Preserving: Growing Garlic in Containers

I've grown garlic for two years. I don't have much space in my float garden, so I grow garlic in puts. I don't need much to last me for a year, so three small containers are more than enough.

Garlic takes very little attention. Plant cloves with the growth point up, water, feed periodically, dig, dry, and enjoy.

I purchase my garlic sets at the nursery. One small bag goes a long way because you pull the cloves apart and plant each one separately. Ideally, you plant the closes seven inches apart for lots of growth room. As you can see, I use smaller spacing in the pots. The bulbs don't grow as big, but are plenty large for cooking.

 When the tops start to brown, wilt, and fall over, it's time to pull the bulbs out of the soil. If the weather is dry, I leave them on the surface to dry. After the surface of the bulbs have dried, I brush off as much of the dirt as possible, tie the tops of half a dozen together, and hang them in a protected spot outdoors.

This starts the preserving process. I leave them outdoors until the skin on the bulbs is dry and flaky. I trim the tops shorter and hang the bundles in the cabin's storage room. By this time there's no odour, and they're handy to grab for cooking.

If you live in an apartment with a balcony, or a home with limited garden space, you can still grow garlic and have plenty left over to share with friends and family. -- Margy