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 - temperate 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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08 Jun 17, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
The one with a bit of a butt or root looking area. Look at a clump of garlic and you will work it out.
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17 Jun 17, Joanne (Australia - temperate climate)
I managed to plant some upside down. They still grew.
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07 Jun 17, Tony Baker (Australia - temperate climate)
I planted my elephant garlic on the 21st April, a bit late this year and it is i going great never have a problem with it. I usually plant it on the shortest day of the year and pull it out on the longest day of the year. Good Luck
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10 May 17, Geraldine Holmes (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Not sure if Brisbane is tropical or sub-tropical but here is my question... I planted garlic last weekend without realising that it shouldn't be near to asparagus. Could you tell me why please? There's just one batch there the othets are near tomatoes and in a pot.
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01 May 17, Fiona (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
I planted my garlic in mid April, and it's coming up really well. At the same time, I planted some elephant/giant garlic cloves a friend gave me (grown in his garden nearby). The elephant garlic isn't showing above ground at all. Is this normal that it takes longer to shoot, or did I plant it at the wrong time?
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02 May 17, Jack (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Some bulbs are slower to emerge from the ground. You could carefully scratch around the bulb site with your finger and see if is coming up. The only negative thing I can think of is that the bulbs may have been damp and have rotted. I doubt this.
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03 May 17, Fiona (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Thanks Jack. I might have a scratch around and see. I don't think the cloves would have rotted either. Probably I just need to be patient!
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25 Mar 17, Hannah (Australia - temperate climate)
I am in Sydney, When will be good time to grow garlic ?
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27 Mar 17, Jonno (Australia - temperate climate)
Garlic is normally planted as the season cools down and is harvested in late December. It likes a sunny spot but dislikes competition from weeds so keep it well mulched. Consistent watering is also important for the best yield.
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17 Mar 17, Dianne (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi I have tried growing garlic a couple of times now. Generally I plant on the 23 March and harvest 23 June. First few times garlic was small except for a couple decent sized ones. Last year, I ended up with one large bulb only, on each plant; almost like a small onion. What would cause this to happen?
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Showing 221 - 230 of 577 comments
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Hi all, I live in Port Kembla and have been growing garlic here since 1995, sourced from Hungary and being a very large variety. Prior to that I was growing up to 50,000 cloves a season in the Southern Highlands. I got into a habit of checking the previous season’s crop for the root ends to appear on the bottom of an individual clove. They start out being tiny bumps. This will start to happen when the weather tends cooler. My crop for this year’s plant is ready to go in now. Read the clove. Only it knows its time. Rich organics, B&Bone D.Lifter for best results. Twice clove depth to plant in a raised row. Water daily ok if well drained. Nothing real critical in growing garlic I find. It still grows well with none of the above. Good luck and happy growing.

- David

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