Imagine a world where you can use garlic to just... make more garlic. And more. UNLIMITED garlic?!?!
It’s actually this world and if you’re a bit of a lazy gardener like I am, this is ideal because there are only a few small steps and voila, you have not only garlic but endless possibilities to grow more!
You actually just need a clove of garlic, a decent container, soil, and a little water. I’m not even joking. Almost nothing to grow what is one of the most popular flavours out there.
How to grow your own garlic at home
In a recent reel, gardener and writer Simon Akeroyd shared his trick to growing garlic right at home.
In the video, Akeroyd showed a simple bulb of supermarket garlic and said that if you place the base in contact with water, it’ll then grow long roots. From there, you simply pull the cloves apart and have found yourself with ‘lots’ of garlic’ plants which can be planted directly into soil or into a pot.
In the caption, the gardening expert said: “I grow them like this every year and have had great crops. It really works!”
It’s worth a bloody try for all of that garlic!
As for exactly how to do it, Akeroyd said: “Garlic likes fertile, well-drained soil in full sun.
“Plant the cloves 12cm (5in) apart. Cloves should be at a depth of about 2cm below the surface. Each clove should form a new bulb with lots more cloves.”
How to protect garlic from garden pests
Thankfully, garlic has such a pungent aroma that most pests are repelled by that alone. However, if you have other plants and veg growing in the garden that bugs just can’t stay away from, planting garlic beside them could save them from being nibbled on.
According to Gardener’s Path: “Planting garlic near other crops to repel pests is a smart strategy.
“Not only does the allium keep bugs away, but it can also keep some weeds at bay. Plus, the effects can last for weeks after the garlic is harvested.”
Win/win!