Growing Garlic

Part of the Allium family, garlic is related to onion, leek, shallots & chives. It is cheap and easy to grow and has the added benefit of not having chemicals sprayed on it that is common with commercially purchased garlic.

Garlic for growing can be purchased from your local garden centre or you can plant organically grown garlic from your greengrocer. Avoid using imported garlic as it will have been sprayed with chemicals which you want to avoid.

When and how to plant garlic:

When selecting garlic, buy bulbs that are firm.

Garlic should be planted in autumn. It can either be planted in the ground or in pots.

Garlic likes to be planted in full sun, it dislikes acidic soil so add some lime to make it more alkaline if necessary. pH should be be between 6.0 - 7.0. It should be planted in a free draining soil, garlic does not like clay soil.

Fertiliser should be added to the soil prior to planting.

To plant garlic: 

• Break the garlic bulb up into individual cloves.

• Plant the garlic with the root (flat) side pointing down. The top of the garlic clove should be planted at a depth of 5cm (2 inches).

• Cloves should be planted 10 - 15cm (4 - 6 inches) apart in rows of 45cm apart.

• Water & then add a thin layer of mulch to help retain moisture and keep weeds out.

Garlic should be kept moist but not wet. This will cause it to rot.

When to harvest garlic:

Within a short time of planting, green leaves will shoot. Harvesting of garlic is approximately six months after planting and when the leaves begin to wilt and turn brown.

How to store garlic:

Be careful when pulling garlic out of the ground. Never pull it out by the leaves. Use a garden fork & carefully lift it out of the ground. Brush off as much soil as you can from the bulb.

Dry the bulbs in the sun. It is essential that garlic is dried properly otherwise it will rot. Once it has been dried, it can be hung up.

Do not wash harvested garlic bulbs. Just brush off soil residue.