Roots & bulbs
Garlic
Individual cloves grow into bulbs.
Sowing & planting windows in Australia
Planting timing varies by broad Australian gardening zone. Local weather, unusual seasons and your garden’s microclimate can shift timing.
Cool
Plant cloves · Mar-Jun
Core months: March, April, May, June
Temperate
Plant cloves · Mar-Jun
Core months: March, April, May, June
Subtropical
Plant cloves · Mar-Jun
Core months: March, April, May, June
Tropical
Plant cloves · Apr-Jun
Core months: April, May, June
Arid
Plant cloves · Apr-Jun
Core months: April, May, June
Getting started
Separate a bulb into cloves and plant the cloves individually, with the pointed end uppermost. Use sound planting material suited to your region.
The right conditions
Choose a sunny position with loose, fertile soil and good drainage. Garlic varieties differ in their climate needs and maturity.
As it grows
Keep weeds under control and water during dry growing conditions. Avoid leaving the bed waterlogged. Follow the development of the plants rather than a fixed harvest date.
Ready to harvest
As foliage yellows and begins to die back, lift a sample to check bulb development. Lift mature bulbs carefully, before they split apart, and dry them in an airy, sheltered place.
Related how-to guides
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.
Plant garlic cloves
Choose sound planting stock from a known source; supermarket bulbs may be unsuitable or carry disease.
Plant guidance: Desk-reviewed against linked sources; not field-tested. Planting windows are a guide rather than a rule.