Traditionally garlic is planted on the shortest day of the year and harvested on the longest. For Kiwis, that means a mid-June planting.
What to Plant
The garlic bulb has many cloves and that is its seed. You can’t plant a complete bulb whole however, so break it up between your fingers to loosen the cloves. Keep the outer white layer of skin on each clove.
Use cloves from a previous harvest or buy them from a local farmers market or garden centre. Do not grow from imported garlic you may find in the supermarket. Who knows what lotions and potions would have been sprayed onto the garlic overseas! Besides being illegal (as it has been imported to consume not as a seed) imported garlic does not have the stringent regulations that New Zealand has.
When to Plant Garlic
On the shortest day, typically mid-June for New Zealand growers. Shoots will begin to appear within a month or two. It takes 6 months, or 170 days, to grow garlic to maturity. In the Waikato, the best time to plant is between April-July – no later though!
Daylight hours are precious so watch my ‘how to’ in 60 seconds!
How to Plant Garlic
Dig a trough twice the depth of the garlic clove and bury each clove. It doesn’t matter which way it is pointing, Mother Nature works it out — although our tendencies is to plant it upright! The garlic plant needs lots of water, sunshine and food. A healthy plant is a lush, green plant that closely resembles a leek. Even though the bulb doesn’t start to develop until November/December (some 6-8 weeks away from harvesting) it is essential that the plant does not dry out at any time otherwise the bulb will be effected.
When to Harvest Garlic
Harvest your garlic on the longest day. The green tops of the plant will start to dry and go brown and ‘die off’ just as onions do. Top and tail (clip the roots and the foliage) and allow to dry in an aerated space for 3-4 weeks before consuming. This gives the garlic a chance to cure. If eaten early it will be very mild in flavour. Store in a dry space.
Happy planting!
