Many flavorful home-cooked meals start with the fragrance of garlic sauteed in olive oil or butter. Save yourself a trip to the grocery store for your next meal with this handy tip on how to grow enough garlic to last a year.
The scoop
TikToker homeonlibertyhill (@homeonlibertyhill) shows that growing your own garlic is as simple as burying unpeeled garlic cloves in garden beds or outdoor pots.
@homeonlibertyhill How to plant garlic 🧄🧄🧄 Plant the garlic 2 weeks before your first frost of the season, right before winter sets in. Separate the cloves from the larger bulb, but keep the paper on the cloves. Plant 5 inches apart (on center) and at least 3 inches deep. Cover with a heavy layer of leaf mulch for the winter. #garlic #growyourownfood #urbanfarming #fyp #homesteading ♬ original sound - homeonlibertyhill
Garlic should be planted in the fall and left to grow throughout the winter. The TikToker explains that they plant their garlic two weeks before the first frost. Several comments clarified that timing varies depending on where you live, and that anyone trying this on their own should check best practices for their specific planting zone.
The user recommends planting garlic cloves roughly five inches apart and at least three inches deep. They also recommend keeping the garlic unpeeled to prevent rot and protect against pests in the soil. They then cover the garden bed with leaf mulch, but you could also use homemade compost.
Not a garlic fan? That's OK. If you prefer the somewhat sharp taste of scallions, you can grow those in a pinch, too.
How it's helping
This hack shows that starting a garden does not need to be a colossal undertaking. Growing your own food — even if it's just one ingredient — can help you save money on groceries while offering tastier options than you might find at the grocery store.
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Gardening, especially in a community setting, can also boost both mental and physical health.
Gardening also gives back to the environment. Plants clean the air by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. Their roots can help protect the soil and increase resistance to flooding.
When you eat from your own garden and buy fewer groceries, you decrease demand for produce that is transported from far away.
Food transportation tends to be fueled by dirty energy that emits carbon dioxide and contributes to the warming of the planet. This means that gardening is a win for your wallet, your health, and your carbon footprint.
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Not enough time ⏳ What everyone's saying
Some commenters have already found success with this method.
One user wrote, "We harvested around 1,000 bulbs this summer and will replant around 1,500 in October."
Others can't wait to try it for themselves.
"Love this idea," one said. "Going to try it."
"Thank you so much," wrote another.
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