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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02 Mar 09, alan (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
wendy in ballarat - be careful of the botulism toxin because cooking and eating botulism will see you paralised. i would recheck your info.
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28 Feb 09, Ian C. Purdie (Australia - temperate climate)
Chinese Garlic? - don't even think about it. Complete waste of time. Where to buy Garlic? - There is one organisation on line if you Google "seed garlic+au". The price will shock you though. Over $5 a bulb before P&P. I suggest Woolworths or Coles and specifically look for "Australian Garlic". Not ideal but... Growing Garlic? - Plant only Australian bulbs March / April and harvest throughout November. NSW Government has a nice PDF file which is a big help. Google "planting garlic+au"
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15 Feb 09, rob (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
can you grow aussie garlic in qld
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14 Jul 12, swany (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
hi, im from cooloola cove qld. i planted garlic, onion and leeks in april, all looks very good, but went away for three weeks and the beds have now been taken over by weeds. to many to weed out by hand. what can i spray on them.
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29 Jun 14, (New Zealand - temperate climate)
We have just stated using sugar cain mulch and that is working.
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17 Jan 09, Barbara Burnet (Australia - temperate climate)
My organic Australian Golden Garlic this year, is beautiful. Very hot & sweet .Will have some extra for seed. ' 'The Pearls of Life.' Delicious.Loves cold dry organic soil.and regular watering.
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04 Jan 09, Maureen (Australia - temperate climate)
I don't want to buy bleached Chinese garlic & can't find Aussie kind so have decided to grow some, if I plant the bleached Chinese bulbs will the toxic chemicals transfer to the new garlic while growing?
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03 Jan 09, Cooper (Australia - temperate climate)
Jodie - a local producer here in the Uppper Hunter is growing organic garlic and selling online - google the name 'Patrice Newell Garlic'. Happy hunting.
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31 Dec 08, Ben Knox (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Gday, we live right up the mountain end of the Ovens Valley,N.E. Vic and have just harvested our first galic crop, fully organic. Its a good one! We grew tommies, capcicums, eggplants and corn in that patch last summer and are thinking to do a green manue crop like clover instead of more vegies then letting it rest for the winter. Wondering if this is the best way to go. Our soil is some of the finest untouched flood plain soil you will ever see, is well drained, full of worms and grubs, well mulched and completly clean. What are the thoughts of our fellow organic growers? Have a great day and happy new year to you all. Ben and Katie.
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18 Dec 08, Wendy (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
I live in Ballarat I planted mine in March and when I pulled some up in October they were like spring onions..so I phoned a grower who told me "Don't pull them up.. they look like that for ages and then they "bolt" and you will get a nice bulb.. which is what has happened.. We have had a cold wet winter and a not much better spring and summer ..I just just pulled some up as the tops fell over.. and still I have 20 plants till going strong.. If you put the cloves in oil please keep it in the frig and/or only cook with it ..as it can produce the botulism toxin in an anaerobic environment and this toxin is destroyed by cooking .. I am wondering now when to plant my next crop so would like to hear from anyone in my area Wendy
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Showing 851 - 860 of 915 comments
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Heres an answer for garlic, I grow about 300 plants a year and get good results with about 90% of the cloves coming in at 5cm in diameter plus. Season. Garlic takes up to 9 months to mature. Plant in autumn, late March to May, harvest November to December. Clove selection. Plant only the largest cloves, at least the size of your top thumb joint, I have big hands so I plant cloves 2- 2.5 cm across. Its easy to eat the biggest and the best, its better to plant the biggest and the best. Spacing. I plant 15 - 18 cloves per square metre, 25cm apart in rows 25 cm apart. With 30 cm + paths between 4 rows. It's easy to crowd them, and the yield in terms of weight may be much the same, but bigger garlic are a lot more fun and much easier to use in the kitchen. Sunlight. Whilst garlic can tolerate low sun during the winter months it needs 8 hours direct sunlight during the early and late growth stages. So lots of clear sky when it's maturing, September onwards. If your nutrition is right, (and soil acidity is right) then water could be the problem. While not much water is needed in winter, the ground should be kept moist through the season, especially in spring. A shallow watering is best the roots don't go down more than 30 cm max. Once to twice week during the maturing season. We cant control the weather, but avoid flooding (and applications of nutirients) during the final few weeks to lessen the chance of fungus attacks and sprouting. Garlic likes a moderate amount of lime (dolomite), you can rely on the recommended amount at least two weeks before planting and once every three years. Maturity. Look for tops fading in colour, a weakening of the stem near the base and a flattening of the top of the bulb when (gently) exposed Thats a lot and there's a lot more. It's a labour of love and a lifetime. And I'm sure others will have other suggestions, this is just a framework of what has worked for me. Planting at the moment actually. Regarding shallots most of the above also applies but Im not much of an authority. Shorter season length, but most of the above applies. I plant under the same conditions as garlic but only a few dozen and get good results.

- Ken WIlson

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