Garlic is a versatile kitchen staple that can be used in a variety of delicious recipes, like garlic chili oil or an aromatic herb paste for cooking.
What you might not know is that garlic is also easy to grow, requiring very little maintenance.
TikTok gardener Annabeth (@annabethblooms) shared a garlic planting hack that might just be the quickest way to separate those stubborn cloves.
@annabethblooms Testing out a garlic planting hack 🧄🌱 What do you guys think?! Can't believe it actually worked!! #garlic #garlicplanting #hardneckgarlic #fallgarden #fallgardening #gardenersoftiktok #zone5b #zone5bgardening #zone5 #zone5gardening #gardentok #gardeningtiktok ♬ original sound - Annabeth
The scoop
Start by taking a bulb of hardneck garlic and flipping it over so that the long top stem faces downward towards a hard, stable surface.
Then, hold the garlic bulb firmly by its base and slam it down onto the surface until the stem pushes back up through the bottom of the bulb.
After a few hard taps, the stem should be loose enough for you to pull out, separating the individual garlic cloves and making them easier to plant.
"Can't believe it actually worked," Annabeth wrote in her video caption.
How it's helping
Growing garlic at home is a cost-efficient alternative to buying garlic at the grocery store, and this hack makes the process that much simpler!
A single clove of garlic can produce a whole new homegrown garlic bulb. Gardeners planting garlic for the first time should leave the skin and head on the clove to make sure it can sprout correctly.
As grocery store prices climb, growing your own food at home can save you money while giving you access to healthy, nutrient-rich ingredients.
Planting or composting unused garlic cloves rather than tossing them in the trash can help you reduce food waste. Also, using food-tracking apps like NoWaste or Kitche can help you note all of the different foods in your kitchen that are ready to be used, reducing unnecessary purchases.
About 2.5 billion tons of food is wasted worldwide each year, with grocery stores accounting for nearly 30% of America's food waste. By repurposing our resources in efficient, sustainable ways, we can reduce waste by not creating it in the first place.
What everyone's saying
Many TikTok users in the comment section were wowed by this simple trick, eager to try the hack for their own needs in the garden or the kitchen.
"What?! That is so cool!" one user commented.
"That has to be so satisfying!" wrote another.
"That's how you core head lettuce. Slam in on the counter core down. Pops right out," a commenter shared.
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more, waste less, and help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
