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 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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07 Aug 13, gino (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
hi all am i to late to plant garlic this weekend comming ? thanks for your advice.
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30 Jul 13, Rick (Australia - temperate climate)
Is it too late to plant Garlic now?
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07 Aug 13, Kevin (Australia - temperate climate)
Probably is too late,I always plant in March,however it does depend on your soil temperature,why not plant them nothing to lose and cover with black plastic which will raise the Temp of the soil. As soon as the green shoots come through remove the cover.
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28 Jul 13, Jo (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi All, First time planting garlic. Cloves in start of June, came up beautifully, but the leaves (some - not all) are yellowing and they dont look happy. We have had a run of seriously horrible frosts - would that do it ?. thanks
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19 Jul 13, Melissa Vipin (Australia - tropical climate)
Should I peel the garlic clove before I plant it? How constantly should it be watered?
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21 Jul 13, Chris (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
The cloves should be planted unpeeled - just split the head of garlic apart.
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20 Jul 13, Andres (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi Melissa, the answer is no, don't peel the garlic clove before planting, after breaking it off from the big clove just put it straight into your pot or garden, just remember to put its tip pointing up, it should be watered regularly, I usually water it at least every other day and is growing beautifully, hope this helps!
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02 Jul 13, Mehmet Kolgu (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi There which vegies likes the chicken poo ???
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01 Jul 13, Peter (Australia - temperate climate)
Providing the right nutrients is vitally important in order to maximise plant growth and yield.
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02 Jun 13, Darren (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
You mentioned using the shoots,but how does that effect the bulb?
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Showing 321 - 330 of 577 comments
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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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