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

19 Mar 19, Patricia (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
My name is Patricia Could you please tell me where can I buy organic garlic to plant And at what time of the year I need to plant the garlic We have a lot of frost the winters here at Macclesfield Australia Are very cold Will wait for your reply
02 May 19, Ted (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
You can buy on line @ . They have all types and strains and most are in stock now ready to plant and the web site is very informative. Regards
26 Mar 19, Sally (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi, you can get organic garlic now from Green Harvest: greenharvest.com.au They also provide lots of information on growing.
22 Mar 19, Ruth (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Dear Patricia, we live near the Barrington Tops National Park and get quite a bit of frost. we have been growing garlic organically for many year, always planting around eastertime , ours is a hardneck called Tasmanian Purple, here is a very helpful guide for all that is garlic https://www.australiangarlic.net.au/
12 Mar 19, Paul Riley (Australia - temperate climate)
Where is the best place to source shot garlic cloves in the Riverland and what kind grows best here?
14 Mar 19, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Do some internet research.
07 Mar 19, Lucas (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
The ones that work best in my region (Brisbane city) are Glen Large. These have been specifically bread to grow well in SE Qld and in the warmer regions. I plant them in raised beds, raised plastic planter boxes from bunnings $20 (about 40cm by 70cm). Keep the cloves in the fridge for about 2-3wks, start planting from late march and finish by early to mid April. Harvest around October.
07 Mar 19, Mike (Australia - temperate climate)
That is a great piece of advice - pity people don't read through the comments here on a particular plant before asking questions.
18 Mar 19, veronica (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
veronica, yes is great advice, thank you, have tried lots but all failed will give it a go next march. thanks so much
25 Feb 19, Sharon (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
The easiest garlic to grow in the subtropics is Russian or elephant garlic. I find I get bigger cloves if I plant a little earlier late say lateApril/early may to give the plants a little more cold growing season Try and buy your seed garlic from a local grower for a locally adapter strain..
Showing 131 - 140 of 577 comments

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

Please provide your email address if you are hoping for a reply


All comments are reviewed before displaying on the site, so your posting will not appear immediately

Gardenate App

Put Gardenate in your pocket. Get our app for iPhone, iPad or Android to add your own plants and record your plantings and harvests

Planting Reminders

Join 60,000+ gardeners who already use Gardenate and subscribe to the free Gardenate planting reminders email newsletter.


Home | Vegetables and herbs to plant | Climate zones | About Gardenate | Contact us | Privacy Policy

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.
We cannot help if you are overrun by giant slugs.