Batten Blooms
Garlic
Allium sativum

Garlic

3a–9bHardiness zone
SpringSummer
Peak bloom windowZone 6b · frost-offset weeks
Winter
Not in bloom
Spring
Peak bloom
Summer
Not in bloom
Fall
Not in bloom
Peak bloom
In bloom
Gallery
Garlic
Background

Garlic is a hardy bulb grown for its pungent cloves, which cure and store for months. In cold-winter zones it goes in the ground in fall, overwinters, and is harvested the following summer, so it occupies a bed through the off-season and needs almost nothing while it does. Hardneck types (porcelain, rocambole, purple stripe) are the ones for cold climates and the ones with the best flavour; softnecks store longer and braid, and suit the South.

Plant individual cloves, pointed end up, 2 inches deep and 6 inches apart, about six weeks before the ground freezes so roots form before winter; mulch with straw. In spring pull the mulch back, keep the bed weeded, and water in dry spells. Hardnecks send up a curled flower stalk, the scape, in early summer; cut it off to send the energy into the bulb, and eat it. Stop watering when the lower leaves begin to yellow.

Harvest when the lower leaves have browned but five or six upper leaves are still green, lifting with a fork, never pulling. Cure the whole plants in a dry, airy, shaded place for two to three weeks, then trim and store cool and dry. Save the largest cloves for replanting. Deer, rabbits and voles leave garlic alone, and it is a traditional companion for roses and brassicas.

Good companions
TomatoStrawberryRoseBrilliant Beet BlendBell PepperMetta Lettuce MixRhubarb
Keep apart
Garden PeaBlack Turtle Bean
Care guide
SunFull sun
WaterModerate; reduce as leaves yellow; stop when harvesting
SoilRich, well-draining; tolerates clay if drainage is good
Spacing6 inches
Height18–24 inches
Zone3a – 9b
Frost hardy
Seasonal tasks
spring
watchPull the mulch back as the snow melts and the first shoots emerge so the new growth isn't smothered
watchFirst feed - a nitrogen-rich fertilizer once the threat of heavy frost has passed and the shoots are greening up
watchKeep the bed well weeded through spring - garlic resents competition for nutrients
watchSecond feed - nitrogen again just before the bulbs begin to swell
watchWater every 3–5 days through the bulbing phase; ease off as the lower leaves begin to yellow
summer
cutCut scapes (hardneck types) when they curl - improves bulb size and scapes are edible
cutHarvest when the lower third of leaves have browned; cure in a dry airy space for 3–4 weeks
fall
plantPlant cloves, 2 inches deep, pointed end up, after first hard frost
watchMulch heavily right after planting - 4–6 inches of straw or shredded leaves to insulate the cloves and hold moisture through winter
buyOrder garlic heads for seed - about two weeks before planting, so they arrive in time to go in after the first hard frost
Common problems

White Rust

Symptoms

White, blister-like pustules on the undersides of leaves with yellow spots on the upper surface; severe infections distort leaves and stems.

Treatment

Remove and destroy infected leaves, improve air circulation, avoid overhead watering, and rotate brassicas to a new bed each year.

Botrytis (grey mould)

Symptoms

Grey fuzzy mould on petals and stems, worst in cool wet conditions.

Treatment

Remove affected parts immediately. Improve air circulation. Avoid overhead watering. Apply copper fungicide if severe.

Downy mildew

Symptoms

Yellowing on top of leaves with grey-purple fuzz underneath. Spreads rapidly in humid conditions.

Treatment

Remove affected leaves. Improve air circulation. Avoid overhead watering. Copper spray as preventive.

Garlic Basal Rot

Symptoms

Yellowing and dieback of leaves from the tips, stunted plants, and soft brown decay at the base plate of the bulb, often with pink-white fungal growth on roots.

Treatment

Plant disease-free cloves in well-draining soil, rotate alliums on a 4-year cycle, avoid overwatering, and discard infected bulbs rather than composting them.