Your comments and tips

01 Jul 14, Barb (Australia - temperate climate)

Hi Ash, You could try getting some garlic heads from Diggers - they're on Mornington peninsula, so they should have some garlic that is well acclimatised for your area. I usually put the whole garlic head on a saucer of water on the kitchen bench to "wake up" the roots. After a day or so there are usually little roots starting, then I carefully separate the cloves and plant them. Good soil and enough water, and you should be picking garlic in early summer.

Reply or Post a new comment

31 May 14, Craig (Australia - temperate climate)

If you are buying garlic in the supermarket only choose australian or they will not sprout. the aussie garlic is purple/white the chinese will not sprout as they are treated for pests and insects. They do not grow as large as the foreign products but if you use a liquid vege feed and a bit of seaweed liquid you cant miss out. Be patient, they take a good 6 months just have a small dig and see if they look big enough. usually as the stems die off they are done but they are also great to cook with and it wont hurt if you cut a few.

Reply or Post a new comment

23 May 14, John (Australia - temperate climate)

I have grown garlic a few times but am disappointed with the size of the cloves that I get. Do the plants need to have regular watering (ie keep moist) and do they need to be fertilized regularly. What type of fertilizer is best for garlic. My cloves are about half the size of commercial garlic.

Reply or Post a new comment

01 Jun 14, Barry (Australia - temperate climate)

No John, This is just a reflection of poor soil. I recommend digging up all of your soil and removing it. Then replace it with quality soil. I had this problem and now my garlic balls are huge.

Reply or Post a new comment

18 May 14, Mel (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

I live coastal sydney and decided to plant some garlic I bought online in styraohoam boxes so far 3 weeks later they have not sprouted it been a bit wet but I prepared the soil with compost potting mix dynamic lifter and sheep manure so thought my soil would be suitable does anyone have any idea what went wrong

Reply or Post a new comment

02 Jun 14, Alex (Australia - temperate climate)

hi Mel, I did the same - bulbs in styrofoam boxes. I don't remember how long they took but it was a while, I had given up on them when suddenly some beautiful green shoots came up :) Give yours a bit longer, you might get a nice surprise :)

Reply or Post a new comment

18 Jun 14, Mel (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Thank You! and you were right. A little impatient I think, they finally came through and are now going strong. The only thing is in my panic I planted more in between and now they are a bit crowded but oh well all a learning curve I guess :)

Reply or Post a new comment

03 May 14, mick (Australia - temperate climate)

I live in the Sydney area on the coast and would love to grow garlic. I have never had much success and would like to know what variety is best suited to this area so that I can try again. Anybody growing in the region who can suggest the right variety? Thanks.

Reply or Post a new comment

02 May 14, Erik (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

I have just bought a couple of whole garlic bulbs can I break into segments now or separate and wait till they start to shoot then plant. Thanks

Reply or Post a new comment

13 May 14, innyanga (Australia - temperate climate)

I think most experienced garlic growers will strongly advise you against using store-bought garlic. Garlic imported into Australia is treated with nasty chemicals, and should definitely be avoided. It's difficult to find Australian garlic, and even this will likely have been treated with pesticides. We've been growing garlic for a few years, and cannot imagine not growing it. Not only is it delicious, but it is organic, and always has been. We were fortunate to receive a few heads of prime organic garlic a few years ago, and, on the advice of the sender, planted them all. If you know someone in your area who grows garlic organically, do beg or buy a few heads from them. You'll never look back!

Reply or Post a new comment