Garlic care guide

Pets and children

How often to water Garlic

Spring–Summer (Mar–Sep)

Every 4 days

In spring, while the bulbs swell, water thoroughly once the topsoil dries, as a guide; ease off from May as harvest nears.

Autumn (Oct–Nov)

Every 4 days

After planting, keep the soil from drying out until shoots appear, watering about when the topsoil dries, as a guide.

Winter (Dec–Feb)

Every 10 days

Growth slows, so as a guide water on a sunny morning a few days after the soil dries.

Light and placement for Garlic

A sunny, airy spot outdoors is about right; wet soil rots the bulbs, so use a free-draining mix and plant 10 to 15 cm apart in a container at least 20 cm deep, and in mild regions a warm-climate variety is generally easier.

Overwintering Garlic

Overwintering guide: −5°C (23°F) or above

Generally planted in September or October, wintered outdoors, and harvested in May or June; the cold is what makes the bulbs form, so keep it outside and, as a guide, mulch the base with straw where hard frosts scorch the leaf tips.

Fertilizing and repotting Garlic

Fertilizer

Plant with a base fertilizer and feed about twice, around December and in late February or March, as a guide; feeding later in spring tends to split or spoil the bulbs.

When to repot

Autumn (Oct–Nov)

Common problems with Garlic

• Planted too late, it roots poorly before winter and the bulbs stay small.
• Poor drainage or long rains keep the soil wet and rot the bulbs.
• Harvested late, the bulbs split and spoil in the rainy-season damp.

Tips for growing Garlic

• If two shoots come up from one clove, pull the smaller and keep one.
• Snapping off the spring flower stalks helps the bulbs swell, and the stalks are edible.
• When about half the leaves have yellowed, lift the bulbs in a dry spell and dry them in shade.

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