Don't let the idea of growing your own garlic intimidate you — it's easier than you might think. One TikTok gardener shared a simple method to plant garlic now and enjoy fresh bulbs for years to come.
Joe (@joesgarden) explains how to grow garlic at home in a way that's both approachable and sustainable, helping turn any garden into a flavorful and reliable food source.
@joesgarden Today we are back and I am showing you how to plant and grow fresh garlic at home, and then use this garlic year after year to grow a lifetimes supply. Growing garlic has to be one of my favourite autumn garden activities, as it's such a useful crop in the kitchen. Now is the best time to plant many garlic varieties, as they need a period of cold stratification, to help them form bulbs with individual cloves. If you wait until spring, what you will get is essentially one giant garlic bulb, similar to an onion. When it comes to planting garlic, there really isn't much to do. While you can use garlic from the supermarket, I wouldn't, as often these have been sprayed with anti sprouting hormones, can carry viruses and are often not suited to our growing conditions. Instead get purpose bought ones from the garden centre. You can get two main types of garlic, hard-neck and soft-neck. With the former being more hardy and growing scapes and the later being slightly milder, but is an amazing storer. I usually plant hard neck due to my cool climate. Just space your bulbs 6 inches apart and plant 2 inches deep, then mulch with a good free draining compost. Due to our wet winters this is so important, as the bulbs will rot in waterlogged ground. Garlic like most crops will always do best when grown in a sunny location. Your garlic should be ready to harvest in the early summer of the following year, which might seem like a long time, but it's worth the wait. Just remember to keep your biggest bulbs, to repeat this process year after year! I hope you are all having a lovely week, and I love you all, Joe 🌱😊💚 #garlic #gardening #zerowaste #gardeningtips #sustainability #growyourownfood ♬ Little Things - Adrian Berenguer
The scoop
In his video, Joe recommends planting garlic in the fall, explaining that the cold winter months help the bulbs develop cloves. He suggests using garlic from a garden center instead of supermarket varieties, which are often treated with anti-sprouting chemicals that make them less reliable for growing.
The process is straightforward: Break the bulbs into cloves and plant the largest ones with the pointy end facing up. Place them about two inches deep and six inches apart. To protect the bulbs during wet weather, Joe advises covering the soil with free-draining compost as mulch. This prevents waterlogging and keeps the bulbs healthy.
The entire process takes about nine months from planting to harvesting, meaning that by early summer, you'll have fresh garlic ready to use in your favorite recipes. Joe said it is "such a useful crop in the kitchen" and added that "it couldn't be easier" to grow.
How it's helping
Growing garlic at home saves money while providing fresh (better-tasting) garlic for your meals. Plus, it's an easy way to ensure you always have a flavorful kitchen staple on hand.
Environmentally, growing your own garlic reduces waste and cuts down on the pollution caused by packaging and transporting store-bought produce.
Garlic also helps your garden. Its natural sulfur compounds repel pests, protecting nearby plants from infestations. As the roots grow, they loosen the soil, improving airflow and helping water and nutrients reach other plants, according to The Garlic Store. Even after harvest, garlic roots leave behind organic matter that enriches your soil's health and fertility.
Studies show that those who grow their own food or garden can improve their mental health and reduce stress.
What everyone's saying
TikTok users had plenty of questions and were excited about Joe's garlic-growing hack. "Can never have too much garlic," one commenter wrote.
"What do you mean by 'cure your garlic'? What's the process please," another asked, while someone else replied, "Air dry the garlic before storing to avoid [it] getting rotten easily or moldy."
Before you know it, you'll have a garlic goldmine in your garden.
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