A Complete Guide to Growing Garlic in Containers for Fresh Homegrown Flavor

It can be hard to grow garlic in pots because the plant needs to be watered often and has a long growing season. However, the work can be well worth it because you can grow rare varieties and even grow them inside. You will love the taste of homegrown garlic right away, just like you will with many other freshly picked fruits, vegetables, and herbs. To top it off, if you grow hardneck garlic, you also can eat the scapes. The hardneck varieties grow best in cold climates while softneck garlic prefers a mild climate.

Before you decide what kind of garlic to grow, it’s helpful to know what makes hardneck and softneck varieties different. Hardneck garlic sends out flower stalks called scapes, which are edible—and delicious—while softneck garlic does not. It also creates bulbs filled with fewer, but larger, bulbs than softneck garlic.

It’s hard to grow garlic in a pot because you usually plant it in the fall and don’t harvest it until the middle of summer. Keeping the garlic well watered over all that time can become tedious. To help with this problem, use a large pot. The more soil there is, the more moisture it will retain.

Garlic is a versatile and flavorful ingredient used in cuisines worldwide. Store-bought garlic often lacks the robust flavor of fresh, homegrown garlic. With some simple steps, you can easily grow garlic right at home in containers – even if you don’t have an outdoor garden space.

Read on for a complete guide to successfully growing garlic in pots or other containers. You’ll learn ideal varieties, planting times, proper care and have a bountiful garlic harvest before you know it!

Choosing the Best Garlic Varieties for Containers

There are two main types of garlic to consider when planning your container crop:

Hardneck garlic varieties – Hardier with more flavor recommended for cold climates
Softneck garlic varieties – More shelf-stable, better for warm climates

For containers in colder zones, go with a hardy hardneck variety like Music, Chesnok Red or Persian Star. In warmer zones, try a softneck like Inchelium Red or Silverskin. The variety you select should suit your local climate and growing season length.

Heirloom garlic strains offer a diversity of flavors. Try planting a few different kinds in separate pots to see which you like best.

Selecting the Right Container for Growing Garlic

Pick a container at least 8 inches deep and wide with drainage holes at the bottom. Garlic’s long roots need room to grow.

Avoid unglazed terra cotta pots which absorb water and dry out fast. Opt for pots made of plastic, ceramic, wood or other frost-proof materials that hold moisture well. Dark colored pots absorb heat, speeding growth.

Bigger is better! Choose the largest pot size possible for your space. Plant just a few cloves in smaller containers or up to 10 cloves in bigger, wider pots.

Make sure your container is mobile if you need to move it into shelter for harsh winters. Handles are useful for easily moving heavy pots.

When to Plant Garlic in Containers

Garlic is typically planted in fall in most regions and then harvested the following summer. For a fall crop:

Plant cloves in early fall around the first expected frost date for your area.
Fall planting allows roots to establish before winter dormancy.

You can also plant garlic in spring after the last frost. Expect a smaller harvest from spring-planted garlic.

Stagger plantings by a few weeks for a continuous garlic harvest. Early, mid and late garlic varieties extend the harvest window too.

How to Plant Garlic in Containers

Follow these steps for easy container garlic planting:

Fill container with lightly moistened potting mix blended with compost.
Gently break garlic bulb into individual cloves. Keep largest cloves for planting.
Push cloves 1-2 inches deep into soil, pointy end up, spaced 2 inches apart.

Water thoroughly after planting and cover container soil with mulch.
Place pot with best sun exposure. South or west facing locations are ideal.
Insulate pots in winter by moving into shelter or wrapping with bubble wrap.

Water sparingly over winter, only when soil is dry. Don’t oversaturate.
Fertilize with organic bulb food once shoots emerge in spring.

Growing Garlic in Containers: Care and Maintenance

Proper care is vital for vigorous container garlic. Focus on providing these optimal growing conditions:

Sunlight: At least 6 hours of direct sun daily.
Water: Keep soil moist but not soaked. Increase watering in warm weather.

Soil: Light, fertile potting mix that drains well to prevent bulb rot.
Fertilizer: Feed every 2-3 weeks with balanced organic fertilizer once plants are growing.
Temperature: Grow in 45-75°F. Protect from frost with insulation wraps or indoor shelter.

Harvest: When around half the leaves yellow, gently pull bulbs and air dry for 1-2 weeks before storing.

With the right care, your container garlic will reward you with an abundant harvest of flavorful bulbs.

Troubleshooting Common Problems Growing Garlic in Pots

Issue | Solution

When to Grow Garlic in Containers

Most of the time, planting garlic in pots at the same time you plant it in the ground is a good idea. This is after the first frost, when the soil has cooled but before anything freezes. In most places, you can plant garlic anytime from September until November. It can take anywhere from six to nine months after planting for harvesting.

Grab garlic bulbs at a nearby farm market or nursery, or order them online, when you’re ready to plant. If you buy garlic at the store, it might grow in a container for you, but sometimes supermarket garlic has been treated to stop sprouting, so if you do this, choose organic garlic.

Large pot with good drainage
High-quality potting mix
Garlic cloves that are firm, fat, and healthy

Slow-release fertilizer (if needed)

The Spruce / Jayme Burrows

Get the Pot Ready: Fill your pot with potting mix until it’s about 3 inches above the top. Slow-release fertilizer should be added to your potting mix if it isn’t already there. The Spruce / Jayme Burrows .
Start by getting the garlic cloves ready. Take the garlic head and carefully separate the cloves. You don’t have to take off the paper coverings on each clove. The Spruce / Jayme Burrows .
Plant the Cloves: Put the cloves in the ground so that the pointy end is facing up. Youll want them at least 3 inches apart. The Spruce / Jayme Burrows .

Cover the Cloves Shovel soil onto the cloves. About an inch of soil is enough if you live in a warm area. But in colder places, put about 2 inches of soil over the cloves. On top of the garlic cloves, gently press the soil down to make it firm. The Spruce / Jayme Burrows .
Find a Good Place for the Pot: Put the pot somewhere that gets at least six hours of direct sunlight most days. Make sure the soil is moist but not soaked. The Spruce / Jayme Burrows .
If you want to grow garlic in the spring, you should fertilize it every two weeks and keep the soil evenly moist. The Spruce / Jayme Burrows .

When to Harvest Garlic Scapes

Garlic scapes are the long, winding, blue-green shoots that hardneck garlic varieties put out in the spring. Scapes have a fresh, mild garlic taste. They can be turned into pesto or used to flavor mashed potatoes, salads, roasted vegetables, and more.

Harvest scapes when they are young and tender. Once they have curled around in a circle, they are ready for picking. Not only is it good for cooking to pick the scapes, but it will also help your garlic grow bigger and healthier by sending more energy to the bulb instead of the flower stalk.

Growing Garlic In Containers – The Definitive Guide

FAQ

How long does it take garlic to grow in a container?

It takes about 8 to 9 months for a small planted garlic clove to develop into a ready-to-harvest head of garlic. Yes, that means you could grow a whole human baby in the same amount of time it takes to grow a head of garlic! Don’t let the timeline stop you, though.

Does garlic grow well in pots?

Growing garlic in pots is completely doable, but there are a few things to keep in mind if you do so. Garlic is prone to fungal root diseases, so it is important that the soil you plant the cloves in drains well. Don’t be tempted to put regular garden soil in the containers.

What month do you plant garlic?

General Planting Plant individual cloves from mid-September to mid-November. Garlic is frost-hardy, but ideally should be planted 4 to 6 weeks before the ground freezes to give the cloves time to establish roots. In mild climates, garlic can be planted until January.

How many garlic can you plant in a 5 gallon bucket?

A 5-gallon, food-grade plastic bucket has room for two or three garlic plants. Here are a few simple suggestions for selecting soil for your containers and pots. Potting soil used in containers should be light and fluffy.

How do you grow garlic in a container?

Fill your container with potting mix till it is about 3 inches from the top. If your potting mix doesn’t already include it, mix in a slow-release fertilizer. Take your head of garlic and gently separate the cloves. You can leave the papery outer wrappings on each individual clove. Place the cloves with their pointy end up in the soil.

How big a pot do you need to grow garlic?

When it comes to the pot needed to grow garlic, the one thing you should remember is that you need a large pot. Using a bigger pot helps to keep the garlic bulbs well-watered. Larger pots hold more soil, which means that there is more moisture to retain. For container gardening garlic aim to get a container that is at least 8-10 inches deep.

Can garlic grow in pots?

Garlic growing in pots does not want to be too wet. But you should not let it dry out too much either. Another consideration is the color of your pots or containers. Black or dark colored containers will catch and absorb more heat. While light colored ones reflect more light and stay cooler.

How deep should a garlic plant be in a container?

For container gardening garlic aim to get a container that is at least 8-10 inches deep. That gives the garlic roots plenty of space to grow and extend. A 24-inch long, 8-inch deep container holds 4-6 plants, which is sufficient for many families. Instead, you can pick several smaller containers, planting 1-2 cloves in each.