Grow garlic plants at home from just one clove
There are some foods that are never lacking in our kitchens: those ingredients that end up being used in the preparation of almost any meal, especially when they give extra flavor to the food. One of these is garlic, without which many dishes, from sauces to cooked meats, fish and vegetables, would not have their characteristic flavor.
There are those who prefer white garlic; those who prefer the red garlic; those who use only the tips; and those who go absolutely mad, using whole cloves with abandon: everyone has their preference, but garlic is omnipresent in the pantries of the whole world.
Garlic is also a fairly easy bulb to grow - so much so that we now find it in markets and supermarkets all year round. But have you ever thought about growing it at home? In fact, it is not necessary to have a vegetable patch to do so: you can also grow garlic in a large pot at home.
And the most interesting thing is that it can be grown from a single clove.
Before starting to explain how to do this, it is worth some clarification: the garlic we buy does not always give us the desired results. Or rather: it will almost always produce edible leaves (even very good ones) but it is not certain that it was a bulb meant for sowing. There is a better chance of growing garlic successfully using bulbs sold specifically for cultivation.
Some prefer to soak the cloves (whether they are plump and intact, with or without the bud) before placing them in the ground, to better protect them from diseases and fungi. It is a matter of preference, but if you want, do this: prepare a solution of water with fertilizer (follow the proportions indicated on the packages) and baking soda (the quantities are never precise, however it is better not to use too much).
Otherwise, you can also dip them into isopropyl alcohol.
Prepare the soil, which must be rich and loose (soil used for the garden is fine) and of course, you can also enrich it with compost.
Plant each bulb about 3 cm below the surface, with the tip pointing upwards. The pot you put them in should be at least 20cm deep.
Depending on the variety, you will have to consider the distances between bulbs: if the bulb is large, it will need 15 cm between each bulb. There are those who plant them closer, and then move them when they become larger, but this is more work and each plant is forced to "fight" with the others for nutrients in the soil.
Planting is often done in the fall, but spring is fine too. In the first case, you will harvest between June and July, while in the later, shortly after.
They are also plants that love sunlight, and must be watered regularly, but without saturating the soil too often (otherwise they risk rotting, like all bulbs). Always wait until the soil has dried out before watering again, and do not water during winter (or very rarely).
Would you like to try growing garlic at home?
