Hi, I plant garlic every year, but it never goes to seed. Can you please advise on a fertilizing schedule please. I always plant before the first full moon in April. I have trouble getting it to keep all year through after its picked, dried and hung and wonder if this is because it didn't go to seed? Any how would be appreciated.
The issue you're experiencing is more likely due to the type of garlic you are growing than anything you're doing. Garlic is generally split into two categories: hard neck and soft neck.
Your planting times are perfectly fine for an Australian temperate climate. The old sayings about planting on shortest day and harvesting on the longest actually comes from the northern hemisphere and aren't optimal for most Australian climates.
I follow the advice of Penny Woodward, who has literally written the book on garlic in Australia.
https://www.pennywoodward.com.au/garlic-plant-it-now/
If you read the link above, it explains that hard neck varieties of garlic don't last as long, whereas soft neck garlic varieties tend to keep better.
Thanks for the tip on shortest / longest day stuff. How do you distinguish between a soft and hard neck? I looked up a website and all they had was a white bulb and a light purple bulb.
I have read plant around the shortest daylight hours day - 21st June - harvest around 21st Dec. I would think garlic would not require a lot of fertilising. You are trying to produce bulbs not a huge green top - so don't go overboard on the N. Start with a good fertile soil and maybe a top up after 3 mths - light on the N. A general veg fert would do at planting. Or compost or manures etc. Do some internet research about growing it.
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