How To Grow Garlic In Pots: A Small Space Gardener's Guide

Garlic is one of those magical crops that asks for very little and gives so much back. But many people think you need a sprawling farm to grow it.

As someone who has turned every inch of my apartment balcony into a food forest, I’m here to tell you: Garlic loves pots. In fact, growing garlic in containers often results in cleaner bulbs and fewer pest problems than growing it in the ground.

Why Grow Garlic in Pots?

• Space Efficient: You can fit 6-8 bulbs in a single large pot.
• Portable: You can move them into the sunniest spots as the seasons change.
• Soil Control: Garlic hates “wet feet” (soggy soil). Pots drain better than dense garden clay.

What You Need

1. The Pot: You need depth. Garlic roots grow down. Choose a pot that is at least 8-10 inches deep and has excellent drainage holes. Fabric grow bags work amazingly well for this.
2. The Soil: Don’t use garden soil (it’s too heavy). Use a high-quality potting mix blended with a little compost or slow-release fertilizer.
3. The Garlic: Do not use the white garlic from the grocery store. It’s often treated to prevent sprouting. Buy “seed garlic” from a nursery or online seed supplier.
   • Softneck: Best for mild climates (no winter freeze). Stores longer.
   • Hardneck: Best for cold winters. Produces delicious “scapes” (flower stalks) you can eat in spring.

How to Plant

The best time to plant garlic is usually in the Fall (before the ground freezes) for a summer harvest.

1. Break the Bulb: Separate the cloves from the main bulb. Keep the papery skin on the cloves. Use only the largest, plumpest cloves for planting (eat the small ones!).
2. Spacing: Plant cloves about 3 inches apart in the pot.
3. Depth: Poke a hole about 2 inches deep.
4. Orientation: Plant the clove flat side down, pointy end up. This is crucial!

5. Cover: Fill the hole with soil and pat gently.

Care Instructions

• Winter: If you live in a freezing climate, the pots need some insulation. Wrap the pot in burlap or move it against a heated wall. The soil in pots freezes harder than the ground.
• Watering: Keep the soil moist but not soggy. In spring, when green shoots appear, increase watering. Stop watering completely about 2 weeks before harvest (when leaves start to yellow) to let the bulbs cure.
• Feeding: Garlic is a heavy feeder. Apply a liquid fish fertilizer every 2 weeks in the spring.

The Harvest

Your garlic is ready when the bottom 1/3 of the leaves have turned yellow/brown and withered, while the top leaves are still green. Gently pull them up, brush off the dirt, and let them cure in a dry, shady spot for a few weeks.

There is nothing quite like the taste of fresh, homegrown garlic—it’s spicier, sweeter, and far more potent than anything you buy at the store!