Gardening can be tricky if you don't have a green thumb. Instagram user Iris King (@life.with.iris.king) is showing folks how to maximize their garlic haul with a few simple tips.
The scoop
In the video, King explains that she plants garlic in the fall, about two weeks before the first frost. She shares that "the bigger the clove, the bigger the bulb harvest." Her word of advice is to save your big bulbs. She also shares that you should leave the skin and the head on the clove to ensure it sprouts correctly.
King also recommends to "never plant garlic in the same spot" two seasons in a row. She also goes on to explain how to plant the cloves and space them apart in the soil.
She answers lingering questions in the comments section of her video, including if it's possible to plant the garlic in a container and if it's possible to plant garlic in the spring too (spoiler alert: it is — as long as the soil is soft enough to plant).
How it's helping
Growing your own food has mental and physical health benefits. If you grow a garden with veggies and fruits, you're likely to increase your consumption of healthy, nutrient-dense produce. It's also a relaxing activity that can bring peace, calm, and, of course, good food.
Planting your own garlic and other vegetables at home is also an easy way to cut down on your weekly grocery bill and decrease the mileage it takes for ingredients like garlic to reach your table. This distance, called "food miles," causes the release of copious amounts of air pollution via transportation vehicles — which would be alleviated by growing the food in your own backyard.
Gardening can also be done in small spaces, like apartments, which makes it easy for urban dwellers to participate.
What everyone's saying
Other Instagram users appreciated the tips King provided in her video. "Your video has inspired me to try planting garlic this year for the first time," one user wrote.
"How fun!!! You've inspired me," wrote another.
With a little bit of time and patience, you too can have a massive garlic haul, thanks to Iris King's words of advice.
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