Growing Garlic

Allium sativum : Amaryllidaceae / the onion family

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

(Best months for growing Garlic in USA - Zone 5a regions)

  • P = Plant cloves

September: Garlic can overwinter. Cover with a good layer of mulch . In areas where frost persists into March/ April, expect to harvest your garlic in June/July.

October: Garlic can overwinter. Cover with a good layer of mulch . In areas where frost persists into March/ April, expect to harvest your garlic in June/July.

  • 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

04 Nov 10, barbara burnet (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Have just completed digging out my beautiful red skinned 'Pearls of Life'. about 1500 heads . All the wet weather has been good for them. Started pulling out three weeks ago and sold nearly all. Cold winter held them back a month. They taste wonderful.
05 Nov 10, Gene (Australia - temperate climate)
They sound wonderful Barbara. Where do you sell them?
22 Sep 08, SUE G (Australia - tropical climate)
CAN GARLIC BE GROWN IN TOWNSVILLE QLD? WOULD IT BE BEST TO REFRIGERATE FOR A FEW DAYS AND PLANT EARY DRY SEASON SO IT GETS THE COOL NIGHTS IN MAY?
07 Sep 08, Jaci (Australia - temperate climate)
I have some garlic growing well (I think) in my semi-shaded vegie garden. I planted them in late April this year and all the shoots are pointing up nicely right now. They are different thicknesses, so predict that I will have some bulbs that are much smaller than others. My question to put out there is; how should I best store my bulbs? When the tops yellow off and I harvest say 20 bulbs, and use about 1 bulb per week, would they last me the 5 months I'd have them for? Can they be stored within any medium to keep them longer (like dry sand)? Or just the dark?
21 Aug 08, Kylie (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
We have put in about a 1/4 acre of Australian White garlic after successfully trialing some last year. We are growing it organically which means hand weeding and mulching with four kids in tow in the middle of winter. We plant in early May and harvest when only a few green leaves are left, the others having turned brown. We didn't fertilise and had great size cloves so we were lucky. I've heard it can be very site specific. We'd be happy to sell mail order bulbs come Dec/Jan when we harvest. If anyone knows of an effective dab-on organic herbicide please let us know, or if you have detailed info on how meticulous the weeding has to be, as the sites I've read say garlic does not compete well with weeds. The mulching really helped with the weeds last year and we found we didn't need to water as the mulch kept the moisture in (we have a nice wet block which also helps).
09 Aug 08, Chris N (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Oooh, does anyone still have any garlic left. I am perfectly will ing to pay for them. I have tried absolutely everywhere to find Australian garlic, but to no avail. (we are now in early august). I would really appreciate it. Thanks
22 Jul 08, garliclover (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi there, can you grow garlic all year round, so you have an all year round supply? Is there a type of garlic (Australian) that is easier to grow than others? Also, if I planted some bulbs now, when would they be ready?Thanks for you knowledge...
21 Jul 08, wayne (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Glenyss Richardson I still have a couple of bulbs left please tell me a postal address so I can send. They are starting to shoot so get them in quick
20 Jul 08, Chris (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Hi firsttimegardner. Garlic planted in July should grow ok. It apparently grows best with a few weeks cold to get it started. If you're planting it into spring you could pop it in the fridge (not freezer) for a couple of nights to arrange some chilling. These planting dates are a general guide and prompt to action, certainly not hard and fast rules.
20 Jul 08, firsttimegardner (Australia - temperate climate)
Sooo if you plant garlic in July it wont grow? are the rules for planting them in certain months hard and fast or can you get away with a couple of weeks here or there? Mind you i should have started last month, but now its towards the end of July... should i not bother?
Showing 561 - 570 of 577 comments

It does say plant May to July. You can try it under shade cloth if you like. Because it is not the right time to plant it may not grow very well. Research it on the internet.

- Mike

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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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