Garlic
Allium sativum
Family: Amaryllidaceae · Genus: Allium
Garlic is a bulbous perennial in the amaryllis family, grown for its pungent bulbs divided into cloves. Native to Central Asia, it is a staple flavouring ingredient in cuisines worldwide. Traditionally planted in cold weather and harvested in summer.
Soil Temperature
10°C – 35°C
Spacing
10 – 12 cm
Harvest
17–25 weeks
Sowing
Plant cloves. Point upwards, deep enough to just cover with soil.
Growing Schedule Zone 8b
Companions
Avoid Growing Near
Growing Notes
Garlic is traditionally planted in cold weather and harvested in summer. Plant the cloves (separated from the bulb), point upwards, deep enough to just cover with soil. A fairly tough and easy-growing plant but in better soil with regular watering you will get a better crop. On poorer soil, and forgetting to water them, you will still get some garlic, only not quite so much. Leave a garlic to go to seed, and you will probably get plenty of self-sown plants the following year. To keep for later use, dig up and leave to dry out for a day or so after the green shoots die down.
Culinary Hints
Cut the growing shoots or use the entire young garlic plants as 'garlic greens' in stir-fry.