Focus on... Planting garlic

Make sure you know the best planting, timings and soil conditions so you can grow the best garlic possible. Lucy explains how to best prep as you crack open the cloves

- Lucy Chamberlain

THE organised gardener may have started their garlic in November, but the rest of us can plant now. There are two main types of garlic – softneck (Allium sativum) and hardneck (A. sativum var. ophioscorodon) – so what kind of care do they need?

Perfect planting 

Whole bulbs (heads) should be split into individual cloves just before planting (they dry out excessively, otherwise). Don’t bruise them as this can cause rots. Only plant the largest plump cloves as these give the biggest yields (pot smaller ones up as garlic chives), positioning them 3in (8cm) deep and 6in (16cm) apart in grids (wider on lighter soils). Site in full sun, and add plenty of organic matter to the plot, plus a little bonemeal.

Garlic doesn’t have an extensive root system, yet it needs steady moisture and appreciates phosphorus (but not excess nitrogen). Acid soils give poor yields, so lime to raise the pH to neutral. Water every week in dry spells (except two weeks prior to harvest) and keep beds well weeded. Harvest once the foliage is half-dead – any later, and the cloves keep growing, hindering storage life.

Seasonal adjustment 

Most hardnecks are autumn-planted – they’re hardier, with fewer, bigger cloves. These types will produce flower spikes terminating in bulbils, which impacts upon storage, so remove and eat these for the biggest heads. Softneck garlic is less cold-tolerant so it suits spring plantings (it doesn’t flower, so it stores very well).