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 USA - Zone 5a regions)

  • P = Plant cloves

September: Garlic can overwinter. Cover with a good layer of mulch . In areas where frost persists into March/ April, expect to harvest your garlic in June/July.

October: Garlic can overwinter. Cover with a good layer of mulch . In areas where frost persists into March/ April, expect to harvest your garlic in June/July.

  • 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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13 Jul 12, DARREN (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I would like to know if anyone on this forum has grown elephant garlic in pots
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04 Sep 12, Ron (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Hi Darren, I am currently growing Russian/Elephant Garlic in Styrofoam box's and the stems are about 4 foot high, planted in April this year, sooooo, they should grow in pots as long as the pots are deep enough. I live on the west coast of Tassie if that's of any use.
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14 Jun 12, Trevor (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Garlic is frost resistent, loves the cool / cold weather. Lime the soil prior to planting, do not fertilse & stop watering 1 month before harvest Good luck
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12 Jun 12, (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
March 20 this year l planted 200 Tasmanian purple organic Garlic, using my own stock from last year. (I have done this for 4 years now) This seasons the leaves are yellowing. Rainfall has been normal. Note that I grew letuce,tomato & cabbage in the bed last season, and used my own COF, limed 2 weeks prior to planting. This year I mulched with sugar cane, could it beth mulch or is this a deficiantcy of some sort?
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18 May 12, Des Hoyle, Kingaroy , Queensland. (Australia - temperate climate)
I would like to receive any horticultural advise on growing Australian Garlic in Kingaroy, Q,land, where the temperature gets down to a minus,degree, with frosts.as a result. Am looking forward to a reply.
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22 May 12, (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Galic is ok with frost. I plant mid-winter, then harvest in summer.
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12 May 12, Ray (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
If you plant any old variety it may take a few years to acclimatise to Brisabane's warmish winters. If you're interested in organic gardening, join BOGI (Brisabane Organic Growers Inc.).
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10 May 12, Michele Dorey (Australia - tropical climate)
As we are going into winter without barely any rainfall how often should I water my garlic I've planted them in today. Thanking you
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25 Apr 12, Dave Taylor (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi, I've just moved to Brisbane from the UK (where I left a healthy crop including Elephant, Albigensian, Solent and Lautrec White growing on my allotment) and I'm just starting a veg bed here. Where is the best place to get my seed garlic and do you get different varieties or should I just buy a bulb of Australian garlic and plant the cloves?
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11 Jun 12, (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Supermarkets recently had 'Australian-grown' garlic labelled as 'suitable for planting'
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Showing 671 - 680 of 915 comments
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Hi Cheryl. Usually if the garlic is not formed into cloves, it's because the garlic has been dug too early. I usually dig mine once a couple of the leaves have gone yellow, and are clearly dying, but the middle few leaves are still green. The timing is different every year because of rain, dryness etc. This year i planted in March, but had to dig early because some were going mouldy. You just can't tell. Could that have been it.? But you can just eat it as normal. It's the good thhing about garlic, you can eat it no matter what it looks like.

- 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. Gardenate 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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