can i grow garlic in a tub?

tankgirl1

Hi all

I'd like to have a bash at growing some garlic. Can I grow it in a tub? Also I have some cloves in the fridge that have started sprouting.. could I use these for planting?

Many Thanks

tg

Bluepork

Yes you can. Anything can be grow in a pot as long as it's big enough. (I.e a deep one for things like carrot & parsnips. In fact veg growers for show grow them in drainpipes to get the length.

Things to bear in mind though that you will have to water more regularly as the pot can't get the water from the soil and as long as the compost is free draining and the pot placed in a sunny but windless site they should be ok.

The garlic you have in the fridge might work but there is more of a chance it won't and it may carry disease. Garlic bulbs specially sold for planting should be almost guaranteed to grow and be disease free and will taste so much better.

Hope that helps.

madhouseof4

I agree that anything can be grown in a tub that is big/deep enough. I think as to whether or not you can grow garlic for shop bought cloves is a bit hit and miss, some say they have had success with it, others haven't. Garlic needs it to be cold to grow properly, hence should be planted outside anytime from November to March. Shop bought garlic is often grown in warm places like spain and don't like our climate much.

I would try it anyway as I am the kind of person who will try anything once! Good luck, let us know how you get on.

julbags

I've grown garlic for the previous two years in troughs, probably about 8 inches deep. I bought seed garlic specifically rather than supermarket stuff as it was suitable for growing in the uk. The garlic grew fine in the troughs but didn't quite get to the size of the original bulb - possibly because there was not enough room in the troughs. They do need a lot of watering, I've put mine in the ground this year as I've moved house and now have a bit of space.

As madhouseof4 says they need to be planted out to take advantage of a cold snap as this encourages the bulb to split into cloves. I'll be trying to get my remaining garlic planted out in the next fortnight.

I ordered my garlic from the Garlic Farm - I split if with a friend to reduce the postage costs.

http://www.thegarlicfarm.co.uk/

point3

Garlic in a deep container will do fine. I completely forgot about planting out the garlic (Solent Wight and Purple Wight, I think) last autumn to take advantage of the cold snap...so now the cloves have been sitting in the fridge for the past week, kept moist and are happily sprouting shoots and roots

craig777

My father-in-law has been growing his own garlic for years (Italian, they get through alot of garlic!). He grows about four rows of it in his garden (alot of bulbs!).

Like the others said, you plant it out in the winter months and usually by July/August the garlic is ready... you can tell this by when the leaves start to turn yellow. My father-in-law then platts them up and hangs them to dry for a few weeks before using them.

Be aware that if we get a particularly wet summer, or your soil doesn't drain well, the garlic can start to go rotten before it's ready to come out of the ground.

thamesmatt

is depth the most important thing?

I too have thought about planting garlic bulbs and seeing what happens

I have a small shady garden and am reliant on pots etc..

I bought some fruit tree things from Wilkos just to see what happens and am worried about the size of my existing pots (approx 20 cm depth). Unfortunely loads of massive pots are out of the question as I live in in central london and gardens in my area are tiny!

Also along similar lines I have an old chiney pot about 80 cm high and 10 cm wide which could be suitable...???

tankgirl1

thanks for the replies guys. ive had a look at the link to buy planting garlic, but its a bit pricier than i can afford at the mo, so i'm just going to bung the supermarket cloves in and see what happens!

thanks again!

Edit: I also thanked everyone whilst logged into my sisters account by accident- thats why you've all got 2 thanks! :rotfl:

elsien

I've looked at growing garlic as well, but I seem to have left it too late to order any spring planting bulbs to put in now - the ones on the garlic farm, and Thompson and Morgan sites seem to be order now for next year. Does anyone know anywhere else I can try?

JoeyEmma

If you local for a local garden centre, they might have some left. Smaller ones, not B&Q etc might have.

Has anybody had success growing courgettes in containers?

nodwah

I've grown courgettes in grow bags for many years - one per bag, the foliage soon covers up the unsightly bag.