Looking for something easy to plant and grow in a decorative patio pot, something healthy to eat, wonderful to smell, and looks good in a garden planter?  GARLIC!

If you have never tried to grow garlic in a garden container and watch it grow so you can harvest it, then you are missing out for sure.  It’s really so easy and fun to do.  Great for kids and older adults alike.  Just follow a few easy tips and you can have great success growing your potted garlic.

As we all know, garlic is one of the most popular herbs you can grow.  It’s used in almost all recipes from spaghetti sauce, to stir fry and everything in between.  Garlic is reported to be a wonderful medicinal plant owing to its preventive characteristics in cardiovascular diseases, regulating blood pressure, lowering blood sugar and cholesterol levels, effective against bacterial, viral, fungal and parasitic infections, enhancing the immune system and so much more.

The first thing to consider is the right type of garlic to plant in your flowerpot.  If you live in a cold climate purchase Hard neck. The Soft neck kind is better for warmer climates.  You can google this for more information.  The second thing to consider is where you will place the garden containers once they are planted.  The best place to locate your pottery is where they will get full sun.  A patio area or yard and garden area where they can get direct sun without an overhang or awning.

When selecting the container to grow the garlic in you will need one that is at least 6 inches (15 cm.) deep and has excellent drainage. The garden container also needs to be big enough to leave 6 inches (15 cm.) of space between cloves.  We recommend a terracotta planter, window box, or garden bowl because the clay breathes and is healthy for the soil and garlic to get good air circulation.  But most any garden container will yield success.

Start with fresh potting mix.  Don’t reuse mix from year after year in any of your flowerpots, because the garlic will deplete the nutrients in the soil.  Separate the cloves carefully and set them into the mix pointy side up about 4 to 6 inches into the soil.  Space apart.  Top with soil and mulch the planter.

Don’t overwater these planters.  Allow the soil to dry a bit between watering but never dry out completely.  Feed each flowerpot with fertilizer during the active growing season to help things along.  Stop fertilizing the potted garlic mid-summer when the leaves begin to turn brown and die back.  You will know when to harvest when half or more of the leaves have died.  That is the time to dig up the bulbs.

Dig them up being careful not to bruise or cut them.  Lay them out to dry for 2 to 3 weeks in a shady area or in a garage.  When the roots feel brittle, rub them off along with excess dirt, but leave the papery skins intact.  You can now store them in bunches, braid them or cut off the stems a few inches above the bulb.  Store on a screen or shelf where they will get good cool, dry air.