Planting garlic in your garden means, that after 2 to 3 weeks, you will enjoy your vegetable. The container method is the ideal option for planting this healthy plant.
Garlic is from the same family as onions and shallots. The garlic plant has two parts.
- Bulb part
- The green part
Both of these parts are edible throughout the world, but the green portion is the least selected option as edible.
Varieties of Garlic plant
It may be surprising that garlic has 350 to 400 different varieties. So it means you have a vast range of types and can select the best one according to your region.
Culinary Garlic
Culinary garlic also called “Allium sativum”, is the most common type among all the existing types. It has two forms.
- Softneck
- Hardneck
Both of these types are equally beneficial in terms of medicinal use. But they have differences in their appearance.
Softneck varieties are usually recommended for the southern part, while hard-neck varieties are the best option for the northern portions. It is the most common and can be available in stores.
Varieties of soft-neck garlic
Softneck garlic is classified into three, as given below.
- Silver skin garlic
- Artichoke garlic
- Middle eastern garlic
Varieties of hard-neck garlic
Hard neck garlic is classified into eight, as below
- Asiatic garlic
- Turban garlic
- Creole garlic
- Glazed purple stripe
- Purple stripe garlic
- Porcelain garlic
- Marble purple stripe
- Rocambole garlic
Extra info:
There exist another type of garlic, called elephant garlic. It’s a totally different type of garlic. It has a different growth pattern and also has large size bulbs as compared to other garlic plants.
The best season to plant garlic
This plant is best grown in the fall or spring. Early spring is the best time. Especially in cooler regions or climates, fall planning is the best option.
You should plant your garlic before the hard freeze. From September to November, around the first frost, and suitable for growing.
Some suitable zones for spring planting are from 5 to 10.
Can we plant garlic in a bucket?
Yes, you can plant garlic in a bucket. You should select the bucket according to the region.
Planting Garlic In a 5-Gallon Bucket
A 5-gallon container can be used to plant garlic. Garlic needs a well-drained container. Choose a container that is big enough to handle the roots.
Garlic plant spacing
The large containers help with spacing the garlic plants. There should be almost 15 cm of space between each garlic clove. You can use a pot and a bucket for planting garlic.
A pot is usually attractive, while buckets are not so attractive. But in contrast to appearance and all that, garlic grows well in a 5-gallon bucket. Try to find a 5-gallon bucket to plant garlic. It is a pocket-friendly option and gives you a good yield.
How You Can Grow Garlic in a 5-Gallon Bucket
Growing garlic in a bucket requires the following steps to be pursued:
- Fill half of the bucket with soil.
- Add a little amount of slow-release plant food to the soil.
- Now insert the garlic bulb into the soil.
- Water the plant.
If you wait till the optimum time, you will get a good yield for your plant.
Essential maintenance before planting garlic
Before inserting the bulb into the soil, keep some steps in mind to make the conditions optimum for garlic to grow well. Some of them are below.
Selection of bulbs
You can purchase garlic heads from anywhere, either from stores or from farmers. Garlic heads purchased from stores are not a better option because they are usually sprayed with chemicals that are not good for the further growth of the plant.
Best for planting, you can purchase garlic from farmers or any nursery. Their bulbs will grow properly and give a high yield. You should choose fertile soil for container planting.
Regular garden soil is not recommended in this case. Light soil is the optimum soil for your garlic plant. The soil should be moist.
You can also dampen it with other mixtures like coconut fiber.
Compost is also best mixed with soil. We need a fertile and high-nutrient medium to grow our plants.
Planting
Keep in mind the following steps:
Separate the small cloves from the largest ones.
- Break the garlic heads. Besides this, allow them to dry for some weeks.
- Use only the largest cloves to plant.
- Bury them in soil but don’t bury them too deep.
Temperature range
The temperature should not be below 20°F for young garlic shoots. They will not perform well in this range.
Sun exposure
During winter, place your plant in a sunny spot. It will lessen the threat of any damage due to the winter season. During the summer, partial shade is enough for the garlic plant in a bucket.
Watering needs
Garlic plants need water every 3 to 5 days. Low watering practices will create plant stress, and high watering will cause bulb rot problems.
Watering also depends on the soil condition. Clay soil needs heavy water after a few times, while for sandy soil, frequent watering is applicable.
How to harvest garlic
Harvesting this plant is not easy, so before harvesting garlic, you should know some ways or techniques for better yield.
Garlic plants can generate leaves. These leaves are used as an indicator to check whether a plant is ready to harvest or not.
When the lower leaves of a garlic plant change color, they turn yellow or sometimes brown. It means the bulb is ready, and you can harvest your crop.
Some precautions
- Don’t forget to cover the pot or gallon.
- Try to cover the topsoil by using dead leaves.
- Don’t allow the soil to be soggy or wet.
- Two weeks before harvesting, stop watering your plant.
- Don’t forget to provide fertilizer.
- Remove the weeds around the area where you are planting your garlic.
FAQs
Can you grow garlic in a container over the winter?
Yes, you can. Garlic can be planted over winter but needs some precautions. Make sure to use a different pot. For example, a glazed ceramic pot is the best option to select because it is frostproof. Use a bucket that isn’t cracked and has a proper drainage system. During winter, garlic plants will suffer easily at low temperatures below -30 °F.
What should be the depth of the pot for planting garlic?
An 8-inch deep pot is a better option for planting garlic because it is deep enough to deal with the roots of a garlic plant.
What should be the best fertilizer for a garlic plant?
Fertilizers containing high nitrogen content are the best for garlic plants. You can also use some synthetic nitrogenous fertilizers for a good yield.
What kind of pests attack garlic plants?
Some pests like leafminers, onion maggots, thrips, bulb mites, nematodes, etc. are some names that usually attack garlic plants.
Also, read
