How to Grow Garlic & Shallots

Timing

Traditionally, garlic is planted in June on the shortest day of the year and harvested in December on the longest day, although it can be planted as early as April, and in cooler districts in May.

Location

Choose well-drained soil in a sunny position.

Plant Types

There’s a wide range to choose from, but the main types are:

Garlic: Has a strong, pungent and slightly heated taste and is well-used in cooking.
Elephant garlic: This isn’t a true garlic, but a type of leek with the same tall flowering stalk and broad leaves. It forms a bulb of very large, garlic-like cloves. The flavour is milder than regular garlic, making it suitable to use raw in salads.
Shallots: These have a mild taste that combines the flavour of a sweet onion with a touch of garlic. Shallots are used a lot in salads and for bottling. They can be used to replace onion in most dishes.

Soil

Garlic and shallots are relatively heavy feeders, so dig in plenty of compost, some general garden fertiliser, and lime before planting.

Planting

Garlic:

Break the garlic bulb up into individual cloves taking the largest undamaged cloves from around the outside of the bulb. Do this just before planting as the clove will start to “grow” as soon as it is broken up.
Press the cloves into the soil with the narrow end up so they are just covered – approximately twice as deep as the clove.
Plant 15cm apart. If planting several rows, allow 30cm between the rows.

Shallots:

Plant the individual cloves and the mother bulb separately.
Plant them half in, half out of the soil, with the narrow end, or sprout, pointing up.
Plant 8-10cm apart

Elephant Garlic:

Plant the entire clove.
Water with a blood and bone liquid fertiliser once planted.
Apply a layer of pea straw mulch to keep the weeds away – garlic hates competition.

Watering

Garlic doesn’t need much watering during winter, but increase watering during spring growth.
One month before harvesting you should reduce watering to improve the keeping quality of your garlic.

Feeding

Feed every four weeks during key growth periods with Vegetable Food. This will encourage healthy vegetable growth and microbial and earthworm activity in the soil.

Pests & Disease

Garlic and shallots are relatively pest and disease free, though mites can cause leaves to speckle and yellow affecting storage after harvest.
Downy Mildew is a fungus that affects garlic in warm, wet weather causing the foliage to yellow, wilt, and become stunted.

Harvesting

Harvest in December on the longest day of the year, or when the foliage turns brown.
Lift by loosening the soil around the bulb with a fork and pull the bulbs up by the tops.
Leave garlic or shallots to dry in a cool, dark and dry space for 2-4 weeks before eating to help the flavour develop.
When the foliage is dry, trim it back to the top of the bulb and store in a string bag in a cool, dry, well ventilated area until needed. Alternatively, leave about 15cm of foliage on top and braid the bulbs into bunches.