Garlic Is More Powerful Than Most People Think

I use garlic across my homestead in ways that go against almost everything mainstream pet care, gardening advice, and livestock guidance recommend. I feed it to my dogs in measured amounts during tick season, spray it on my berries, ferment it in raw honey, and recently cleared mastitis in one of my goats in three days without antibiotics.

This episode covers the dog dosage chart by weight, the garlic spray ratio for gardens, the honey ferment process step by step, a goat recovery story, the Amish homesteading family who surprised me by recommending harsh chemical fertilizer, and how to plant, cure, and replant garlic year after year.

There is a reason this knowledge faded out of common use, and it has less to do with safety than with what can and cannot be patented and sold back to you. One example: the warning that garlic is toxic to dogs traces back to one study most pet owners have never actually opened.

You’ll Learn:

[00:00] Introduction

[02:58] Why garlic knowledge faded from homesteads and kitchens

[06:44] The dog garlic study most people misquote

[09:33] Garlic dosage for dogs by weight and tick season timing

[12:32] How garlic cleared mastitis in my goat in three days

[18:05] Homemade garlic spray recipe for gardens and chicken coops

[22:46] How to make honey-fermented garlic at home

[25:24] Using garlic steam for respiratory support indoors

[29:50] How to plant, harvest, and cure your own garlic

Related Gubba Homestead Episodes:

The Truth About Pet Food: Why (And How) I Feed My Pets Raw

Natural Flea and Tick Prevention for Dogs: The Terrain Approach Without Toxic Pesticides

Episode Transcript

Hello, and welcome back to the Gubba Homestead Podcast. I’m Gubba, a first-time homesteader following in the footsteps of my homesteading forebears. I discuss everything from homesteading to prepping and everything in between. Today we are going to be diving into the magical powers of garlic.

Not just as something you cook with, not just something you throw into a recipe for flavor, but as one of the most underrated tools you can have in your home, on your homestead, and in your daily life.

Because once you start looking at garlic differently, once you start understanding what it actually does and how it has been used for generations, you begin to realize this is not just food.

This is something that shows up in animal care, in food preservation, in resilience, in natural pest control, and even in how you support your body and your environment without relying on a cabinet full of products. And just a reminder, they can't patent garlic, so they don't want you to know what I'm about to share with you.

This is one of those episodes that might completely change the way you look at something you already have sitting in your kitchen right now.

Before we get into the episode, I want to thank the sponsor of this podcast, which is my small skincare business, Arvoti. Arvoti began with one tallow balm I made for my dad when he was suffering from eczema, and now it has grown into something that helps thousands of people looking for cleaner, truly nourishing skincare. If you are wanting to upgrade your skincare routine and get away from harsh conventional products, you can explore my small batch made tallow balms, cleansers, serums, and goat milk soaps at Arvoti.com Let's dive in

I used to think of garlic as just another ingredient you toss into a pan to make dinner taste better, but when you slow down and actually look at how it has been used across generations, across cultures, and especially in a homestead setting, it starts to feel less like food and more like a tool.

Not a trendy tool, not something packaged up and sold back to you with a label full of claims, but something simple that has always been there, waiting for you to remember what it can do.

On my homestead, garlic is not just something sitting in a basket in the kitchen. It is something that moves through everything I do. It touches the way I cook, the way I care for my animals, and the way I approach problems that most people immediately look to a product or a prescription to solve.

When you start living this way, you begin to see patterns. You notice that many of the answers people are searching for are not hidden in complicated systems, but in things that have been overlooked because they are too simple to be marketed. Garlic is one of those things that has quietly remained constant while everything else around it has become more complex, more processed, and more disconnected from its original purpose.

When you start paying attention, you realize garlic has always been there in the background of survival, healing, preservation, and resilience. It shows up in old kitchen traditions, in wartime remedies, in farming practices, and in cultures that understood the value of keeping life simple and functional. It is one of those rare things that bridges food and function so seamlessly that most people never stop to question just how much it is actually doing.

Let’s talk about something that always sparks debate, and that is garlic and dogs. This is one of those topics where fear has completely overshadowed nuance. You will hear people say that garlic is toxic to dogs, and that is where the conversation usually ends. What rarely gets discussed is the context of dosage, form, and how it is actually used.

There was a study years ago where dogs were given extremely high amounts of garlic extract, far beyond what any reasonable person would ever feed. The results showed mild changes in blood markers, but the dogs did not become clinically ill, did not develop anemia, and returned to baseline once the garlic was removed. That part tends to get skipped, and it creates a blanket fear that does not reflect how garlic has actually been used traditionally.

On my homestead, garlic is something I use thoughtfully with my dogs, and dosage is where everything matters. A general guideline that has worked well in traditional use is about a quarter of a clove for small dogs under ten pounds, about half a clove for dogs around twenty to thirty pounds, and up to one full clove for larger dogs over fifty pounds, given a few times per week rather than every single day for maintainence.

I always try to crush or mince the garlic and let it sit for about ten minutes before if I have time before adding it to food, because that allows the allicin to develop, which is one of the key compounds people are actually after. It is not about force feeding large amounts, it is about small, intentional use that supports rather than overwhelms.

What I have seen on my own homestead is that when garlic is used in this way, it can support dogs in ways that people are not expecting. Garlic contains sulfur compounds like allicin, and after digestion, these compounds are released through the skin, creating a scent profile that pests like fleas and ticks do not love.

It becomes part of a natural pest management approach rather than relying solely on chemical treatments that often come with long lists of warnings. Beyond that, many people use garlic to support immune function, circulation, and overall vitality when it is used properly and in appropriate amounts. It becomes part of a bigger picture rather than a single solution.

Now let’s shift to something that feels even more personal, because this is where garlic really showed me what it could do in a real situation that mattered. If you have ever dealt with mastitis in goats, you know how stressful it can be. It is not just about the milk, it is about the health of the animal, the discomfort they are in, and the pressure you feel to fix it quickly.

When I first noticed the signs, there was that moment where you think about what the conventional route would look like, and then there was this pull to try something different, something that aligned with how I live and what I believe about supporting the body rather than overwhelming it.

I started using garlic as part of my approach, supporting my goat internally while continuing to milk out the udder regularly and keep everything clean. Garlic has compounds that have been studied for their antimicrobial properties, and beyond that, it supports circulation and immune response.

I paid close attention to how she responded, watching her appetite, her energy, and the condition of the udder. Over time, I watched things shift. The milk changed. The firmness softened. The tension that had been there began to release. She continued to eat, continued to move, and continued to show me that her body was working with what I was giving her.

It was not instant, and that is something people need to understand when they step into this kind of approach. It was steady. It was consistent. It required attention and care, but what I saw was a recovery that felt supported rather than forced.

That experience built a level of trust in garlic that no secondhand story ever could. When you witness something like that on your own homestead, it changes how you look at the tools you have available to you.

Another way garlic has become part of my homestead system is through a simple garlic spray for the garden and even around animal areas. This is one of those things that feels almost too simple, but once you use it, you understand why it has been passed down for so long.

To make a garlic spray, I take an entire bulb of garlic, crush or blend the cloves, and steep them in about one quart of warm water for twenty four hours. After that, I strain it well and dilute it into about one gallon of water. Sometimes I add a few drops of a natural soap to help it adhere to plant leaves.

This spray can be applied to plants to help deter pests, because those sulfur compounds create an environment insects do not prefer. It is not about wiping everything out, it is about discouraging damage while allowing your garden to remain part of a living ecosystem. You can spray it on leaves, around the base of plants, and even near areas where animals tend to attract pests. It becomes another layer of protection that does not disrupt everything else you are trying to build.

There is also a deeper layer to this, and that is how garlic interacts with the soil and the system you are building. When you rely on something like garlic instead of harsh chemicals, you are supporting a living environment rather than disrupting it.

You are allowing beneficial organisms to continue doing their work while managing the imbalances that can lead to problems. That is something I think we have lost sight of in modern systems, the idea that balance is more powerful than control.

Another aspect of garlic that people rarely talk about in depth is fermentation, and this is where garlic transforms into something entirely different. Fermented garlic in honey has become a staple on my homestead, not just because it tastes incredible, but because of how it supports the body in a way that feels sustainable and gentle. Making it is simple, but there are a few important steps that matter if you want to do it right.

I take a clean glass jar and fill it about halfway with peeled garlic cloves. Then I pour raw honey over the cloves until they are fully submerged, leaving some space at the top because fermentation will create movement and expansion.

For the first one to two weeks, I open the jar daily to release pressure and gently stir or flip it so everything stays coated. This prevents any exposure to air and keeps the process moving evenly.

Over time, the honey becomes thinner as it draws moisture out of the garlic, and the garlic softens and develops a deep, mellow flavor. After about three to four weeks, it is ready to use, although it will continue to develop over time.

What you end up with is something that combines the natural enzymes and properties of raw honey with the sulfur compounds and beneficial elements of garlic. People often use fermented garlic honey to support immune function, especially during seasonal shifts when the body is more vulnerable.

It is commonly used to soothe the throat, support respiratory health, and provide a gentle antimicrobial effect without the harshness that can come from more aggressive approaches. It is also something that supports digestion in a way that feels balanced, especially for people who find raw garlic too intense.

On my homestead, it has become something I reach for regularly. It is simple, it stores well, and it fits into daily life without feeling like a chore. That is something I always look for in anything I use. If it is not sustainable, it will not last.

There is another unique use for garlic that I have come to appreciate more and more over time, and it is something that feels almost forgotten, even though it used to be incredibly common, and that is using garlic as a natural tool for respiratory support in your home environment.

Most people think of garlic as something you eat, but historically, it was also something people used in the air around them, especially during times when sickness was spreading through communities.

If you go back and look at older practices, people would hang garlic in their homes, crush it and leave it out, or even incorporate it into steam. The reasoning behind this comes back to those same compounds we have talked about throughout this episode.

When garlic is crushed, it releases volatile sulfur compounds into the air, and those compounds do not just disappear. They exist in that space, and people believed, and still believe, that this helped create an environment that was less favorable for illness to spread.

On my homestead, this has turned into something incredibly simple but effective during the colder months when everything is closed up and air circulation is limited. I will crush several cloves of garlic and add them to a pot of hot water on the stove, letting it gently simmer.

As that steam rises, it carries the compounds from the garlic into the air. It is not overpowering if you do not go overboard, but it is noticeable, and there is something about it that feels grounding and intentional.

You can also take this a step further and use it more directly. If someone is dealing with congestion or that heavy feeling in their chest, sitting near a bowl of hot water with crushed garlic and allowing the steam to rise can feel incredibly supportive.

It is a very old practice, and it is not about forcing anything, it is about creating an environment where your body can respond and open up naturally.

What I like about this approach is that it does not rely on synthetic fragrances, plug ins, or products that are trying to mask something. It is simple, it is direct, and it works with your body rather than overwhelming it. It is also something you can do immediately with what you already have in your kitchen, which is something I always value.

There is also a deeper layer to this that I think people overlook, and that is how much our environment affects how we feel. On a homestead, especially in the winter, your home becomes your entire world for stretches of time.

The air you breathe, the smells around you, the atmosphere you create, all of it matters. Bringing something like garlic into that space in a purposeful way shifts it from being passive to being intentional.

This is not about claiming that garlic in the air is going to solve everything. It is about stacking simple, supportive practices that work together. Fresh air when you can get it. Clean living spaces. Nourishing food. And then something like this layered in, something that has been used for generations and continues to show up because it serves a purpose.

The last piece I want to talk about is resilience, because this is where garlic really earns its place as something more than just a food or a remedy. When you plant garlic, you are planting something that will give back to you in multiple ways, and knowing how to do it properly makes all the difference.

Garlic is typically planted in the fall, a few weeks before the ground freezes. On my homestead, that usually means sometime in October, depending on the weather patterns that year.

You start by breaking apart a bulb into individual cloves, keeping the papery skin intact on each clove. Each clove becomes a new plant, which is something I think is so powerful in itself. You are taking one thing and turning it into many.

You plant each clove pointed side up, about two inches deep, and spaced a few inches apart in well drained soil. After planting, you cover the bed with a layer of mulch, often straw, to insulate it through the winter.

Then comes the waiting, which is something homesteading teaches you over and over again. Through the cold months, those cloves are quietly developing roots beneath the surface.

Nothing looks like it is happening, but everything is happening. When spring arrives, green shoots begin to push through the soil, and you start to see the result of something you did months before.

Garlic is relatively low maintenance, which makes it ideal for a system that values efficiency and sustainability. By mid summer, the lower leaves begin to brown and dry, which is your signal that harvest is near.

You gently pull the bulbs from the soil, taking care not to damage them, and then cure them in a dry, well ventilated space for a few weeks. This curing process allows the outer layers to dry and protects the bulbs for long term storage.

What you end up with is something that can last for months, something that can be replanted, something that can be used in countless ways. That is resilience. It is not about having one solution for one problem. It is about having something that strengthens multiple parts of your life at once.

As I sit here and think about everything garlic has done for me and my homestead, it is hard to put into words just how much respect I have for something so simple. It has supported my animals, it has supported my garden, it has supported me, and it has done all of that without needing to be reinvented or rebranded.

If there is one thing I hope you take from this, it is that you do not need to overlook the simple things. You do not need to assume that because something is common, it is not powerful. Sometimes the most powerful tools are the ones that have been quietly waiting for you to notice them again.

Garlic is not just an ingredient. It is not just something you chop up and toss into a meal. It is something that can weave its way through your life in ways that make you more connected, more capable, and more confident in your ability to care for yourself, your animals, and your land.

And once you start seeing it that way, you will never look at a clove of garlic the same again.