Growing Garlic

Allium sativum : Amaryllidaceae / the onion family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
    P P P P            

(Best months for growing Garlic in Australia - sub-tropical regions)

  • P = Plant cloves
  • Easy to grow. Plant cloves. Best planted at soil temperatures between 50°F and 95°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 4 - 5 inches apart
  • Harvest in 17-25 weeks.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Beets, Carrots, Cucumbers, Dill, Tomatoes, Parsnips
  • Avoid growing close to: Asparagus, Beans, Brassicas, Peas, Potatoes

Your comments and tips

07 Oct 21, Myrna (USA - Zone 7b climate)
I have success in planting from October 1 up until Early Dec….harvesting late May through July. Nice large bulbs in Zone 7b, getting close to 8a.
08 Mar 22, Miriam Rodriguez (USA - Zone 8a climate)
Hi, thank you for your comment. What type of garlic do you grow? Can you send me some advise on how you grow it including fertilizers that you use etc? I am growing in zone 8a. Thank you so much, Miriam.
17 May 22, Cynthia (USA - Zone 8a climate)
Hey Miriam I'm in zone 8A and I grow Purple Glazer, Italian Mountain Red and Inchelium Red in my raised garden beds. I plant anytime from 10/15 until Halloween. I havent used fertilizer in the past so I cant comment on that. However if you live in SC, Clemson Coop Esxtension has a great site for information on growing all sorts of veggies. I usually start harvesting late May till Mid June (my neighbor said to harvest when half of the leaves have turned yellow/brown. Hope this helps and good luck with growing garlic for next year
06 Oct 21, mohamed (USA - Zone 6b climate)
can I plant garlic now, first week of Ocrober, on Cape Cod, Massachusetts?
05 Oct 21, Annemarie (USA - Zone 8b climate)
We would like to plant garlic for next summer. We live in the Seattle area.....so we are going to be headed into a lot of rainy weather for the next few months. When should we plant my cloves to get big multi clove bulbs and when would we harvest them? We plan on using large containers....should they be moved into a place with a little weather protection during the heaviest rain? We planted in February last year and got tiny tiny bulbs..... The same question for leeks if you know about those too..... Thanks very much! Annemarie
20 Sep 21, Kim Kautzer (USA - Zone 9b climate)
I'd like to try my hand at growing garlic, but we can get some pretty hot spring days here in inland Southern California. I'm wondering if I might have better luck in our "screenhouse," which has full sun around the east, south, and west sides (regular window screen that doesn't block any sun). The roof is covered with shade cloth. I have successfully grown tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, and herbs in large containers in the screenhouse. I'm hoping there'd be enough shade to protect the garlic on those super hot, sun-intense days. Thoughts?
01 Dec 21, David Jolly (USA - Zone 9b climate)
If You grow garlic in 9b just requires refrigeration for 2-3 week min to trick it into thinking it winter. In summer you will have to use shade cloth and/or monitor water on really hot spells. I grow several hardneck & softneck last year. Might be a bit late to start the process now though.
19 Sep 21, Robin Mendelson (USA - Zone 11a climate)
Can you plant garlic indoors in Florida?
05 Sep 21, Cynthia Hamilton (USA - Zone 6b climate)
I want to plant elephant garlic. I should plant it deeper, correct? This article said to just barely cover.
07 Sep 21, (USA - Zone 4a climate)
Plant as they suggest but keep an eye on the watering - don't let them dry out too much.
Showing 171 - 180 of 915 comments

This is a transcript of a article on growing garlic in central Australia (desert). It is on ABC Rural News and may be a help to you. Trials reveal potential for garlic-growing in Northern Territory Posted 7 Oct 2016 MAP: Alice Springs 0870 A trial exploring the capabilities of seven garlic varieties in the red centre is showing some early positive results. Seven varieties of garlic are being trialled at the Northern Territory's Arid Zone Research Institute (AZRI), alongside the standard industry garlic variety, Glen Large. The Alice Springs environment will demonstrate how varieties that have never been grown commercially in the Northern Territory respond to extreme cold and extreme heat. Central Australian Horticulture Development Project manager and researcher Stuart Smith said despite challenges such as poor water quality, the results so far had been positive. "We're hoping, because we're just south of the Tropic of Capricorn, we're just a bit a little subtropical, that we're in the right area," he said. "We've got the right heat profile, right day length and we're able to grow some good bulbs. "If it'll grow here, it'll grow anywhere. "Central Australia is a bit isolated from the rest of Australia so it doesn't have the pests and diseases of the other garlic-growing areas." Plan to get garlic onto market early in season Mr Smith believes there is a market opportunity for garlic that grows early in the traditional growing season. We thought we could get a few varieties to come early on the market, so we can get some good prices for them and replace the imported garlic," he said. The first successful harvested trial crop has reached a stage of maturity that would be ready for market. "It's got a code name called AF. We're getting some good-sized bulbs out of this," Mr Smith said. "I estimate we're getting 6-8 tonnes per hectare." The DPI's Stuart Smith and agriculture minister Ken Vowles stand in a field of garlic PHOTO: Stuart Smith and Primary Industries Minister Ken Vowles discuss the garlic crop trial near Alice Springs. (ABC Rural: Katrina Beaven) Mr Smith said the early trial results were encouraging despite poor water quality and salty soils. "We have to keep watering them pretty constantly to keep moving the salt out of the root zone," he said. "The water we're using at AZRI is pretty low quality. "Most of the water other people are using in horticulture around the Central Australian region is a lot better quality than this." Mr Smith said the research results would also add value to what was being learned by a grower at Orange Creek Station, south of Alice Springs, who is conducting a commercial garlic trial this year.

- John

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This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. Gardenate is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
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