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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17 Dec 19, Brian Gavaghan OAM (Australia - temperate climate)
With our diverse weather, what watering should we do?And Oblige Brian
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18 Dec 19, Another gardener (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
It is a bit of trial and error. Have good draining soil. Little plants need little waterings more often, daily, big plants a lot more water less often, 2-3 times per week. General rule dig down into the soil 50-70mm to see how moist the soil is. You will quickly learn that say a crop of lettuce might need 60 sec of watering. Whereas some mature tomatoes plants need 2-3 minutes.
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14 Nov 19, Graham Bower (Australia - temperate climate)
In Berwick Vic. Have grown garlic with great success for years but this year virtually all plants have segmented in the ground pre normal harvest time. Plants are still strong, green and upright although have grown slimmer leaves as they segment. I do not believe I have done anything differently this year. Any thoughts?.
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18 Nov 19, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Maybe the hotter weather.
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02 Nov 19, Angela Schreiber (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hello. Our purple garlic is out of the ground. We tie them in bunches with dead stems intact . We take the roots off them. Question: the shed they are suspended in has a moist atmosphere due to the rain today. It has a dirt floor and no doors.Will this moisture cause them to rot or make them susceptible to pests or mites. We have about 800. Thankyou
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04 Nov 19, anon (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
My experience is with shallot bulbs. I just keep them loose in a pot tray/dish drying tray about 2-3 (??)
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28 Oct 19, Coco (Australia - temperate climate)
I am western Australia perth . I would like to ask you about garlic . Can it be planted in early or mid December, would it still grow to its full potential if planted around that time.thank you very much.
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29 Oct 19, anon (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
This is the way I see it. They recommend planting May to July for temperate - Perth. The reason is, this is when you will have the best results. Now if you go and plant it in Oct/Nov you will probably produce a smaller crop or no crop. You have to look at your local conditions also. It is like if a seed requires 20 degrees soil temp to germinate why plant it when it is 15 degrees.
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16 Oct 19, Khomotso (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
Can I grow garlic in tunnels and what will I need to harvest successfully
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14 Nov 19, anon (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
Suggest you read all the notes here about growing it, especially the calendar when to plant.
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Showing 271 - 280 of 915 comments
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One other company for great Garlic is garlicworld.com. They are based in Port Campbell in Victoria, Simon and his wife.I got some lovely Californis purple from them. Not sure if they'd have any left now. A couple of years ago, I got some Purple garlic which came from Chile. I really don't like to buy out of area stuff, but I figured it would be a one off, and haven't bought much since, except for the garlicworld stuff. Melanie, the garlic is ready when the top wilts and leans over, as Jen has said. Sometimes, the plant goes into flowering mode, but usually not, usually it just falls over. The stem that falls is the bit you use to tie it up with, so if you let it die too much, you won't get the protective outer skin, or something to plait it with. I tend to wait until it looks a bit ratty, but hasn't died completely, about a week or so after it keels over. Then I dig it up, don't pull it from the stem, I learned that lesson the first year.!! Hope this helps.

- Adam

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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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