Your comments and tips

29 Jan 11, Ilenora (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

My family uses a lot of garlic cooking, so several times I have tried to plant them, using cloves bought from the grocery store that started to sprout green shoots out the top. I've read on many sites that you can do this and it produces plants. But only a day or two after planting (straight into the garden) the green shoots shrivelled and the cloves quickly rotted and died. This happened, exactly the same, every time. Not one has survived. Why can't they grow? Would it be hot weather, over/under watering, poor soil conditions? I want to get some seeds and see if they work, but I'm not sure if they are going to be any more successful.

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06 Feb 11, Stephen (Australia - temperate climate)

Hi Ilenora, I panted garlis brought from the shop (not Chinese) in early october and have just picked some to use in some spag bol and it is beautiful. We have had days of up to 45 degrees and our garlic seems to grow anytime I plant it, but it must not be shooting and do not overwater. Good luck.

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03 Feb 11, James (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Hi Ilenora, Try planting your cloves before they start shooting - they are too old and past their prime. Youll have more success that way. Plant them in March -> June. youll see a shoot come up in a month or so after planting (so dont be tempted to dig them up to look at their progress.) Also, dont plant chinese garlic from supermarket if you can help it - they have growth inhibitors on them to stop them from reproducing James

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30 Jan 11, John (Australia - temperate climate)

Hi there Ilenora...the rule of thumb for garlic is to plant on the shortest day of the year, and to harvest on the longest day of the year. Perhaps you planted your storebought cloves at the wrong time of the year. Otherwise, they should still grow.....I have had success with even the chinese garlic.

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18 Jan 11, Michele Downward (Australia - temperate climate)

What is the best varietal type of garlic to grow in far East Gippsland? I have free draining soil, slightly sandy loam

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14 Apr 11, Michael Ouellette (Australia - temperate climate)

Best depends on taste. But I buy my garlic from Diggers Club in Dromana (www.diggers.com.au). Been doing it for years and just recycle some for the following year. For two of use we grow about 80 plants per year, saving 10 for replanting. This year I just purchased 4 more varieties from Diggers so we'll be planting about 100 extra plants! We love garlic in case you haven't worked that out... NOW is the time to plant.

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13 Dec 10, Richard (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

I have just dug up my garlic which I planted in june. The stems had completly died and the garlic bulbs were only the size of a 20 cent coin in diameter. what happened

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25 Dec 10, Dennis (Australia - temperate climate)

NOT ENOUGH WATER (NEEDS TO BE 130% OF THE EVAPORATION OR TO MUCH WEED COMPETITION

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23 Aug 10, barbara burnet (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

my beautiful garlic is bearing up to the cold wet and windy weather down in west victoria. every sunny? day I foliar spray with an organic fertiliser. and last week sprinkled a little b/b around them. Soon it will be spring .and ooh lalla.

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20 Jun 10, Andre (Australia - temperate climate)

Soak garlic cloves in natrakelp with water and bi carb soda over night. In the morning take off the the old skin and rub the cloves with alcohol and then plant.

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