I tried everything: pots, trays, fancy seed kits. But the best garlic I’ve ever grown came from a bulb I bought at supermarket — planted in an old shoebox from my closet.
Last October, I bought garlic at the supermarket.
Used three cloves for soup.
Threw the rest in a drawer… and forgot.
Two weeks later, I opened the drawer and saw green shoots poking out of the cloves.
They were alive.
Instead of tossing them, I thought: What if I plant these?
I grabbed an old shoebox (the kind my boots came in), poked a few holes in the bottom with a fork, filled it with cheap compost from the garden centre, and planted the sprouted cloves pointy-end up.
No labels. No drainage layer. No grow lights.
Just a shoebox on my kitchen windowsill.
What happened next
- Week 1: Nothing. I almost gave up.
- Week 3: Tiny green blades appeared.
- Week 6: Leaves grew to 15 cm. I snipped a few for pasta — tasted stronger than shop-bought!
- Now (December): The bulbs are swelling underground. I’ll harvest in February.
This isn’t “true” garlic (you won’t get big bulbs like in fields).
But you will get fresh garlic greens all winter — and maybe small “rounds” you can replant.
Tip: Use organic garlic if possible. Non-organic is often treated to prevent sprouting.
My neighbour says I’m wasting time.
But every morning, I see those green shoots reaching for the weak December sun…
… and I remember: life finds a way, even in a shoebox.
My kitchen windowsill gets 2 hours of direct sun. Shoebox is from Clarks, 2020. I still use the same compost bag — it’s half-empty, kept dry under the sink.