Garlic Crop Sheet

Information sheet

Garlic is a low-maintenance, reliable and rewarding crop to grow in a school garden. Plant garlic cloves in late autumn and each one will grow into a bulb of garlic by the summer.

  • School term: Late Autumn, Early Spring
  • Level of experience: No experience needed
  • Subject(s): Science

Getting started

  • Garlic is grown from cloves – the small individual segments of a bulb.
  • Purchase garlic bulbs from a garden centre or an online retailer. Supermarket garlic can be more susceptible to disease and may not grow as well in the UK climate.
  • Split each garlic bulb into its individual cloves. Each clove should have part of the bulb’s basal plate at its base because this is where the roots will grow from.
  • Only plant firm cloves. Dispose of any that are soft, mouldy or squishy as they are likely to rot.
  • Choose a warm, sunny site with well-draining soil for planting.
  • Prepare the soil by removing any weeds or large stones and adding compost if necessary. 

Planting

When to plant: October to February

  • Garlic is usually planted in the autumn because the cloves require a spell of cold temperatures to grow well, but some varieties can be planted in January and February.
  • Use a measuring stick to make sure the row is straight and use a dibber to make small holes 15cm apart.
  • Push the cloves into the holes to a depth of 3-5cm with the flat part at the bottom.
  • If you are planting more than one row, make sure they are 30cm apart.
  • Label the rows with the name of the garlic and the date of planting.
  • Water the planted garlic cloves using a watering can with a rose.  

Growing

  • Water during dry spells in spring and early summer to help improve the bulb size but avoid watering once the bulbs are large and well-formed.
  • Weed the area around the crop regularly to ensure the plants are not competing for light, water and nutrients.
  • Rust may be a problem for garlic from mid-summer to autumn. Orange rust spots appear on the leaves and stems and, while it won’t kill your plants, it may affect the quality of your crop. Remove the infected parts of the plant to reduce the spread.
  • Garlic may also be infected by Onion white rot. It causes fluffy, white growth on the bottom of the bulb and yellow, wilting leaves. If your plants or soil are infected, remove the affected material and avoid planting vegetables from the allium family in that location. 

Harvesting

When to harvest: June to August

  • You can harvest a few of the green leaves for use in salads while the bulbs are still growing. 
  • Garlic bulbs are ready to harvest once the leaves have turned yellow and start to die back. Autumn-planted garlic should be ready in early summer and spring-planted garlic from mid-summer to early autumn.
  • Carefully dig up the bulbs with a fork, handling them gently as bruising can reduce their storage potential.
  • Leave garlic bulbs to dry on the surface of the soil or hang them in a dry shed or room.  

Varieties to try

  • 'Solent White' (autumn and spring planting): a strong flavoured British garlic from the Isle of Wight. It is well suited to the UK climate and produces plump, tasty cloves. Best planted in January.
  • 'Cristo' (autumn and spring planting): a French garlic which produces plump, white-skinned cloves that have a delicious, strong flavour and a light aroma. 
  • 'Elephant' (autumn planting): a large garlic that can grow to 15cm across. It is closely related to the common leek and has a milder flavour. Best planted in October or November.
  • 'Early Purple Wight' (autumn planting): originally from the village of Cadours in south western France, it produces large tasty bulbs very quickly.  

Top Tips

  • Make sure you choose a variety of garlic that is suited to the time of planting.
  • Useful tools when planting garlic include a dibber, measuring stick, labels and a rake.
  • Birds will often pull up newly planted cloves so cover your planted cloves with a piece of horticultural fleece until the green shoots appear.
  • If your ground is very heavy or wet, you can also plant garlic cloves in module trays. These should be placed in a cool, well-ventilated location and planted out in spring.
  • Try not to delay harvesting, as the bulbs store less well if they are lifted late.
  • Use garlic in a wide variety of recipes including curries, stir-fries, soups or chutneys. You can also try making rosemary and garlic butter.