Planting garlic in containers

People keep asking, “Is it too late to plant garlic?” The answer is no. But it might be too late to go digging in your garden soil. Things might be a bit heavy and muddy. So, here is what you can do: Plant in containers. It is quick, easy and clean. Plus, no weeds later on this spring.

Think big: Large, wide containers, usually the big black nursery cans that hold large trees, will suffice for a decent crop of garlic. You can easily plant several cloves, about 4 inches apart.

Use good soil: Big containers require a good amount of potting, at least 2 cubic feet per container. Fill to within 6 inches from the top, then plant cloves about an inch deep. Then cover with rice straw to top off. Adding the rice straw will conserve moisture later next spring and also save a bit on the potting soil bill.

Add fertilizer: After

filling the container about half full, sprinkle on a generous amount of 4-4-4 natural, organic fertilizer and mix it in. Finish filling up the container and then plant.

Double crop: It will take a few weeks before garlic shoots pop up. This is a good opportunity to plant a few shallow rooted, quick growing vegetables like Asian greens or lettuce. Harvest of these crops should be completed by the time garlic begins to sprout.

Keep well-watered: From now through April watering most likely not be an issue. But come spring, the roots of the garlic will have filled up the container. This is a crucial time to keep the root mass thoroughly watered until a couple weeks before summer harvest.