Focus On... Autumn-Planted Garlic

Garlic ‘Chesnok Red’ is one of several fabulous hardneck varieties guaranteed to reward your care with large bulbs

- Lucy Chamberlain

IF you crave the plumpest, most sizeable cloves, autumn planting is a must. Here’s how to guarantee the most glorious of garlic gluts.

Often first-time garlic growers can feel a bit disappointed with the size of homegrown cloves. Spring plantings don’t have as much time in the ground to bulk up, so if you can graduate to starting crops off in autumn, you’ll have a better chance of creating decent bulbs. The extra growing time encourages a more extensive root system to form, which in turn gives more foliage to fuel large heads.

There are two types of garlic: softand hardnecks. Even though hardnecks are generally hardier, you can plant both varieties in autumn (see my tips panel on the following page), depending on your preference. Autumn varieties have a greater winter chill period than spring types. Generally, softnecks have a milder flavour and, not producing a flower spike, they store for longer.

For maximum individual clove size, though, hardnecks are your best bet (softnecks produce more numerous, smaller cloves). Remember to remove the flower spike in spring when growing hardneck garlics – if this is left on to develop fully, it can reduce your yields by 20 per cent.

Growing essentials

As well as following my tips overleaf, always ensure you plant garlic in full sun and on free-draining soils. Plants don’t develop a huge root system, so if your plot allows it then plant them at wider spacings (6-7in/15-18cm apart, each way). With these growing tips under your belt, the resulting homegrown cloves should be absolutely top-notch size.

Lucy’s top tips

Six secrets to growing the best garlic