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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20 Jul 13, Andres (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi Melissa, the answer is no, don't peel the garlic clove before planting, after breaking it off from the big clove just put it straight into your pot or garden, just remember to put its tip pointing up, it should be watered regularly, I usually water it at least every other day and is growing beautifully, hope this helps!
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17 Jul 13, Tony Smith (South Africa - Humid sub-tropical climate)
I live in Malalane, east of Nelspruit and would like to know the following. A lot of the soil here is very clay, is this ok for garlic and what type of soil is best for garlic? Is the climate here suitable for it and what would be the best times to plant? Regards Tony
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02 Jul 13, Mehmet Kolgu (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi There which vegies likes the chicken poo ???
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01 Jul 13, Peter (Australia - temperate climate)
Providing the right nutrients is vitally important in order to maximise plant growth and yield.
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25 Jun 13, (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
I want to start garlic farming. I live in Cato Ridge. KZN. Where in or near this area can I get good quality garlic to plant. I live in a valley which gets quite cold during from julne onwards
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28 Sep 13, Chantel Fourie (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
You can order online from Livingseeds.co.za
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03 Nov 13, Shumani (South Africa - Humid sub-tropical climate)
I have loose garlic cloves for sale. Where can I sell these?
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02 Jun 13, Darren (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
You mentioned using the shoots,but how does that effect the bulb?
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02 Jun 13, Andrew (Australia - temperate climate)
Hello there, can anyone tell me if I can use cloves from garlic that has been sitting inside my fridge to plant them? Im new to this but would like to start growing my own garlic as I eat it a lot, thanks heaps!
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05 Jun 13, Matty T (Australia - temperate climate)
Buy some Australian grown garlic as it won't have been treated. Put in the fridge for a week. Separate the cloves and plant out, but you'd better do it soon. Make sure you put some compost and NPK fertiliser on them. Add some nitrogen fertiliser in the spring. They are ready for harvest when the stalk goes a bit soft and droops at ground level. Enjoy your fresh garlic!
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Showing 631 - 640 of 916 comments
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We use Sam's Club garlic because it is cheap and quickly available.... ours were huge by May after we planted in October. We dug a deep rectangular in ground spot about a foot deep and filled the lower half with horse manure bedding and put blended sandy compost on top of the horse bedding manure (we actually planned on making a "hot bed"/cold frame there but termites usually destroy wood structures here at ground level) and our garlic were big as tennis balls! We recently tried planting in a bed that we didn't put a lot of fertilizer first and got VERY depressing results so I say go big or go home on nutrients in the bed first or you may be disappointed. I really do not think the type as much as the preparation of the bed is what gives the best results. We just wanted a lot of food for the least investment... you may have other goals. Either way... doesn't hurt to fluff up most anyplace with fresh soil/nutrients first.

- Melinda Schwab

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