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 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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09 Oct 18, Liz (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Black garlic Black garlic is a type of aged garlic which is attributed to be browned by the Maillard reaction rather than caramelized, first used as a food ingredient in Asian cuisine. It is made by heating whole bulbs of garlic over the course of several weeks, a process that results in black cloves. The taste is sweet and syrupy with hints of balsamic vinegar or tamarind. See more online
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14 Sep 18, Sue (Australia - temperate climate)
I have a garlic that has green shoots coming out of each clove. Is it still possible to plant the cloves now in the South West of WA? Thanks
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14 Sep 18, Mike (Australia - temperate climate)
Read the first line in the notes here.
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06 Sep 18, Nikki (USA - Zone 5a climate)
When is the best time to plant garlic in Western Colorado and southeastern Utah
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06 Sep 18, Liz (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Have a look here, www.gardenate.com/plant/Garlic?zone=11 You can find planting information by using the Vegetables and Herbs tab, then setting your zone at the top of the page for your chosen vegetable.
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29 Aug 18, Ruth Munro (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Can you still plant garlic in late August in castlemaine?. Its still freezing here minus 3 at night.
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31 Aug 18, Sue (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
You could give it a try but I doubt there will be time for the bulbs to develop as all the energy will go into leaf development. In Daylesford we plant in April/May and harvest around December. They also seem to like moist, cool weather and hopefully we are running out of that. Last year though, the cockies took all the tops off mine around this time so they had to grow new leaves and we still had good bulb development so you could give it a try. Let us know how you go.
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30 Aug 18, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
It does suggest to plant April May - have a think about it.
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13 Aug 18, Michael (Australia - temperate climate)
Over the last couple of years I have had really poor garlic crops which I have put down to fusarium rot. I have since read that it is endemic to Australian garlic (shop purchased).Same this year , so I bought some Mexican or Argentinian stock, planted it in April and it grew beautifully, until most of it started to sprout shoots up the middle from the developing cloves. I left it until the middle of July then pulled it all up.to use as soft fresh garlic. Surprisingly about 10% of the plants were fully mature and dried well, also had a very good root system.Too much N2 climate change or just a warm Perth Autumn. My Australian garlic (March) is still struggling away Any other ideas
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14 Aug 18, Mike L (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Perth's climate is the opposite to East Coast - wet winter and dry summer. It says here plant April to June. It takes about 6 mths for garlic to grow. Maybe better to plant May or June - don't over fertilise it. It is variable weather - not climate change. Climate is the weather of 30 years.
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One other company for great Garlic is garlicworld.com. They are based in Port Campbell in Victoria, Simon and his wife.I got some lovely Californis purple from them. Not sure if they'd have any left now. A couple of years ago, I got some Purple garlic which came from Chile. I really don't like to buy out of area stuff, but I figured it would be a one off, and haven't bought much since, except for the garlicworld stuff. Melanie, the garlic is ready when the top wilts and leans over, as Jen has said. Sometimes, the plant goes into flowering mode, but usually not, usually it just falls over. The stem that falls is the bit you use to tie it up with, so if you let it die too much, you won't get the protective outer skin, or something to plait it with. I tend to wait until it looks a bit ratty, but hasn't died completely, about a week or so after it keels over. Then I dig it up, don't pull it from the stem, I learned that lesson the first year.!! Hope this helps.

- Adam

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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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