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 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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26 Aug 20, Robert (USA - Zone 9b climate)
When you break open the clove of garlic hardneck has a hard stem in the center. Softneck garlic does not. Most grocery store varieties are soft neck.
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13 Aug 20, Anonymous (USA - Zone 9a climate)
The Christopher ranch is only the company name, not the variety of garlic. Work out the variety name and google it or ring C R. Google the difference between soft and hard garlic.
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28 Jul 20, John Madison (USA - Zone 9b climate)
Your notes say garlic is not recommended for zone 9 b. Why not? Thanks
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14 Sep 20, Jett Town (USA - Zone 9b climate)
I live in zone 9b and the commercial farmers harvest their garlic in June and July. Garlic grows well here. I believe that it is planted in January - the soft neck type.
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06 Aug 20, Anonymous (USA - Zone 9b climate)
Read the notes here and then think about your climate, weather and soil temperatures. If it says you need this this and that and you don't have those conditions then it is not likely to grow. Some crops are cool weather some need warm/hot temps.
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05 Jul 20, Mike mahaffy (USA - Zone 8a climate)
What is the most flavorful garlic? In Central South Carolina (Zone 8A), is hard neck, or softneck garlic, better to plant?
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07 Mar 20, Joe (USA - Zone 5b climate)
Never grew garlic before. Ready to flip garden bed and prepare to plant. Is Northwestern Pennsylvania in spring to early to plant? Thanks.
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12 Mar 20, Martin (USA - Zone 6b climate)
We are growing garlic for first time and put them in in the Fall (Oct). They grew rapidly and then laid down for the winter. We are expecting them to jump up as the weather warms and should be ready by early June. From what I understand if you plant in the Spring you will have stunted bulbs.
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01 Mar 20, (USA - Zone 5a climate)
Hi Newbie here to garlic I'm in 5a zone northern state in USA Garlic says best in our zone to plant in September and October but it says 17-24 weeks to harvest yet it says it needs a temperature of 50 to 90ﾟ That would put it into our Winter season shortly after planting them can someone explain maybe I misunderstanding What it is saying. Thank you (Gardenate reply : I have added the information that explains what to do if planting late in the year)
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07 Nov 20, Cici (USA - Zone 6b climate)
Zones 5 and 6 plant garlic mid Oct-early Nov. Cover with straw lightly. Then after good frost/freeze cover with total of 4-6" straw. Come spring, pull back some of straw to allow shoots to see sun. Garlic is usually harvested In mid July for most. Softnecks are more late June early July. Either one, when bottom 2-3 leaves start turning brown it's time to harvest. Don't wait or it will split and rot. Dry 2-3 weeks by hanging in shaded airy place under cover like barn, shed, porch etc. Then trim leaves and roots and store in paper bags or baskets for long storage out of direct sun or bright light. Will keep 6-12 months depending on variety.
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my Zone 10A garlic, all in rectangular containers 24" length x 7.5" width, x 6.5" height, is sprouting well also, with some shoots up to about two inches. I had several garlic bulbs I intentionally kept in my refrigerator for a couple months, divided them into cloves, peeled them to avoid mold and decay, and kept the separated cloves open to the light at room temperature until they started sprouting. When the majority had tiny green shoots, I selected the best cloves (solid, no spongy or discolored parts) and planted them shallow with the very top of the clove showing as per advice from an internet container gardening site. I am really being careful not to overwater and it looks like all the cloves sprouted green shoots, but after a couple weeks I did have birds pull up maybe eight out of thirty or so of the newly sprouted cloves, so I replanted the missing ones with a more cloves, then added about an inch more soil over the top, and so far the birds have not raided again with the cloves now about two inches deep. Lesson learned: the internet advice for container gardening to plant the cloves with the tip showing is an invitation to be raided by birds. Solution: plant deeper, maybe two inches below the soil surface, even in shallow containers.

- Dave in California Zone 10A

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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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