Plant techniques
Plant garlic cloves
Choose sound planting stock from a known source; supermarket bulbs may be unsuitable or carry disease.
When to do it
Within Garlic’s window for your zone, using a locally suitable variety.
What you need
- Healthy planting garlic
- Trowel and label
- Prepared draining soil
How to do it
- Choose sound planting stock from a known source; supermarket bulbs may be unsuitable or carry disease.
- Separate cloves shortly before planting, keeping their skins intact. Reject soft or mouldy cloves.
- Set each clove flat base down and pointed end up. As a general starting point, space around 15 cm apart with the tip about 2.5 cm below soil; follow local variety instructions where they differ.
- Cover, settle gently and water if needed. Keep emerging shoots free of competing weeds.
- Monitor moisture without keeping the bed saturated. Use maturity signs in the curing guide before harvesting.
What success looks like
- Cloves produce rooted upright shoots.
Watch out for
- Planting an entire bulb as one clump.
- Waterlogging the planting row.
Plant guides using this technique
Garlic
Individual cloves grow into bulbs.
Related help
Cure and store onions and garlic
Check maturity before lifting: bulb onions naturally soften and fall at the neck; garlic is lifted as lower leaves yellow while some green leaves remain.
Prepare soil for planting
Find out what your bed needs before adding anything.
Sources and review
Checked 24 September 2026. Source-checked editorial guidance; not field-tested or independently reviewed by a horticulturist.