Garlic Care
Allium sativum
A very hardy bulb vegetable whose cloves are planted in autumn and harvested in summer. Winter cold is necessary for it to form bulbs.
Monthly care calendar
Timings are for a temperate Northern Hemisphere climate. In warmer areas tasks start earlier, in colder areas later; in the Southern Hemisphere shift them by six months.
- Watering: In the cool season, rainfall is often enough; during a long dry spell, water every 10-15 days just enough to keep the soil moist.
- Frost risk: Garlic tolerates hard frosts; a snow cover protects the plant.
- Watering: In the cool season, rainfall is often enough; during a long dry spell, water every 10-15 days just enough to keep the soil moist.
- Watering: In the cool season, rainfall is often enough; during a long dry spell, water every 10-15 days just enough to keep the soil moist.
- Fertilizing: Apply nitrogen fertilizer once when growth starts; do not apply nitrogen after April.
- Watering: If there is no rain, water every 7-10 days.
- Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
- Pests & diseases: Check the undersides of the leaves for orange-brown pustules (rust).
- Watering: Stop watering 2-3 weeks before harvest; the heads rot in wet soil and their storage life is shortened.
- Pruning: If a hard flower stalk (scape) appears, snap it off when it curls; the energy then goes to the bulb. The removed scape can be eaten fresh.
- Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
- Pests & diseases: Check the undersides of the leaves for orange-brown pustules (rust).
- Watering: Deep watering 1-2 times a week is enough; frequent, shallow watering draws the roots to the surface.
- General care: Harvest: Pull them when a third of the lower leaves have turned yellow; dry them for 2-3 weeks in a shaded, airy place.
- Watering: If there is no rain, water every 7-10 days.
- General care: Plant sound, large cloves 4-5 cm deep with the pointed end up; 25-30 cm between rows and 10-12 cm within the row.
- Watering: In the cool season, rainfall is often enough; during a long dry spell, water every 10-15 days just enough to keep the soil moist.
- General care: Plant sound, large cloves 4-5 cm deep with the pointed end up; 25-30 cm between rows and 10-12 cm within the row.
- Watering: In the cool season, rainfall is often enough; during a long dry spell, water every 10-15 days just enough to keep the soil moist.
The care advice on this page is general and for information only; it is not professional advice. Plant age, soil and your garden’s microclimate can change the outcome. Plant protection products are mentioned only as general information; they are regulated, and the choice, dose and timing must be decided by a qualified professional under local rules. Consult a landscape architect or agronomist before applying.
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