How to grow garlic

How to grow garlic at home

Grow garlic in a warm, sunny spot, in fertile, well-drained soil that doesn't get too wet in winter. Plant garlic cloves in autumn or early spring, planting individual cloves 18cm apart at twice their own depth. Keep the area weed free, water when dry and harvest from July onwards.

Growing garlic: jump links

• Planting garlic
• Caring for garlic
• Growing garlic: problem-solving
• Harvesting garlic
• Buying garlic
• Garlic varieties to grow

More on growing garlic:

• Eight garlic varieties to grow
• Tips for growing garlic in clay soil
• How to get rid of garden pests

How to plant garlic

You can buy garlic for both spring and autumn planting. However it's best to plant garlic in autumn, as the cloves need a period of cold weather to develop into bulbs.

To plant garlic, split the bulbs into individual cloves and plant them with the pointed end upwards. Take care not to damage the cloves when separating them. Space them about 18cm apart and plant at twice their own depth.

Here, Monty Don demonstrates how to plant garlic, with advice on planting depth and varieties to grow:

If you have heavy clay soil, it can be better to plant garlic in spring. This type of soil tends to hold a lot of water, especially over winter, which can cause the garlic cloves to rot. Alternatively, you can start garlic off by planting cloves singly in module trays in autumn. You can then plant these out in spring, when the soil has dried out a little. You could also try growing garlic in mounds 15cm tall and 20cm wide at the base. Plant the garlic cloves into these mounds, 15-20cm apart and 7-10cm deep. Because the soil is slightly raised, it doesn't get as wet, so the garlic is less likely to rot.

Watch Monty plant garlic in a container, with advice on drainage and feeding:

How to care for garlic

Garlic needs little care. Water regularly and weed between plants to reduce the competition for water and nutrients. Remove any flowers, or 'scapes' the plants produce – you can eat these in stir-fries.

Growing garlic: problem solving

Garlic is generally pest free. Garlic can be affected by leek rust, a fungal infection that is more common in wet weather. The garlic bulbs are perfectly safe to eat but it's a good idea to harvest affected plants immediately, to prevent the disease spreading.

Watch Monty Don's video guide to dealing with rust on garlic:

How to harvest garlic

Harvest garlic in summer when the leaves turn yellow. Gently lift out bulbs with a fork or trowel, taking care not to damage the bulbs. Leave the garlic to dry out for a couple of days, by laying it out on a table or tray, in full sun.

Watch Monty Don's video guide to harvesting garlic:

How to store garlic

Once dry, you can either store your garlic bulbs loose or plait their foliage to make a traditional string of bulbs. Take care not to bruise the bulbs, as any damage can make them deteriorate in storage. bear in mind that softneck garlic varieties store better than hardneck garlic, so eat the hardneck varieties first.

How to prepare and use garlic

Crush, slice or finely chop, or roast cloves whole, to add flavour to many dishes. Hardneck varieties tend to have more flavour than softnecks, so work well when roasted whole.

Watch this 20-second video demonstration from our friends at olive magazine on how to chop and crush garlic.

Can you plant supermarket garlic?

It is possible to grow garlic from supermarket bulbs, but it's not recommended as there's a risk of virus infection. If you buy from proper planting stock, it should be virus free. And you can also choose a variety that has been bred especially for our climate.

Great garlic varieties to grow

• 'Albigensian Wight' – a heavy cropping, soft-neck variety with large bulbs
• 'Blanco Veneto' ('Venetian Wight') – forms large bulbs with a strong flavour
• 'Early Purple Wight' – mild, purple-tinged bulbs
• 'Iberian Wight' – produces large bulbs with plump cloves, good to plait
• 'Solent Wight' – small bulbs with a strong flavour, stores well