The Easiest Way to Grow Masses of Garlic in Pots, by Just a Happy Gardener-Small Space Growing Scotland on YouTube. 13 min 5 s.
- Video length
- 13 min 5 s
- Time to do it
- 30 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Pick your bulbs. Seed garlic from a garden centre is safest, but organic supermarket bulbs can work. Avoid bulbs treated with sprouting inhibitors, which may grow poorly.
Break the bulb into cloves just before planting. Keep the biggest, firmest cloves for planting and save the small ones for the kitchen.
Skip any cloves that are already sprouting. Plant those separately for garlic chives instead of expecting a good bulb.
Fill your pot with compost, leaving a gap at the top. Any pot, bucket or window box works as long as it has drainage holes.
Push each clove in pointy end up, about 3 inches deep, with the flat base at the bottom. Space them roughly 4 inches apart.
Water once after planting and then leave it. Garlic likes cold but hates sitting wet, so do not keep watering through winter.
For tiny spaces, plant a few cloves in a bucket. Use the same depth and spacing, just fewer cloves per container.
Put the pots somewhere sunny and open for winter. Raise them on pot feet or bricks so excess rain drains away.
Tips and common mistakes
Plant in autumn so the cloves get a cold period, which helps them form proper bulbs.
Never let pots sit in a saucer of water over winter, as wet compost rots the cloves.
A clove planted pointy end down will struggle, so check the orientation before covering it.
Label each pot with the variety and planting date so you know what to harvest next summer.
Questions
How many garlic cloves fit in one pot?
Space cloves about 4 inches apart, so a 12 inch pot holds roughly 4 to 6 cloves. A large bucket can take more.
When do I harvest garlic grown in pots?
Usually in early to mid summer, when the leaves start to yellow and die back. Stop watering a couple of weeks before lifting.
Can I use supermarket garlic?
Yes, organic bulbs are the better choice. Some non-organic bulbs are treated with sprouting inhibitors that can reduce growth.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
