Growing Garlic

Allium sativum : Amaryllidaceae / the onion family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
  P P P                

(Best months for growing Garlic in South Africa - Summer rainfall regions)

  • P = Plant cloves
  • Easy to grow. Plant cloves. Best planted at soil temperatures between 10°C and 35°C. (Show °F/in)
  • Space plants: 10 - 12 cm 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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13 Aug 22, Michael (Australia - temperate climate)
Mid Autumn - late March, April, early May. Harvest in November here in South Australia.
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13 May 22, Janice (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
Good day I started planting garlic in April 2022,when do I harvesf
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21 Sep 22, Bee-Pie (South Africa - Humid sub-tropical climate)
You can start checking your garlic crop now. Look at the leaves and if you can count 5 to 6 leaves browining from the bottom up then it's time to harvest.
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18 May 22, anonymous (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
About 5-6 months time
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03 Apr 21, Lasha (South Africa - Dry summer sub-tropical climate)
If planted in may will the garlic grow well?it will have two months warm and about two war and two cold
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06 Apr 21, (South Africa - Dry summer sub-tropical climate)
On a tv show the other day they said in the southern hemisphere plant garlic April May.
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11 Jan 21, Heidi Paulse (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
I have a 1.3 hectre smalholding on the west.coast south africa and would like to start garlic planting.Where can l found a garlic planting guide. Thanks
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01 Feb 21, Sharon (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
Graceland Garlic
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12 Jan 21, Carl (South Africa - Dry summer sub-tropical climate)
One of the best resources is https://livingseeds.co.za/garlic
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12 Jan 21, (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
Do you have agricultural government departments, ring them and ask.
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Showing 21 - 30 of 163 comments
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Hi, we have been growing garlic now for 5 years on a pretty small scale, about 1 acre. Have been to field days, read literature & spent too many hours looking on the net. This has to be one of the most frustrating things I have ever been involved with. Some say it is swamp plant & you can't over water, others say to let them dry out a few times as it encourages growth. Heaps of fertilizer, very little fertilizer, sandy soil is best, loam is best etc. etc. Like an earlier post let the bulb tell you, ha ha. But it is true. For our purple garlic plant in March April with mild fertilizer, we use blood & bone. We water as you would any other plant, use a moisture meter or stick you fingers in the soil to see how dry/wet it is. Occasionally top dress with b&b. Pull one out every few weeks & see what it says. One thing that is common to all advice is to not water for the last 3-4 weeks (noted when the leaves start to turn yellow & die off) as this will produce a very slimy skin not easy to work with & hard to stop rot. Again pull one up & have a look at what it's doing, it will let you know same as a citrus, potato or anything else. Just takes time to get to know it. Hope this adds to the confusion, I know I still am.

- John

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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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