Planting garlic
Planting garlic is easy and should take between 3 to 8 months before being ready to harvest.
Planting in autumn
For the biggest bulbs, plant cloves in the autumn to create a long growing season.
Where to plant garlic
Preferring a sunny position, garlic grows well in a light type soil with decent drainage.
Break off garlic cloves
Take a mature, healthy garlic bulb and break off individual cloves (1cm or bigger).
Plant with tips pointing up
Plant garlic cloves with the flat base at the bottom (tips pointing upwards) in soil about twice the depth of the clove.
Space cloves out
The cloves should be planted at about 18cm apart from each other.
Maintenance
Garlic cloves need little care once planted, it is best to keep the planting area weed free. Use a front-tine tiller in between long rows of garlic to quickly a thoroughly remove all weeds from the surface.
When is the best time to harvest garlic?
Garlic will take between 16 and 36 weeks to grow depending on the variety. You can tell when the garlic is ready to harvest when the plant leaves start to discolour and fade, dig the plants out.
How can I dry garlic bulbs?
Place the bulbs in the sun to dry out. In cold or wet weather hang them in a greenhouse or garage.
How should I store garlic?
Before storing garlic ensure the skins and leaves are thoroughly dry. Be very careful with dry bulbs as they can become bruised. Garlic bulbs can be hung in bunches or kept loose on trays. Keep garlic in dry conditions and they will last up to 10 months.