I Want to Grow Garlic!
We understand how you feel. Garlic is a compelling plant. We've put together a brief guide to help you get started:
Buy Quality "Seed"Buy the healthiest, named variety of bulb garlic from a reputable seller, such as The Seed Garlic Shop. Do not plant imported or supermarket garlic (these have been chemically treated).
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Plant in AutumnTake your quality seed garlic and break it into cloves. Plant into prepared soil, 15cm apart. Be generous with the compost. Mulch and keep moist. Make sure you do your weeding.
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Hang it up after HarvestYour garlic is ready to harvest when there are 4 or 5 green leaves left on the plant. Pull up carefully, trim roots with garlic shears and tie in bunches. Label and hang in a sheltered spot.
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Once dry (after 6-12 weeks depending on the weather), trim the stems to two fingers' width in length and rub off dirty outer skins. Place in netting bags and hang in a cool, well ventilated, sheltered spot away from moisture and direct sunlight.
Which Variety will Suit my Climate?
This can be a complicated topic, and there is no substitute for experimentation, but here are a few basic guidelines:
SUBTROPICAL CLIMATE:
This means warm weather more or less all of the time, usually in locations north of northern NSW. Sub-tropical and Turban garlic groups are suitable for these areas.
WARM TEMPERATE CLIMATE:
Areas with cooler but generally frost-free winters. The Turban group of garlics do well here; also Sub-Tropical, Creole, Artichoke and Glazed Purple Stripe groups. Spring-planted garlic is also worth trying.
COOL TEMPERATE CLIMATE:
If cool means that summer temperatures don't often get to 30 degrees Celsius or more, and sub-zero temperatures are frequent in winter, try Standard Purple Stripes, the Silverskins, Artichokes, Rocamboles and Spring-Planted garlic. If you get nice hot daytime temperatures some of the time, like we do here at
Wildes Lane, then have a go at Creoles, Glazed Purple Stripes and Turbans too. In fact, most garlic varieties do well in these conditions.
SUBTROPICAL CLIMATE:
This means warm weather more or less all of the time, usually in locations north of northern NSW. Sub-tropical and Turban garlic groups are suitable for these areas.
WARM TEMPERATE CLIMATE:
Areas with cooler but generally frost-free winters. The Turban group of garlics do well here; also Sub-Tropical, Creole, Artichoke and Glazed Purple Stripe groups. Spring-planted garlic is also worth trying.
COOL TEMPERATE CLIMATE:
If cool means that summer temperatures don't often get to 30 degrees Celsius or more, and sub-zero temperatures are frequent in winter, try Standard Purple Stripes, the Silverskins, Artichokes, Rocamboles and Spring-Planted garlic. If you get nice hot daytime temperatures some of the time, like we do here at
Wildes Lane, then have a go at Creoles, Glazed Purple Stripes and Turbans too. In fact, most garlic varieties do well in these conditions.