‘Never have to buy it again’

TikToker Nettles and Petals (@nettlesandpetals) demonstrated how easy it is to grow your own garlic.

“Plant your own garlic, and you’ll never have to buy it again,” he declared.

@nettlesandpetals Plant Garlic Once 🧄 and you’ll Never have to Buy it Again! 😊👍🏻 Garlic is one of the easiest plants to grow and save seed from in the vegetable garden, and now is the time to plant it here in the UK or similar climates.🧄 It is also a great crop to keep garden beds full throughout winter, and they do not take up much space so can be a companion for many other crops as they grow! 🧄🍅🌱🌼 There are two main types of garlic: Hard-neck is generally better for cooler climates or outdoor growing, They have a rigid stalk that stems from the center of the bulb and produce flowering stems known as scapes. Soft-neck varieties are better suited to warmer climates or growing under cover, they produce leaves rather than stem, generally produce more cloves per bulb, and they store for longer. You could plant store bought, but they can carry disease and are often sprayed with anti-sprouting agents. So I wouldn’t bother. 😕🧄 To plant I just break up the bulbs into separate cloves and plant them with the wider end downwards and the pointy end around 2.5cm below the soil surface and around 12cm apart. 📏 The cloves can easily be sown directly into a pot, container or raised bed. But I generally sow them directly into the ground and mulch with compost. 🪴 8-9 months later you’ll have an abundance of fresh garlic! 🧄😊👍🏻 Remove the scapes, when they form if growing hard neck varieties to ensure larger bulbs and these have a nice mild garlicky flavour. 😋 Then harvest bulbs from around July onwards, once the top growth has begun to die back. Leave the bulbs to dry in the sun for a few days and then store in a cool dry place until needed. 🧄☀️ Just be sure to save some of the best to replant next season. 😊🌱 So will you be planting garlic this season? #growyourownfood #gardeningtips #vegetablegarden #gardening #garlic ♬ original sound – Nettles and Petals

The scoop

By simply choosing the right type of garlic for your climate, which he explained, you can save some bulbs and plant them in soil and mulch with the wide end down. They can be planted in a pot, container, raised bed, or directly into the ground and mature in about 6-8 months.

How it’s helping

As the original poster suggested, by growing your own garlic and other foods, you can save quite a bit of money since you don’t have to purchase those produce items at a grocery store.

Gardening has many other benefits, as well. 

When you grow your own food, you can grow it organically without any chemical weed killers or toxic pest control formulas. By controlling how the produce is grown, you can rest assured that your food is organic and chemical-free, and you get to skip the high grocery store prices for organic produce.

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Studies have shown that gardening also contributes to your mental wellness. As a hobby, successful gardening can give you a sense of accomplishment and boost your confidence and sense of self-sufficiency. You can also choose to participate in a community garden that provides social opportunities.

Gardening provides physical health benefits, as well. Tending a garden is an active endeavor, so just the acts of moving, bending, squatting, and walking that gardening requires create a more active lifestyle. Research shows that people who garden tend to be more active than people who do not.

Consuming fresh, healthy garden produce also brings physical benefits. People who grow their own food tend to eat more fiber and have healthier eating habits.

Gardening with native plants can also support the balance of the local ecosystem and benefit pollinators.

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Since garlic is so easy to grow and such a common ingredient in cooking, the video will hopefully inspire some people to take up the hobby. The OP reminded viewers of the video to save some of the best garlic bulbs for replanting for the next season. 

What everyone’s saying

Viewers of the video commented about their own gardening adventures and seemed excited to give growing garlic a try.

“Would love to do this,” one TikTok user shared.

“Ooooohhh,” another inspired person said. “I bet the leaves would make good kimchi.”

One commenter wrote: “I’m certainly going to try this.”

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