Dorothy Shaw
When to Plant Garlic Indoors
Usually, the fall is the right planting season, outdoors in our gardens it’s the time when we plant garlic. However, when growing indoors, you can try to plant garlic anytime in the year.
Choosing a Container and Spacing
Look for a pot around 8-10 inches deep, minimum and if you are planning on growing more than one bulb at a time then the pot has to be big enough to maintain a four-inch gap between each clove. Also, make sure that the pot has drainage holes in the bottom. If you’re growing garlic for its GREENS– you can grow them more closely.
You can try growing garlic indoors from the grocery store garlic but they are treated with chemicals so for the best result buy from local farmers, order them online or check out your local gardening store for the organic garlic bulbs. Also, remember that you don’t need to remove the paper like husk from cloves.
Planting and Getting them Growing
The next step is to fill the pot with the organic soil mixture. You then need to remove the individual cloves from the garlic bulbs and make sure that the flat end is going to be pointing down in the soil as that is where the roots come from.
At the time of filling the soil, you can also mix time-based granular fertilizer such as 10-10-10.
When planting them, you need to push the cloves down at least 2-3 inches deep into the soil. There should also be roughly 1 inch of soil between the top of the clove and the top layer of the soil.
Placement and Caring for the Bulbs
Soil
It is important that you use the right soil that is well-draining, and permeable. Soil-less potting medium is best, you can also make one for yourself instead of buying– Mix peat or cocopeat (coconut fiber), compost or manure, and either perlite or vermiculite (if you don’t have both, use sand) in equal parts.
Location
Once you have planted the bulbs decide where you should place the pot. If there is a room in your home with a South or West facing window where it can receive at least six hours of direct sunlight per day, consider that. You can also purchase indoor grow lights to make life easier and they can certainly be rather effective.
Watering
Outdoors, garlic prefers evenly moist soil, however, since you’re growing garlic indoors you may need to careful. Watering must be done according to the indoor growing conditions. Like, how much sunlight and warmth your potted garlic plants are receiving. Regular watering to keep the soil slightly moist is preferable.
Fertilizer
Garlic needs a good amount of fertilizer to grow well, indoors is no different. Fertilize the garlic plant twice a month with organic general purpose fertilizer during the warm growing season. You can also use kelp meal or fish fertilizer to ensure your garlic plant has enough nutrients for optimum growth.
Harvesting
Picking Garlic Greens
With the right soil, sunlight and proper watering, in a week or so you’ll be able to see the fresh new garlic shoots coming out. You can start picking the greens once they are at least 4-6 inches tall, which will happen in a few more weeks (depending on the weather). Leave an inch of growth on each clove to let your garlic plants regrow again.
Harvesting Bulbs
If you’re growing garlic indoors for garlic bulbs, note that it’ll be ready in around eight to ten months and you will know this when you see the leaves starting to turn brown. At this point, you need to remove them from the soil and allow them to dry for a week. By this time, they will be ready to include in your cooking or, of course, you could use some of them to then grow your next batch of garlic.
Usually, the fall is the right planting season, outdoors in our gardens it’s the time when we plant garlic. However, when growing indoors, you can try to plant garlic anytime in the year.
Choosing a Container and Spacing
Look for a pot around 8-10 inches deep, minimum and if you are planning on growing more than one bulb at a time then the pot has to be big enough to maintain a four-inch gap between each clove. Also, make sure that the pot has drainage holes in the bottom. If you’re growing garlic for its GREENS– you can grow them more closely.
You can try growing garlic indoors from the grocery store garlic but they are treated with chemicals so for the best result buy from local farmers, order them online or check out your local gardening store for the organic garlic bulbs. Also, remember that you don’t need to remove the paper like husk from cloves.
Planting and Getting them Growing
The next step is to fill the pot with the organic soil mixture. You then need to remove the individual cloves from the garlic bulbs and make sure that the flat end is going to be pointing down in the soil as that is where the roots come from.
At the time of filling the soil, you can also mix time-based granular fertilizer such as 10-10-10.
When planting them, you need to push the cloves down at least 2-3 inches deep into the soil. There should also be roughly 1 inch of soil between the top of the clove and the top layer of the soil.
Placement and Caring for the Bulbs
Soil
It is important that you use the right soil that is well-draining, and permeable. Soil-less potting medium is best, you can also make one for yourself instead of buying– Mix peat or cocopeat (coconut fiber), compost or manure, and either perlite or vermiculite (if you don’t have both, use sand) in equal parts.
Location
Once you have planted the bulbs decide where you should place the pot. If there is a room in your home with a South or West facing window where it can receive at least six hours of direct sunlight per day, consider that. You can also purchase indoor grow lights to make life easier and they can certainly be rather effective.
Watering
Outdoors, garlic prefers evenly moist soil, however, since you’re growing garlic indoors you may need to careful. Watering must be done according to the indoor growing conditions. Like, how much sunlight and warmth your potted garlic plants are receiving. Regular watering to keep the soil slightly moist is preferable.
Fertilizer
Garlic needs a good amount of fertilizer to grow well, indoors is no different. Fertilize the garlic plant twice a month with organic general purpose fertilizer during the warm growing season. You can also use kelp meal or fish fertilizer to ensure your garlic plant has enough nutrients for optimum growth.
Harvesting
Picking Garlic Greens
With the right soil, sunlight and proper watering, in a week or so you’ll be able to see the fresh new garlic shoots coming out. You can start picking the greens once they are at least 4-6 inches tall, which will happen in a few more weeks (depending on the weather). Leave an inch of growth on each clove to let your garlic plants regrow again.
Harvesting Bulbs
If you’re growing garlic indoors for garlic bulbs, note that it’ll be ready in around eight to ten months and you will know this when you see the leaves starting to turn brown. At this point, you need to remove them from the soil and allow them to dry for a week. By this time, they will be ready to include in your cooking or, of course, you could use some of them to then grow your next batch of garlic.
