How Do You Plant Garlic?

June 22, 2022

Garlic is a vegetable packed with so much flavor and nutrients that it has become a staple in many dishes and recipes. This vegetable is easy to grow as long as the timing is perfect! Let’s get to planting garlic!

Intro to growing Garlic

Let's get down to business. Growing garlic is a lot of fun. Plus, they are tasty and healthy!

Varieties

If planted in autumn it will keep well into the following winter. If planted in spring it will keep until the middle of following spring. Most varieties need one to two months at 0-10 C (32-50 F) for good bulb development. Always buy named varieties of garlic from a garden centre or mail-order supplier.

Soil

Garlic needs a period of cold, so is usually planted in late autumn or early winter. However, in colder climates, cloves are best planted about six weeks before the soil freezes. Garlic does well in loose, dry, well-drained soils in sunny locations. Garlic plants prefer to grow in a soil with a high organic material content, but are capable of growing in a wide range of soil conditions and pH levels. Prior to planting, remove any weeds then improve the soil's structure, moisture retention and nutrient levels by digging in organic matter.

Container

Garlic plants can be grown closely together, leaving enough space for the bulbs to mature, and are easily grown in containers of sufficient depth.

Seeds

You are obviously also going to need something to sow!

Sun-Requirements

This plant needs full sun.

Sowing

Garlic is grown by planting individual cloves of garlic (rather than sowing seeds), usually in the autumn. Insert one clove into each module and cover with compost.