Growing Garlic

Allium sativum : Amaryllidaceae / the onion family

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

(Best months for growing Garlic in Australia - 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

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03 Sep 24, Arla (USA - Zone 10b climate)
I planted my garlic cloves in July. In Southern California I know that's probably not the right time to plant them, but it doesn't get cold here. They've already started shooting out green shoots, and I'm not sure if I should leave it just keep growing or if I should cut those shoots off to stop it from growing for now. I'm assuming I should not harvest it until like next spring. Can you offer advice on what I should do now to keep the garlic growing so that I can harvest it next spring. I'd appreciate anybody's help. Thank you
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14 Aug 24, Jody Hayward (Canada - Zone 5b Temperate Warm Summer climate)
Going to plant my first fall garden in my raised beds. I had a great year. Can you recommend the best place to buy seeds and bulbs that are local to East Coast Canada? I also have downloaded your app so I can take your advice to my garden with me. I love the layout of your website it's so easy to use.
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13 Jun 24, Peter (Australia - temperate climate)
I have already planted my Garlic and I was looking at bags of Garlic Cloves in my local shop. Reading through the instructions it said "Do not mulch Garlic". Wondering what your thoughts are. I mulched mine straight after I planted it. We have had a lot of rain. I am on the Central Coast NSW.
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16 Jun 24, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
With mulching and a lot of rain the ground could become very wet and cause the bulbs to rot before germination.
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19 Feb 24, Bruno K. (USA - Zone 9a climate)
First time for me planting Garlic. I planted them last October. My question: Many of the green shoots I had have dried, now in Mid Feb. i noticed that new green shoot are coming up is this normal for garlic or did I do something wrong? my next question: I planted Tomato seeds on Feb. 1, 2024 Tycoons, Dixie Red, Celebrity and Juliets, they have 2 sets of true leafs and are about 4" tall, with temp. outside in the low 50's and daytime temp. Mid 60's is that a good time to harden them off? they are only 3 weeks old. Any Advise will help.
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23 Dec 23, Sirena (USA - Zone 5b climate)
I’m in zone 5b Chicago South Suburbs. It’s about to be Xmas in 1 day the weather is warm more than normal for this time of year and it’s been raining a lot. Can I still plant garlic?
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02 Jan 24, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Check the planting guide for your zone.
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06 Dec 23, Pieter (South Africa - Humid sub-tropical climate)
I was not able to find anyone selling day neutral varieties such as Southern Glen; sounds as if day lenght makes a huge difference in warmer subtropical climates; does anyone have advice as to which variety will form the best bulbs in the Lowveld's warm winters
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08 Nov 23, (USA - Zone 9b climate)
I live in central California, zone 9b. I plants softneck garlic last year and it did very well. I refrigerated it for 3-4 weeks and then planted in November. Doing the same this year.
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28 Oct 23, Kelvan.......Margaret River wa (Australia - temperate climate)
I have successfully grown garlic for several years now with huge success however this year most of my crop has secondary sprouting. I seems that the time their ready for picking in around 4 > 6 weeks most will be lost due to all cloves within the bulb sprouting. PLEASE any thoughts as to what's going on.
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Showing 11 - 20 of 915 comments
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Heres an answer for garlic, I grow about 300 plants a year and get good results with about 90% of the cloves coming in at 5cm in diameter plus. Season. Garlic takes up to 9 months to mature. Plant in autumn, late March to May, harvest November to December. Clove selection. Plant only the largest cloves, at least the size of your top thumb joint, I have big hands so I plant cloves 2- 2.5 cm across. Its easy to eat the biggest and the best, its better to plant the biggest and the best. Spacing. I plant 15 - 18 cloves per square metre, 25cm apart in rows 25 cm apart. With 30 cm + paths between 4 rows. It's easy to crowd them, and the yield in terms of weight may be much the same, but bigger garlic are a lot more fun and much easier to use in the kitchen. Sunlight. Whilst garlic can tolerate low sun during the winter months it needs 8 hours direct sunlight during the early and late growth stages. So lots of clear sky when it's maturing, September onwards. If your nutrition is right, (and soil acidity is right) then water could be the problem. While not much water is needed in winter, the ground should be kept moist through the season, especially in spring. A shallow watering is best the roots don't go down more than 30 cm max. Once to twice week during the maturing season. We cant control the weather, but avoid flooding (and applications of nutirients) during the final few weeks to lessen the chance of fungus attacks and sprouting. Garlic likes a moderate amount of lime (dolomite), you can rely on the recommended amount at least two weeks before planting and once every three years. Maturity. Look for tops fading in colour, a weakening of the stem near the base and a flattening of the top of the bulb when (gently) exposed Thats a lot and there's a lot more. It's a labour of love and a lifetime. And I'm sure others will have other suggestions, this is just a framework of what has worked for me. Planting at the moment actually. Regarding shallots most of the above also applies but Im not much of an authority. Shorter season length, but most of the above applies. I plant under the same conditions as garlic but only a few dozen and get good results.

- Ken WIlson

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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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