Growing Garlic in Canberra

Cold winters, excellent chill hours, and the perfect climate for hardneck garlic

Canberra is one of the best places in Australia to grow garlic. The cold winters provide the prolonged chill period that garlic needs to form large, well-divided bulbs. Hardneck varieties, which are rare in warmer parts of Australia, produce their best results here. The dry summers reduce fungal problems during the curing period. A single bed planted in autumn can supply a household with garlic for 6-8 months.

Garlic is a low-maintenance crop that occupies the garden during the cooler months when most beds sit empty. Plant cloves in April or May, let them grow through winter and spring, and harvest in November or December.

Planting Time and Method

Plant garlic cloves in Canberra from mid-April to late May. This timing gives the cloves 6-8 weeks of temperatures below 10 degrees through June and July, which triggers the bulb division process. Planting too late (June or later) shortens the growing season and produces smaller bulbs.

Break bulbs into individual cloves just before planting. Use the largest, healthiest cloves and discard any that are soft, damaged, or mouldy. Plant each clove pointy end up, 5 centimetres deep and 15 centimetres apart, in rows spaced 25-30 centimetres apart. Push each clove firmly into the soil and cover.

Garlic grows best in full sun with well-drained, fertile soil. Canberra's alkaline clay needs preparation: dig in generous amounts of compost and well-rotted manure 2-3 weeks before planting. Raised beds are ideal because they warm faster in spring and provide the drainage garlic requires. Waterlogged soil causes bulb rot, which is the most common reason for garlic failure in the ACT.

Best Garlic Varieties for Canberra

Canberra's cold winters suit hardneck garlic, which requires more chill hours than softneck types. Hardneck garlic produces a central flower stalk (scape) in spring, has fewer but larger cloves per bulb, and delivers stronger, more complex flavour than supermarket softneck garlic.

• Australian Purple (Purple Stripe): The most widely available hardneck variety in Australia. Strong flavour, reliable performer, stores for 4-5 months. Purple-streaked wrappers with 6-8 cloves per bulb. Available from Diggers Club, The Garlic Farm, and at Canberra Organic Growers Society autumn sales.
• Monaro Purple: Selected for the Monaro tablelands region, which shares Canberra's climate. Excellent cold tolerance and strong flavour. Slightly larger bulbs than Australian Purple. Available from specialist garlic suppliers and at local garden events.
• Music (Porcelain type): Large, handsome bulbs with 4-6 very large cloves. Rich, hot flavour that mellows when roasted. Needs cold winters, so it performs well in Canberra. Stores for 6-7 months.
• Spanish Roja (Rocambole type): Easy-to-peel cloves with rich, complex flavour. Considered one of the best culinary varieties. Shorter storage life (3-4 months) but outstanding in the kitchen. Reliable in Canberra's climate.
• Elephant garlic: Technically a leek, but grown like garlic. Produces very large, mild-flavoured bulbs. Handles Canberra's cold well. Plant cloves 10 centimetres deep and 20 centimetres apart to give the large bulbs room to develop.

Softneck varieties (Silverskin, Artichoke types) also grow in Canberra, though they produce their best results in slightly warmer climates. They store longer (8-10 months) than hardneck types and can be braided for hanging storage.

Growing Through Winter and Spring

Garlic requires minimal attention through winter. The cloves develop roots in autumn, send up green shoots in late April or May, and then grow slowly through the cold months. Do not worry about frost damage to the foliage; garlic handles Canberra's hardest frosts (minus 7 degrees) without protection.

Mulch the bed with 5-8 centimetres of pea straw or lucerne after planting. This suppresses weeds, retains moisture, and moderates soil temperature. Keep the bed weeded, as garlic does not compete well with weeds.

Water sparingly through winter. Canberra's winter rainfall (35-45 millimetres per month) usually provides enough moisture. In spring (September to November), increase watering as temperatures rise and the bulbs swell. Water deeply once or twice a week rather than light daily sprinkles. Stop watering completely two weeks before harvest to allow the outer wrappers to dry and tighten.

Hardneck garlic produces scapes (curling flower stalks) in October or November. Snap these off when they form their first curl. Removing scapes directs energy into the bulb and can increase bulb size by 20-30 percent. Scapes are edible and delicious: chop them into stir-fries, pesto, or scrambled eggs.

Harvest and Curing

Garlic is ready to harvest in Canberra from late November to mid-December. The sign to watch for is the lower leaves browning and dying back while the top 4-5 leaves remain green. Each green leaf corresponds to a wrapper layer on the bulb. Harvest with 4-5 green leaves remaining for bulbs with good wrapper coverage.

Loosen the soil around each bulb with a fork, then pull gently. Do not yank garlic out by the stalk, as this can damage the bulb and reduce storage life. Brush off loose soil but do not wash the bulbs.

Cure garlic in a warm, dry, well-ventilated area out of direct sunlight. Hang bunches from rafters in a shed or garage, or lay them on wire racks. Canberra's dry December weather is ideal for curing. Allow 2-3 weeks for the wrappers to dry completely. Once cured, trim the roots to 1 centimetre and cut the stalks to 3-4 centimetres (or leave long for braiding softneck types).

Store cured garlic in a cool, dry, dark place with good airflow. A mesh bag or open basket in a pantry works well. Hardneck varieties store for 4-6 months; softneck types last 8-10 months. Save the largest bulbs from each harvest as seed garlic for the following season.

Common Problems in the ACT

• Rust: Orange-brown pustules on leaves, most common in spring when humidity rises. Remove affected leaves promptly. Improve airflow by spacing plants properly. Rust reduces bulb size but rarely kills plants. Avoid overhead watering.
• White rot: A serious soil-borne fungal disease that causes white, fluffy growth on the bulb base. Infected bulbs are soft and rotten. The fungus persists in soil for 15-20 years. Rotate garlic to different beds each year. Do not plant garlic, onions, or leeks in the same bed for at least 4 years.
• Small bulbs: Usually caused by late planting, poor soil preparation, weed competition, or insufficient watering in spring. Plant on time (April to May), enrich the soil, keep beds weed-free, and water well during the bulbing period (September to November).

Frequently Asked Questions