Growing Garlic

Allium sativum : Amaryllidaceae / the onion family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
    P P P P P          

(Best months for growing Garlic in Australia - cool/mountain 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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02 Jun 13, Andrew (Australia - temperate climate)
Hello there, can anyone tell me if I can use cloves from garlic that has been sitting inside my fridge to plant them? Im new to this but would like to start growing my own garlic as I eat it a lot, thanks heaps!
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05 Jun 13, Matty T (Australia - temperate climate)
Buy some Australian grown garlic as it won't have been treated. Put in the fridge for a week. Separate the cloves and plant out, but you'd better do it soon. Make sure you put some compost and NPK fertiliser on them. Add some nitrogen fertiliser in the spring. They are ready for harvest when the stalk goes a bit soft and droops at ground level. Enjoy your fresh garlic!
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13 May 13, John Shannon (Australia - temperate climate)
Can I plant, just a organic garlic clove? Says can plant in May.
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07 May 13, lizzy (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi. Last year we planted organic garlic that sprouted very well. When the sprouts died off we harvested the same clove we planted! No bulb had formed in any of them. It had been pretty rainy. Have planted in a pot this time. Was it something I did or just the rain? I'm in the Northern Rivers.
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13 May 13, Garry&Denise (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi Lizzy,we also live on the Nth Rivers..I have been growing the same Garlic for many years and find that if i prep beds with cow poo & Blood and bone with a little garden lime.You may get the same great results we get,failing that get some new bulbs and try them...Cheers
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02 May 13, Joe Cassar (Australia - temperate climate)
When is the best time to sow garlic, living on the south coast of NSW. Best methods of nurturing and general care?
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24 Mar 13, Christine (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I would be interested in some of the pearls of life. How do I contact you? And of course how much? Planting location is Laidley. Is this suitable? (retyped by Liz)
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14 Feb 13, Sharon (Australia - temperate climate)
Can anyone please tell me where I can get seeds for the Chinese green garlic leaves - I buy it from my veggie shop in bunches and use it for stirfrys. The garlic chives are not as big as the ones the Chinese sell
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18 Feb 13, Sara (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Your Garlic stems are just plain garlic growing in the garden. Instead they harvest the shoots before the bulbs mature. It is a wise thiNg to grow your own.
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21 Jan 13, barry (Australia - tropical climate)
Hi i am in Palm cove and planted argentine garlic last march, and only now i have one sprouting what variety is suitable forcairns climate
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Showing 331 - 340 of 577 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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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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