Home-grown garlic is known to beat products from the supermarket by far. With the help of well-founded instructions, even laypeople can plant the seeds successfully. This is how growing garlic yourself becomes a masterpiece.
How do I grow garlic myself?
To grow garlic yourself, plant garlic cloves or onions in October or February in nutrient-rich, humus-rich soil with a planting distance of 15-20 cm. Care for the plants by regularly removing weeds and loosening the soil and protecting them from constant moisture and frost.
It's planting time twice a year
Garlic is planted twice a year. In February or October you can plant garlic to your heart's content. Seeds that you plant in autumn have a larger volume because they are allowed to mature longer in the ground.
In which locations does garlic grow particularly well?
Anyone who chooses the location for garlic carefully will be rewarded with an exceptionally aromatic harvest:
- A sunny, rain-protected location is ideal
- nutrient-rich soil, rich in humus
- preferably loamy, slightly sandy and fresh
You can easily grow garlic yourself in a bucket on the sunny balcony. Special vegetable soil (€13.00 at Amazon) from specialist retailers, mixed with a little sand, is suitable as a substrate.
Practical instructions for planting toes and seeds
The garlic cloves are just as suitable for planting as the small purple seeds. Let a cut onion dry for a few days and sort out any rotten pieces.
- rake the bed soil thoroughly and weed meticulously
- incorporate well-rotted, sifted compost
- plant each toe with the tip upwards 5-7 cm deep
- The planting depth for breeding onions is 2-3 cm
- A planting distance of 15-20 cm is considered optimal
You will make the following care work easier if you ensure a row spacing of 45-50 cm. If the plants do not touch each other, this circumstance also effectively prevents rot.
Low maintenance for spicy enjoyment
If you plant garlic according to these instructions, the care required is kept to a minimum:
- pulling weeds regularly
- Don’t let plants dry out
- loose the soil repeatedly
- cover the autumn plantings with straw and leaves in winter
The extent to which you apply fertilizer is up to you. Mineral fertilizers are rarely desired for food crops. A little compost every now and then compensates for any nutrient deficits in the poor soil.
Tips & Tricks
Continuous wetness damages garlic much more than frosty temperatures. To protect the plants from rain in winter, leave your tomato houses standing after harvest and put the garlic there.
