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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26 Dec 09, (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
my garlic seems to have a head of garlic seed that has shot from the plant that grew well. this started in oct . i have harversted it all. The head is purple and has about 50 tiny garlic bulbs in it and the size of a 50 cent piece i assume this is a head of seed
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19 Dec 09, Julie (Australia - temperate climate)
Well, the large garlic seems to have come good after all! I gave up on it and left it alone, but when I dug up a few, they had fomed cloves after all. I'm sure now that if I had continued to water them they would have split.
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02 Dec 09, Julie (Australia - temperate climate)
Pete and Wendy, you might be right about the fertiliser. It was planted on time, and we had late rain, right through spring, so plenty of moisture. Though I thought it got enough feeding, the bulbs did turn out smaller than usual - very disappointing! But when I stopped watering and let it dry it had formed cloves. Not so the large garlic - I've given up on that. More like a leek with a bulbous end. Oh, well, better luck next year!
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27 Nov 09, Pete&Wendy (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
We have been growing organic garlic on the Sunshine Coast for nearly 20 years Garlic that is falling over and not forming full bulbs can be caused by late planting, lack of nutrient, either from invasive tree roots, or not enough fertiliser. Lack of moisture can also cause this. The "round" is still either edible or will still grow a bulb the following season. For Garlic that is reshooting this can be caused by planting seed stock that has been "long cold stored" 1degree will cause this to happen. For growing garlic in the warmer climates, variety is important. Try and get a variety that is climatised to our warmer winter. Garlic likes it cool. A trick a customer told me was he gave it a frost by mulching it with a bag of ice regularly!
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17 Jul 23, Karen sakas (USA - Zone 10a climate)
Trying to get an answer I’m in west palm beach Florida zone 10. I want to grow garlic. Can I?
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05 Jun 22, Janelle Jeffery (Australia - arid climate)
Just wondering can I plant garlic bulbs early winter ? I live outback NSW
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20 Nov 09, Frank J (Australia - temperate climate)
Some of my Garlic is not developing properly,(about 50% of the plants bulbs are not turning into cloves), It all came from the same stock, i have about 200 plants.It is Garlic that i have used for 5 - 6 years.
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20 Nov 09, ken cook (United Kingdom - cool/temperate climate)
garlic is very forgiving, it would grow if you dropped one on the ground. Garlic is best using some of each crop the following years. it will acclimatise itself to the surroundings and soil type and eventually be top quality stock.alternate location to avoid disease.
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12 Nov 09, Randall679 (Australia - temperate climate)
I'd really like to buy some new seasons garlic ... maybe 10kg. I live in Melbourne. Will pay shipping.
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07 Nov 09, pete (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
has anyone had any success growing garlic in the brisbane coastal area? when we lived in canberra we had lovely plump garlic. but here nothing but failure or really small bulbs. i planted from organic garlic purchased at the local fruit and veg. loathe and detest that rubbish chinese garlic.(garlic imported from China? ed.)
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You could certainly try planting now, the sooner the better because garlic needs to go through the cold to get a decent size to it. The plants are totally unaffected by frosts down to at least -12°C which is what we get here in July. Just for your information, I usually plant garlic late March for a November harvest. In Goulburn you could probably wait until April/May. Good luck with it.

- Ray S

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