Why does a hydroponic garlic pot give off a foul smell?

Just because a plant can adapt to a hydroponic environment does not mean it can simply be grown in water. A friend saw some tutorials online about hydroponic garlic and decided to try it out. The garlic did indeed grow roots quickly, but nobody told them that hydroponic garlic would produce such a foul smell, like garlic fished out of a stinking ditch!

Hydroponic garlic does indeed sprout faster than soil-grown garlic, but you need to use soft water and change the water frequently. Keep the growing environment ventilated and bright, and maintain the temperature at around 22°C. This way it will sprout easily, and it makes a nice choice as a lush potted plant on the balcony.

However, to avoid the foul smell produced by hydroponic garlic, it is best to grow it in soil. Prepare loose, fertile, well-draining soil and a flower pot, and get the garlic cloves ready, then you can start planting.

Once the soil is slightly moist, you can directly insert the garlic cloves cut-side up into the soil 2 to 3 cm deep, or you can first poke a few holes in the soil and then place the garlic cloves directly into the holes.

If some garlic cloves are placed in a cool, shaded spot, they will sprout within two weeks, while the roots will take longer to grow out. At this point, we can separate the garlic into individual cloves and then plant them in the potting soil. Cloves that have already sprouted will quickly push through the soil surface, and their growth rate will be very fast.

When potting the garlic cloves, you can add plenty of fully decomposed organic fertilizer at the bottom of the pot. This will promote more vigorous growth of the potted garlic. Later on, you can supplement with an appropriate amount of organic liquid fertilizer, diluted with water and poured onto the soil.

After reading this article, your friend will surely have learned the method for growing potted garlic. Do not casually treat garlic as a hydroponic potted plant, otherwise that foul smell is truly more than anyone can bear.

After two weeks of pot care, you can gradually expose it to light. Do not water too much; keep the potting soil watered thoroughly only after it dries out. During the growing season, apply light fertilizer frequently, and as the garlic stems and leaves grow longer, you can keep pruning them to use as a delicious seasoning.