How to Plant and Grow Garlic

How to Plant and Grow Garlic

What would we do without garlic? This Mediterranean staple adds delicious flavour to a whole range of dishes, from soups and stews to stir-fries and casseroles. It's also easy to grow, and a wide range of varieties is available. Plant your own garlic cloves this fall, and you can enjoy harvesting and cooking with your own home-grown garlic next summer!

Types of Garlic

Garlic is divided into hardneck and softneck varieties.

  1. Hardneck garlic produces flower spikes, known as 'scapes,' which are generally cut off before they can flower. Hardneck garlic is hardier and better for cold areas and tends to have more complex flavours.
  2. Softnecks do not produce scapes, so the necks of the bulbs stay soft. Softnecks do well in areas with mild winters and store better for longer.

The garlic sold in supermarkets is usually softneck garlic.

Popular hardneck garlic varieties include Garlic' Kingsland Wight', 'Caulk Wight', and 'Sprint', while Garlic 'Solent Wight', 'Messidrome', and 'Germidour' are all excellent softneck garlic.

How to Plant Garlic

Garlic needs well-drained, fertile soil in a sunny spot. It is best planted in fall to give it a long growing season, but some garlic varieties can also be planted in spring.

  • Before planting, dig in plenty of organic material, such as compost, and add grit to improve drainage if necessary. Remove all weeds and large stones, and rake a general-purpose fertilizer into the soil.
  • Plant individual garlic cloves 15cm apart and 2.5cm deep with the tips just below the surface of the soil, pointing upwards. Water after planting to settle the soil.
  • Cover the beds with cloches or fleece to stop birds from pulling up the young seedlings.

How to Care for Garlic

Garlic is generally trouble-free and doesn't need much looking after. Follow these tips for a healthy crop.

  • Keep the beds clear of weeds. It's best to weed by hand to avoid damaging the plant's shallow roots.
  • Water well during long dry periods. When the leaves start to turn yellow, stop watering.
  • If scapes appear, pick them before they flower so that the plant's energies are focused on developing large bulbs. The scapes are delicious sautéed or roasted!
  • When the leaves are yellow, the bulbs are ready to harvest. Lift them gently using a garden fork. Spread them out in the sun or inside a well-ventilated room and leave them to dry for 2-3 weeks until the skins are papery.
  • Once the bulbs are dry, remove any damaged or bruised ones and store the rest in a string bag in a cool, dark place.

Wondering what to plant in your vegetable garden this fall? We have a great range of seeds, bulbs, and plants in our centre to keep your garden looking good all year round!

You might also be interested in:

How to grow topiary

Topiary is the art of training plants to take different shapes, and it’s a fascinating way to add your own unique touch to your garden. All you need is patience, a suitable plant and some sharp secateurs. Here’s our simple guide to making your own topiary.

Read more...
Making your own compost

Have you ever considered making your own compost? Not only does it save money, it also means your garden becomes more sustainable and biodiverse as compost heaps, when kept well, can also be beneficial to wildlife. So, what does it take to make good compost, how to make it and how to use it?

Read more...
15 gardening tips for June

Summer’s here and it’s the best time of year to be out in the garden, with flowers blooming, bees buzzing and long days to enjoy it all! Keep your garden looking fabulous this summer with our top 15 gardening tips for June.

Read more...
Five tips to get kids gardening

Children are always excited about being in the natural world, and express awe and curiosity. This natural affinity with the garden can keep children entertained for hours as they learn how to sow seeds, nurture and watch plants grow and learn where their food comes from. There are some really easy ways to get started and here are our top five.

Read more...
Sign up to our newsletter!

Sign up to receive our special offers!

Click here to sign up!