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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27 Apr 14, Jo (Australia - temperate climate)
I would give it a go, after working through numerous Pilbara winters, I reckon it gets cold enough. There are some varieties that need less cold than others also.
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25 Dec 13, hardus (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
where can i find garlic seeds for about 0,5ha, and how many seeds would i need for 0;5 ha. My tamotoes is already planted, 600 mm apart under drip irrigation, and i want to plant the garlic end of january, between or next to the tamato plants, will this work? Any suggestions or tips to follow on planting garlic will be highly appreciated
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12 Dec 13, (Australia - tropical climate)
Try Russian/Elephant Garlic. Not a true Garlic but member of the leek family. Milder flavour than stadard Garlic. Here in Noosa Hinterland planted in March produces huge bulbs ( for 3 years now). Just harvested this year crop. On-line suppliers tend to run out of stock quickly best to register an interest and receive an e,mail when available. Good Luck...Mel
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27 Nov 13, sandy O'Brien (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
beautiful huge flowers on garlic, when do i harvest ?
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21 Nov 13, jo (Australia - temperate climate)
hi all, My Garlic (planted in late may) is throwing out flower stems which I keep snapping off, hoping that it will redirect energy into making big fat bulbs - is this the right thing to do ? when do I harvest it ? thanks Jo
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27 Apr 14, Jo (Australia - temperate climate)
It is not entirely necessary to snap off the flower stems - called scapes - some people do as they claim it makes the garlic store longer, others think it makes no difference. Either way, they are delicious eating, toss them in a stir fry, or stem them and eat like a vegetable with a dob of butter. The garlic flavour mellows out well when cooked!
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09 Nov 13, Karen (Australia - temperate climate)
I have always grown my garlic from bulbs. Can you tell me if there is also good success rate growing from seed? If I collect the seed what time of year would you start to germinate.
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18 Nov 13, Bill (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
It is really hard growing from seed. You should not try it. You should leave it to the experts who know what they are doing. Thanks
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08 Nov 13, joseph mastropaolo (Australia - tropical climate)
I live in north qld where tempretures get quit warm is there a variaty that will grow in hotter climate. We do not get a lot of cold weather also. I am growing some garlic this year but it seems to only be growing one bulb and not making clover
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30 Oct 13, Susie (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Can you tell me about the tiny, hard growths forming on the outside of the garlic bulbs just harvested? They seem to be the beginnings of new bulbs attaching to the existing bulbs.
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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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