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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04 Nov 21, Melinda Horsey (USA - Zone 9b climate)
What about growing elephant garlic in zine 9b? Is it the same as regular garlic?
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08 Oct 21, Rich (USA - Zone 6b climate)
It's best to plant hardneck garlic in zone 6B from the middle to late October or even early November. The key is you want it to be cold, consistently below 45°, at least every night time. The first freezing encounter triggers garlic to start producing roots and that would determine how healthy and large the plants grow. Keep in mind freezing above ground may not equal freezing below ground. If you plant it in too warm a time, like early October, it may stunt the growth. It may even rot the garlic if it's wet too long. You may be able to accelerate the process by keeping in the refrigerator for a few weeks I'm not even know people who have kept it in the freezer for a few days or longer hopefully triggering root growth. I haven't tried that so I don't know.
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07 Oct 21, Myrna (USA - Zone 7b climate)
I have success in planting from October 1 up until Early Dec….harvesting late May through July. Nice large bulbs in Zone 7b, getting close to 8a.
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08 Mar 22, Miriam Rodriguez (USA - Zone 8a climate)
Hi, thank you for your comment. What type of garlic do you grow? Can you send me some advise on how you grow it including fertilizers that you use etc? I am growing in zone 8a. Thank you so much, Miriam.
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17 May 22, Cynthia (USA - Zone 8a climate)
Hey Miriam I'm in zone 8A and I grow Purple Glazer, Italian Mountain Red and Inchelium Red in my raised garden beds. I plant anytime from 10/15 until Halloween. I havent used fertilizer in the past so I cant comment on that. However if you live in SC, Clemson Coop Esxtension has a great site for information on growing all sorts of veggies. I usually start harvesting late May till Mid June (my neighbor said to harvest when half of the leaves have turned yellow/brown. Hope this helps and good luck with growing garlic for next year
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06 Oct 21, mohamed (USA - Zone 6b climate)
can I plant garlic now, first week of Ocrober, on Cape Cod, Massachusetts?
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05 Oct 21, Annemarie (USA - Zone 8b climate)
We would like to plant garlic for next summer. We live in the Seattle area.....so we are going to be headed into a lot of rainy weather for the next few months. When should we plant my cloves to get big multi clove bulbs and when would we harvest them? We plan on using large containers....should they be moved into a place with a little weather protection during the heaviest rain? We planted in February last year and got tiny tiny bulbs..... The same question for leeks if you know about those too..... Thanks very much! Annemarie
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20 Sep 21, Kim Kautzer (USA - Zone 9b climate)
I'd like to try my hand at growing garlic, but we can get some pretty hot spring days here in inland Southern California. I'm wondering if I might have better luck in our "screenhouse," which has full sun around the east, south, and west sides (regular window screen that doesn't block any sun). The roof is covered with shade cloth. I have successfully grown tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, and herbs in large containers in the screenhouse. I'm hoping there'd be enough shade to protect the garlic on those super hot, sun-intense days. Thoughts?
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01 Dec 21, David Jolly (USA - Zone 9b climate)
If You grow garlic in 9b just requires refrigeration for 2-3 week min to trick it into thinking it winter. In summer you will have to use shade cloth and/or monitor water on really hot spells. I grow several hardneck & softneck last year. Might be a bit late to start the process now though.
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19 Sep 21, Robin Mendelson (USA - Zone 11a climate)
Can you plant garlic indoors in Florida?
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Showing 81 - 90 of 136 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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