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 - sub-tropical 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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18 Jul 10, (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
My garlic is being eaten almost completely by some animal - best guess rabbits, wallabies or possums.
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27 May 10, Chris@Gardenate (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Jim, there are successful commercial growers in Australia. There was an item on radio 2BA breakfast show in Bega around 8th March this year interviewing a local garlic producer - their website probably has it still available.
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13 Jun 10, hzprstn (Australia - temperate climate)
Excellent coverage of garlic growing in Oz on Landline ABC tv Sunday 13th June 2010, program repeat on Monday 14th probably also available online later....... every time I buy a bulb in Woolies I plant half the cloves, I'm not quite self-sufficient but getting there ! the fresh stuff is so much better ! Like onions, it's the bulbing up phase that is tricky - sometimes the weather is against you. I plant anything that sprouts in the kitchen lol
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24 May 10, marina (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
we planted garlic and on checking under the mulch there seems to some mould forming,any information on what we should do.thnks
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27 May 10, (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
If the garlic is going mouldy it might not be viable. If it's just coming off the mulch then it won't be a problem as it's just the mulch breaking down.
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24 May 10, James (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I have planted my garlic in March / april this year .. leaves are up nicely but many starting to show yellowing in the leaves .. does anyone know what this means ? is it a nitrogen deficiency or something else I should be fixing?
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15 May 10, Neville Chandler (Australia - temperate climate)
Eden seeds in Queensland supply garlic bulbs for planting. They appear to sell in minimum of 1 kg lots. I bought some purple garlic and it appeared within 7 days of planting.
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11 May 10, Maryanne (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
My question isn't about garlic but ginger. I'm wondering why gardenate has no reference to ginger? :(
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13 May 10, Chris@Gardenate (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Hi Maryanne, we set up gardenate to provide reminders for planting veges. It's expanded a bit since then, but we haven't got around to ginger yet.
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10 May 10, Glen (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
can someone advise where to buy good garlic for planting in the Blue Mountains/western sydney area?
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Showing 431 - 440 of 577 comments
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Hi, we have been growing garlic now for 5 years on a pretty small scale, about 1 acre. Have been to field days, read literature & spent too many hours looking on the net. This has to be one of the most frustrating things I have ever been involved with. Some say it is swamp plant & you can't over water, others say to let them dry out a few times as it encourages growth. Heaps of fertilizer, very little fertilizer, sandy soil is best, loam is best etc. etc. Like an earlier post let the bulb tell you, ha ha. But it is true. For our purple garlic plant in March April with mild fertilizer, we use blood & bone. We water as you would any other plant, use a moisture meter or stick you fingers in the soil to see how dry/wet it is. Occasionally top dress with b&b. Pull one out every few weeks & see what it says. One thing that is common to all advice is to not water for the last 3-4 weeks (noted when the leaves start to turn yellow & die off) as this will produce a very slimy skin not easy to work with & hard to stop rot. Again pull one up & have a look at what it's doing, it will let you know same as a citrus, potato or anything else. Just takes time to get to know it. Hope this adds to the confusion, I know I still am.

- John

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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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