How to Plant Grocery Store Garlic

A little bit of garlic adds a lot of flavor to nearly any dish. Besides having soothing flavor, garlic is also a natural antioxidant and has a number of other health benefits. Unlike some foods, the human body continues to reap the health benefits for as long as you eat it. For this reason, many people choose to grow their own garlic so they always have a supply on hand. You can start growing your own by using normal store-bought garlic. Just plant it in fall and harvest it in the early summer.

Things You'll Need

• Garlic head
• Garden shovel

Instructions

1. Dig a trench six inches deep and three inches wide. Put the soil aside in a pile. For each head of garlic, you will need a trench that is roughly 50 inches long.

2. Mix the pile of soil so it is loose and free of clumps. Sprinkle about an inch of soil on the bottom of the trench.

3. Take apart the head of garlic. Set each clove aside and discard the stem. Peel the garlic cloves so they are bare. Soak the cloves in rubbing alcohol for four minutes. This will protect them from fungal diseases.

4. Place the cloves in an upright position in the bottom of the trench. Space each clove about five inches apart to ensure there is enough room for each plant. Fill the trench with the rest of the soil from the pile. The loose soil will make harvesting easier.

5. Water the soil so it is damp to the touch, and cover it with grass clippings or mulch. Water the soil every couple of days until the ground begins to frost over.

6. Let the garlic grow through the spring season. Water the plants as needed until harvesting time. When the leaves turn brown and fall off in the summer, harvest the garlic by carefully digging it up.

Tips & Warnings

• Plant the garlic on the fall equinox. It's good to plant it when it's cool outside, but before the ground freezes.

References

• Garlic Growing Tips
• Garlic Health Benefits