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 10°C and 35°C. (Show °F/in)
  • Space plants: 10 - 12 cm 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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24 Nov 11, Ros (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi am wondering where to purchase enough garlic for about an acre. Ta
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24 May 11, Benjamin Petkov (Australia - temperate climate)
This is my first year of growing Garlic. The ground is nice and rich and the first little sprouts have started to poke out of the ground. However they are being attacked by birds. Any ideas on how to keep them away?
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10 May 11, Vincent Albioli (Australia - temperate climate)
Hello Barbara I am looking at planting about 1 acre of garlic on unprepared ground. My question to you is, have I missed the boat? Once you take in the time required to have the ground ready for planting. Secondly, do you have any extra garlic to sell so I can plant or do you know someone who can help. Very interested in the Australian Gold. Hope you can help or pass on any information would be greatly appreciated.
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04 Mar 11, paddy (Australia - temperate climate)
thanks for the read, I was given today some garlic to plant, it is beginning to shoot, do I plant it now or wait for a while, if so how should I store same.....thanks ia
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01 Mar 11, Barbara Burnet (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Thankyou for comments. I am preparing soil now for planting. may be in two to three weeks.Have had to get soil hoed up this year instead of digging up. Much easier.! I have only sold in small amounts this year . Have found if customers buy lots to plant they forget about it or cannot find it amongst weeds etc. Home gardners are better to plant no more than 20 bulbs .They can look after them fertilise etc. They do need care, although easy to grow. They have wonder flavour and do not go off. I market my Garlic for your Good Health and to eat them freshly sliced daily with a biscuit and a little tomato on fresh bread and honey. or toast. Wonderfull.Thats why I call them the "Pearls of Life."
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10 Feb 11, bill elliott (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
So where do you sell your garlic Barbara Burnett, as I would definately like to buy some from you please??
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28 Jan 12, Fr David S Dampier (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Thanks for all your help Ms Burnett. Will you add me to your 'sell' list when you are ready to sell seed 'Pearls of Life' garlic? I definately would buy from 20-30. I can look after that many without too many dramas. I am retired and therefore have adequate gardening time on my handss BTW how much do you generally charge? Thanks again. -Fr David S Dampier
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04 Nov 10, barbara burnet (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Have just completed digging out my beautiful red skinned 'Pearls of Life'. about 1500 heads . All the wet weather has been good for them. Started pulling out three weeks ago and sold nearly all. Cold winter held them back a month. They taste wonderful.
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05 Nov 10, Gene (Australia - temperate climate)
They sound wonderful Barbara. Where do you sell them?
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22 Sep 08, SUE G (Australia - tropical climate)
CAN GARLIC BE GROWN IN TOWNSVILLE QLD? WOULD IT BE BEST TO REFRIGERATE FOR A FEW DAYS AND PLANT EARY DRY SEASON SO IT GETS THE COOL NIGHTS IN MAY?
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This is a transcript of a article on growing garlic in central Australia (desert). It is on ABC Rural News and may be a help to you. Trials reveal potential for garlic-growing in Northern Territory Posted 7 Oct 2016 MAP: Alice Springs 0870 A trial exploring the capabilities of seven garlic varieties in the red centre is showing some early positive results. Seven varieties of garlic are being trialled at the Northern Territory's Arid Zone Research Institute (AZRI), alongside the standard industry garlic variety, Glen Large. The Alice Springs environment will demonstrate how varieties that have never been grown commercially in the Northern Territory respond to extreme cold and extreme heat. Central Australian Horticulture Development Project manager and researcher Stuart Smith said despite challenges such as poor water quality, the results so far had been positive. "We're hoping, because we're just south of the Tropic of Capricorn, we're just a bit a little subtropical, that we're in the right area," he said. "We've got the right heat profile, right day length and we're able to grow some good bulbs. "If it'll grow here, it'll grow anywhere. "Central Australia is a bit isolated from the rest of Australia so it doesn't have the pests and diseases of the other garlic-growing areas." Plan to get garlic onto market early in season Mr Smith believes there is a market opportunity for garlic that grows early in the traditional growing season. We thought we could get a few varieties to come early on the market, so we can get some good prices for them and replace the imported garlic," he said. The first successful harvested trial crop has reached a stage of maturity that would be ready for market. "It's got a code name called AF. We're getting some good-sized bulbs out of this," Mr Smith said. "I estimate we're getting 6-8 tonnes per hectare." The DPI's Stuart Smith and agriculture minister Ken Vowles stand in a field of garlic PHOTO: Stuart Smith and Primary Industries Minister Ken Vowles discuss the garlic crop trial near Alice Springs. (ABC Rural: Katrina Beaven) Mr Smith said the early trial results were encouraging despite poor water quality and salty soils. "We have to keep watering them pretty constantly to keep moving the salt out of the root zone," he said. "The water we're using at AZRI is pretty low quality. "Most of the water other people are using in horticulture around the Central Australian region is a lot better quality than this." Mr Smith said the research results would also add value to what was being learned by a grower at Orange Creek Station, south of Alice Springs, who is conducting a commercial garlic trial this year.

- 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. 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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