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 10°C and 35°C. (Show °F/in)
  • Space plants: 10 - 12 cm 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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12 Feb 23, marco (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
i went to the farmers markets local ....some stall holders just sell !!! they do not know too much about the product they sell ...i did eventually find a market Gardner grower and we started chatting on garlic .....so i ended up buying italian purple garlic because they have their plot not too far from my local area. nice !! ....elephant garlic is a leek family ..so i picked up them too ....any way if u want to grow local it is worth the trouble to chat with people .at the end the outcome is greater reward when you go home with what u want ...ps,i also ended up with tomato from italy ...so i dry them use the seed ....they smell fantastic ....
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15 Dec 22, Keith Moses (Australia - temperate climate)
I have just purchased some garlic which is sprouting shoots. As it is december in Brisbane, is there any point in planting these cloves?
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29 Jan 23, marco (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
my garlic has sprouted from last year's crop .late december jan .i live on the gold coast .i have no idea if they will be any good . i will let u know in a years time ....haha .
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29 Nov 22, John McKeen (Australia - tropical climate)
Can I grow garlic ( and ginger ) in Darwin- currently it gets from 25- 35 degrees ( in the shade ) humidity 100% - Oct ( wet season- late December the rains come if we are lucky. — Dry season is March and from April to Oct about average 18 degrees at night 28 day - humidity about av 50-60%. If so what varieties and where can I buy them ? Thanks John
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03 Dec 22, (Australia - tropical climate)
It gives you the planting times here for garlic and ginger for the tropics. Buy from nursery or internet.
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16 Oct 22, marco (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
gold coast qld ...harvest my garlic .not great !! yet the garlic i did get makes the whole house smell .that will keep everyone away ..any tips for me for next year thanks ...
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17 Oct 22, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Read the notes here about growing it - plant about late May, plenty of water and good soil.
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23 Oct 22, marco (Australia - tropical climate)
might be not enough water ! thanks
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18 Sep 22, John Downey (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I planted Australian Purple Garlic. Think it's the wrong variety. Grew ok..I think? But has been fairly static for a while. Confusing reading on garlic. Some say plant march and harvest in September.7 months. Most others say it's a 9 month crop. Any advice please. Tia John.
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21 Sep 22, Ruth Lauster (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Hi John, we have been growing hardneck garlic near Barrington Tops for around 8 Years now, found Tasmanian Purple growing best in our climate (700m above sea level), generally hardnecks grow better in cooler climates as oppose to softnecks, generally its a good idea to try a variety of cultivars to find the one that suits your location best! Penny Woodward is an expert, I refer to her books and this website might help https://www.australiangarlic.net.au/
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Showing 31 - 40 of 577 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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