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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28 May 13, Harry Butler (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Go for it right now and best to buy seed stock from your local nursery or mitre 10. Your first crop should have been in by now and subsequent crops up until mid June. You should be able to keep yourself in supply for the whole year with 3 crops well spaced. There is no excuse for buying the imported rubbish.
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23 Feb 13, Robert (Australia - temperate climate)
From Melbourne, born again organic gardner, just started on garlic late last autum here , a whole 2 bulbs! Good size and taste. Put some more in around late November, healthy but small bulbs, hower very tasty and nothing like the unadventurous supermarket variety. Looking forward to planting plenty this season.
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06 Apr 10, Chris (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
We planted 2 bulbs worth of cloves last winter and they were brilliant. Just buy them from the market - make sure they have some roots left on them, separate the cloves (don't peel) and plant pointy end up. We harvested 2 lots in Oct then Dec. The earlier ones were biggest, and I'm guessing that it was the stock that they came from which made the difference.
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05 Apr 10, minloo (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Where can I buy a commercial quantity of garlic seed??
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04 Apr 10, Lillie Hugill (Australia - tropical climate)
We eat lots of garlic, I put garlic in all my cooking,as such I spend a small forutne buying local garlic. I thought its best I grow my own. I am now in the same predicament as Donna and Matthew, I am strugglling to buy garlic shoots. Appreciate if someone could point me in the right direction please.
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04 Apr 10, Debra (Australia - temperate climate)
I'm in the same boat as Donna and Mathew - rural WA so markets aren't really a good place to buy, most shops only sell the chemically treated China garlic which won't germinate. Diggers have about 8 varieties of garlic but can't get them or potato to WA. Would like to be able to grow different varieties but can't get them locally anywhere. Help please - any seedlings I've seen have all been the plain white variety (Bunnings locally and Benara Nurseries will deliver)
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12 Jul 10, molly (Australia - temperate climate)
Garlic can be sent to WA, I've just ordered some, it does cost though... garlicfarmsales.com.au/ Just add the www. to the front of it cheers, molly
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12 May 10, tony (Australia - temperate climate)
hello,is there a good hot garlic verietiy that i can plant in the warmer months,such as summer.
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03 Apr 10, cees koeman (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
what is the best variety of garlic to plant in the high country 1200meters above sealevel .Snowy mountains of NSW. and where do I buy ? I want to start now! Thanks ,Cees.
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02 Apr 10, lee (Australia - temperate climate)
hi, we would love to grow organic garlic but i have no idea where to buy seeds/bulbs,can you buy them online,we are in port macqurie,will they grow in our climate?
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Showing 451 - 460 of 577 comments
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Hi all, I live in Port Kembla and have been growing garlic here since 1995, sourced from Hungary and being a very large variety. Prior to that I was growing up to 50,000 cloves a season in the Southern Highlands. I got into a habit of checking the previous season’s crop for the root ends to appear on the bottom of an individual clove. They start out being tiny bumps. This will start to happen when the weather tends cooler. My crop for this year’s plant is ready to go in now. Read the clove. Only it knows its time. Rich organics, B&Bone D.Lifter for best results. Twice clove depth to plant in a raised row. Water daily ok if well drained. Nothing real critical in growing garlic I find. It still grows well with none of the above. Good luck and happy growing.

- David

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