This Homemade Garlic Water Hack from TikTok Will Make Your Garden Thrive

Any home cook knows that adding garlic to any meal works wonders for amplifying flavor. But you may not be aware that its value extends past the kitchen: Garlic is a powerful gardening tool that can benefit just about any plant.

Not only does its smell keep certain pests at bay, but garlic also works to fertilize soil—it's rich in phosphorus, a nutrient that helps gardens grow abundantly, and potassium, which will keep your plant’s leaves, fruits, and flowers in their best shape. Sticking leftover garlic skins into the soil is one way to go, but this new gardening hack from TikTok offers a much more efficient way to give your plants a taste of garlic—through watering.

Gardeners all over the social media platform are combining crushed garlic with water to create a handy spray that’ll give your plants an extra boost. When added to your garden, this solution evenly distributes garlic across the plant’s soil, controlling the amount of this natural fertilizer that each of your plants will receive.

To make the garlic water solution, simply peel several cloves of garlic, and then crush, blend, or cut them before adding them to container of your choice filled with water. Let the mixture sit for at least a day—two to three days for an even better result—in a cool, dark place before use. For an even stronger pesticide, the skin can be left on and crushed with the rest of the garlic.

In a video that now has over 24,000 likes, creator @judybaogarden features her mom's take on the trick: She adds crushed garlic to bottled water, shakes it up, and lets the mixture rest for one day before watering her orchids with it, claiming it encourages the flowers to bloom in a week.

Be sure to strain the garlic water after it’s been sitting for a few days. This will ensure the ultra-powerful garlic doesn’t over-fertilize your plants. Strained garlic water will also keep longer, in case you’re not planning on using it right away. The solution can last multiple months in the fridge, so fill up a few bottles to store for later.

Everyone does it just a bit different, but but around 10 cloves of garlic per 24 ounces of water will get you results. If you don't have that much garlic, just let the mixture sit a little bit longer. For those looking to spray your indoor plants, half a bulb of garlic is best.

Not only an incredible form of natural pest control, garlic can also be used as an anti-fungal solution for plants that have been infested. Garlic’s high sulfur levels kill fungus, making it one of the easiest fungal infestation remedies—and applying garlic water to your plant’s soil will prevent infestations from forming in the first place. If you’re looking to use garlic as an anti-fungal hack, spraying or pouring garlic water directly onto the infestation is the most effective way to go.

Garlic water is also safe to use on seedlings, and it can help them get the nutrients they need to sprout. On any plant that’s looking a little sickly, the effects of this natural fertilizer can usually be seen within one to three weeks.

As exciting as the power of garlic water is, don’t use it on your plants every day—it’s best to limit spraying once or twice a week at most. Too much garlic could end up hindering your plants’ growth, so only use it as you would a regular fertilizer. 

If you’re all out of garlic, don't panic—some gardeners have turned to using onion water instead. The mixture provides similar benefits, and though it’s a little less pungent, it can still work as an organic pesticide. For those planning on using the onion mix, try adding garlic to the solution to get twice the benefits.