Since garlic is a staple in every kitchen, growing garlic indoors for profit is a great idea for people looking to make extra money on the side. Not only does it give flavor to savory dishes, but it also has several health benefits.
Since almost every household uses garlic, there’s always a demand for it. Here’s how you can grow garlic in your home for profit.
What is the Most Profitable Garlic to Grow?
There are different types of garlic, but these are the most profitable ones every aspiring garlic supplier should grow:
Purple Stripe Garlic
The purple stripe garlic is sweet-tasting garlic perfect for baking. There are different types of purple stripe garlic, namely Persian Star, Red Grain, and Chesnok Red. You need to plant them in rich soil during cooler weather. You can store purple stripe garlic up to six months, but don’t forget to remove the scapes.
Rocambole Garlic
Many people love rocambole garlic, thanks to its savory taste. You can easily peel the garlic cloves and turn them into garlic powder. If you want to plant rocambole garlic, you’ll approximately get 50 plants for every one pound of seed.
Just like the purple stripe garlic, rocambole garlic grows best in colder climates and healthy, rich soil. The size of its bulbs ranges from medium to large and you can store them up to four months.
Elephant Garlic
Elephant garlic smells and looks like ordinary garlic, but it’s bigger and has a milder flavor. It’s best to store elephant garlic at a room temperature of 45 to 55 degrees F. In this temperature, you can store them for up to 8 to 10 months.
How Much Money Can You Make by Growing Garlic?
It depends on the type of garlic you sell. For example, elephant garlic usually sells for $15 per pound. This means that you can gain $8 in every square foot of the garlic patch. You can sell your garlic to the farmers’ market and produce brokers that buy them in bilk.
How Do You Grow an Endless Supply of Garlic Indoors?
Growing garlic indoors is not as hard as you think it is. Here’s what you should do if you want to grow garlic in your house:
Find a space to plant your garlic
Garlic grows best if you plant it by the windowsill. For it to flourish, garlic needs a lot of sunlight, so make sure they’re sitting on your windowsill with the curtains tied.
Get a container and make sure there’s enough drainage
If the holes in your container are large, make sure to cover them. This ensures that the soil is set perfectly and the water would drain properly. You can use a paper towel or a coffee filter to cover the bottom.
Fill the container with soil
Fill your containers with loose, rich soil about two inches below the top. Break your garlic into cloves, but make sure to keep the skin on as much as possible.
Plant your garlic the right way
The pointy part of the garlic should face up and the bottom of the garlic should face down.
Plant your garlic indoors
You can plant the garlic close together but they shouldn’t be touching each other. Fill your container with more soil until the garlic seedlings are completely covered. Pat the soil gently and water them until you see water come out of the bottom.
Garlic Maintenance
It’s important to water the garlic often because the soil needs to be moist, but not soaking wet. You’ll be able to see garlic shoots poke through the soil after one to two weeks. Wait until they are a few inches tall before you start cutting them. They will continue to grow as long as you leave an inch on the shoot on the clove.
What’s the Best Way to Store Garlic? Should It be Refrigerated?
Here are some of the tips you can do to store fresh garlic:
Keep the bulb intact
When storing fresh garlic, make sure not to break the head of the garlic. In this way, it will stay fresh for a couple of months. A broken garlic head will only last up to 3 to 10 days.
Store it in a dry and dark place
Garlic doesn’t do well in light and moisture because it causes mold to grow. It’s best to store garlic at room temperature. Make sure they’re stored in a dry and dark place with enough circulation, like a mesh basket.
Don’t keep them in the fridge
If you store garlic in the fridge, it will sprout within a few days. While you can still consume sprouted garlic, you may not like its bitter taste.
Why Should You Grow Garlic in a Greenhouse?
Most people usually plant garlic on the shortest day of the season and harvest them on the longest day. But with a greenhouse, you don’t have to rely on seasons. You can grow garlic anytime you want and as many as you want! Here are some of the benefits of growing garlic in a greenhouse:
- Longer growing season
- Prevent pests from destroying your crop
- Protect your garlic from harsh weather
- Controlled temperatures
- Customizable
- Plant other crops – even off-season ones
Final Thoughts on Growing Garlic Indoors for Profit
Growing garlic indoors for profit is a great idea. With a strong and durable greenhouse in place, you’ll be able to grow as many garlic plants as you need. You can even throw in onions, ginger, and other vegetables!