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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04 Apr 22, Bob (Australia - temperate climate)
For a number of years now in Melbourne, we have been planting Garlic near the shortest day and harvesting near to the longest day of the year. So far all OK.
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20 Mar 22, Bella Lopez (USA - Zone 9b climate)
How often do we water garlic?
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21 Mar 22, Anonymous (USA - Zone 3a climate)
Put your finger in the soil if it is dry below 1 inch, add water.
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15 Mar 22, Diana (Australia - temperate climate)
I've tried to grow garlic for a couple of years now without much success. My last crop grown from store bought organic garlic, only had one large bulb. Is garlic a heavy feeder? What is the best way to prepare the bed for them?
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20 Mar 22, Melanie L Schoen (Australia - arid climate)
Sometimes store bought garlic is treated with a chemical that deters it from sprouting. Can you get it from a local supplier? Organic?
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17 Mar 22, Anonymous (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
It does not require a lot of nitrogen - just good friable soil with a little fertiliser.
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25 Feb 22, Beverley (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
I would like to know the best varieties to plant for my conditions. Thank you
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04 Mar 22, Anonymous (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Do some research of varieties - there wouldn't be that much difference.
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25 Dec 21, marco (Australia - tropical climate)
hi i live on the gold coast queensland .one of my old garlic i planted october sometime that never taken off , sprouted . it sprouted two weeks ago .so i thought i would try to put a small crop in and bingo !! ,garlic is growing . so i planted a whole clove today .we have more rain and humidity so this might be the time . i will let u know how it turns out !
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14 Feb 22, Amanda (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi, I've failed many seasons with garlic! However, after a lot of research, I have a solution to growing sub tropic garlic. The key is growing the right variety, that can handle our heat. Glen Large garlic is the winner! Plant in April. Harvest in October. I've had a bumper crop with this variety.
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Showing 161 - 170 of 923 comments
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We have put in about a 1/4 acre of Australian White garlic after successfully trialing some last year. We are growing it organically which means hand weeding and mulching with four kids in tow in the middle of winter. We plant in early May and harvest when only a few green leaves are left, the others having turned brown. We didn't fertilise and had great size cloves so we were lucky. I've heard it can be very site specific. We'd be happy to sell mail order bulbs come Dec/Jan when we harvest. If anyone knows of an effective dab-on organic herbicide please let us know, or if you have detailed info on how meticulous the weeding has to be, as the sites I've read say garlic does not compete well with weeds. The mulching really helped with the weeds last year and we found we didn't need to water as the mulch kept the moisture in (we have a nice wet block which also helps).

- Kylie

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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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