Did you know that one clove or bulb of garlic, when planted, can produce up to an additional twenty cloves? So instead of tossing out your garlic that’s started to sprout, plant it instead and learn how to grow garlic.

How to Grow Garlic

Learning how to grow garlic is a snap! Simply plant garlic cloves individually in early fall. It doesn’t matter if they’ve already started to sprout. If your garlic hasn’t yet started to sprout, simply plant individual garlic cloves with the pointy end up.

Make sure to plant your garlic cloves in a sunny location with good drainage. You can plant multiple cloves four inches apart either in your yard or in a large pot depending on your living situation. (Apartment dwellers may want to plant garlic in a large pot on a balcony.) Garlic grows well even if planted among other flowers or vegetables so don’t be shy about mixing your garlic cloves in among existing plants.

Now all that’s needed is to sit back and wait for your garlic to grow! If you are growing your garlic in a pot, be sure water it occasionally. But take care not to drown it. As your garlic grows, it will sprout leaves. Once the leaves turn brown and die, it’s time to harvest your garlic. (Don’t harvest any earlier or your cloves will be too small!)

Once you harvest your garlic, hang the bulbs in a cool, dry location to dry them and prevent rot. Your garlic should dry in about a week, at which time you can simply brush off the dirt and start cooking with your garlic cloves. Or set some aside to plant even more!

The handmade pottery pot photographed above that I used for planting my garlic bulb was purchased from a local potter at my local farmer’s market. These little pots are great for growing all kinds of things, especially if you’re limited on space. Because these handmade pots have handles, they are great for tying to lattice work or a trellis and building an herb garden upward instead of outward. Or hang them from a porch ceiling!

However, keep in mind garlic gets BIG! So starting your garlic in a small pot works great if you’re snipping off greens indoors for culinary delights. Otherwise, as your garlic grows, and in order to be able to harvest the garlic later on, you’ll need to transfer your garlic into a larger pot or outdoors! Happy gardening!