Growing Garlic

Allium sativum : Amaryllidaceae / the onion family

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

(Best months for growing Garlic in New Zealand - 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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12 Apr 22, Barbara White (Australia - tropical climate)
I want to try growing garlic in the tropics what type would you recommend
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13 Apr 22, Bury (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Glenlarge and Italian Pink
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04 Apr 22, Bob (Australia - temperate climate)
For a number of years now in Melbourne, we have been planting Garlic near the shortest day and harvesting near to the longest day of the year. So far all OK.
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20 Mar 22, Bella Lopez (USA - Zone 9b climate)
How often do we water garlic?
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21 Mar 22, Anonymous (USA - Zone 3a climate)
Put your finger in the soil if it is dry below 1 inch, add water.
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15 Mar 22, Diana (Australia - temperate climate)
I've tried to grow garlic for a couple of years now without much success. My last crop grown from store bought organic garlic, only had one large bulb. Is garlic a heavy feeder? What is the best way to prepare the bed for them?
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20 Mar 22, Melanie L Schoen (Australia - arid climate)
Sometimes store bought garlic is treated with a chemical that deters it from sprouting. Can you get it from a local supplier? Organic?
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17 Mar 22, Anonymous (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
It does not require a lot of nitrogen - just good friable soil with a little fertiliser.
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25 Feb 22, Beverley (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
I would like to know the best varieties to plant for my conditions. Thank you
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04 Mar 22, Anonymous (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Do some research of varieties - there wouldn't be that much difference.
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Showing 151 - 160 of 915 comments
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I generally have garlic in my compost -- little bits that have maybe rotted a bit, and I can't even imagine how they grow -- but anyhow ---- I dig kitchen scraps directly into the garden over winter. Winter here gets down to about -10c for short periods of time (several nights in a row, for half a dozen hours at a time) -- generally winter temps are closer to -3c at night. Anyhow, come spring the areas where I have dug in kitchen scraps directly into the garden are usually sprouting : potatoes and garlic (among other things). So despite that I am actually planting garlic in winter, it will not grow until spring. I also grow garlic via the two year method (collecting seeds called bulbils - planting them immediately upon collection (so fall) )-- they grow in spring -- and then next year, they grow the garlic. Depending on the TYPE of garlic you are growing you can get 60 or more bulbils from one flower -- so this is economical if you have the SPACE. Again, the garlic is overwintered directly in the garden. In my area/zone, you have to yank out garlic if you don't want it -- because it just seems to grow and grow (same thing with fuchsia and potatoes).

- Celeste Archer

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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. GardenGrow 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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