in water, sprout the garlic cloves in a refrigerator or damp paper towel for 2-3 days. When the garlic clove sprouted, place the sprouted garlic cloves in a clear container that contains a small amount of water. You can use a Mason jar for multiple cloves. Ensure that the water does not cover more than half of the garlic clove sprout.
Place the containers indoors around a Sunny windowsill. When the water change to cloudy shade-brown, replace the water with a new one.
Related: How To Grow Bell Peppers From Scraps And Seeds
Can I plant garlic in the spring?
As earlier explained, spring and winter are the best seasons you can grow garlic in. This is because garlic requires cold temperatures for germination and maturity.
Read also: Can You Grow Cucumbers From Cucumber? Here Is What You Need to Know
Does garlic grow underground?
Yes, garlic is an underground vegetable that is mainly cultivated for its edible underground bulb. However, the leaves can also be enjoyed either in cooking or in salad dressings.
Related: How To Grow Potatoes From Potatoes, Scraps, And In Water
How deep does garlic grow?
Garlic is planted usually at about 2 inches deep down the ground. Garlic requires well-drained and loosen the soil for the garlic bulb to grow fully.
How to grow garlic in pots?
If you have gotten your pot(s), prepare the pot by filling it with a soil mix. An ideal pot for growing garlic is at least 6 inches deep and has to be big enough to leave 6 inches of space between two garlic cloves. The pot also needs to have a good water drainage system and evaporation rate.
Before planting the garlic, add a soil mix and then follow with a slow-release fertilizer (such as compost or 10-10-10) and mix thoroughly with the soil mix.
Bury each garlic sprout in 2 inches of potting mix. Ensure that the place that started sprouting is the side facing up. Water the potting mix regularly and slightly. Do not overwater just enough to keep the potting soil moist.
Read also: How To Grow Garlic At Home In Pots
How to grow garlic indoors?
To grow your garlic indoors, plant 3-4 garlic cloves in the pot just as I explained above. Place the pot on a sunny window ledge and water the garlic cloves regularly and slightly. Continue to take care of the garlic plant until the garlic plants reach the desired maturity.
Conclusion
Growing garlic is very straightforward and simple, which requires few gardening setups and maintenance. You can grow from scraps you obtained from your kitchen leftovers or the one you purchased purposely for growing from the garden centers.
In this article, I looked at how to grow from scraps while answering some of your frequently asked questions about growing garlic. I hope you will find this article helpful. Let me know if you have any questions.
