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 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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06 Dec 12, cheryl good (Australia - temperate climate)
plated garlic in april dug up in 2nd week in nov,have noticed with the large bulbs weighing approx .3kg.to .5kg have not formed when i clean them up has anyone with any suggestions what i am doing wrong, thankyou.
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17 Feb 13, DARREN (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi I was wondering what type of garlic you planted and where you got it from not all garlic is suited for growing in all areas.Some like cooler areas whereas in brisbane I grow a garlic siuted for my area.I feel this may have been your problem.Try green harvest they have a few variety wich may work better for you.
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06 Dec 12, adam (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Hi Cheryl. Usually if the garlic is not formed into cloves, it's because the garlic has been dug too early. I usually dig mine once a couple of the leaves have gone yellow, and are clearly dying, but the middle few leaves are still green. The timing is different every year because of rain, dryness etc. This year i planted in March, but had to dig early because some were going mouldy. You just can't tell. Could that have been it.? But you can just eat it as normal. It's the good thhing about garlic, you can eat it no matter what it looks like.
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12 Nov 12, Janet Catesby (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I have just harvested my first crop of garlic and I cut off the stems (probably should not have) and cleaned them and left them in a dry bowl to dry out. I noticed today that they are sprouting! Help.
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13 Nov 12, (Australia - temperate climate)
Next year just dig them up leaving the soil on them and lay the whole plant out on a rack to dry in the shade outside but out of the rain.When the tops are completly dry just pull them off and rub the soil off the bulb.
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02 Nov 12, Amber (Australia - tropical climate)
Hi I would like to no what dose it mean when the stem of my garlic gets round polps in it. Its like it is growing more garlic up the stem.
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25 Jan 13, Jennifer (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi Amber, this is the garlic plant's other option for reproducing. You can plant the bulblets and they will turn into a garlic.. They need12 month longer than the garlic grown from cloves.
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21 Oct 12, (Australia - tropical climate)
I find it very difficult to get Australian garlic in my local area of Lismore NSW. How hard is it to grow in our area which is the Northern Rivers.
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16 Jan 13, Anita (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hiya, I'm also in Lismore :) Have you found any good sources of garlic yet? I'm having visions of planting huge amounts of garlic all around my new fruit orchard- both for fun and pest control :)
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28 Oct 12, Vai (Australia - temperate climate)
You should have no problem. Just choose the right type of garlic. Diggers Club (www.diggers.com.au) sells a variety called Southern Glen which is suitable for warmer climates. I'm growing the same even though I'm in Melbourne and mine are about to be harvested. Good luck.
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Showing 341 - 350 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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