Garlic
Allium sativum
A vegetable, planted March to May or October to December.
In September: dry the garlic off for storing. Wear gloves: it can irritate skin or cause an allergy.
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Garlic, month by month
Bar: the usual months. Sprout: this month.
| Sowing, planting or job | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | 2027Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plant out. | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | usual | usual | none | none | none |
| Plant garlic cloves. | none | usual | usual | usual | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none |
| Cut the flower stems off the garlic (hardneck plants only. For softneck plants only). | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | usual | none | none |
| Dig up the garlic. | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | usual | none | none |
| Dry the garlic off for storing. | usual | usual | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | usual | usual |
What to do, and when
The usual months for a UK garden. Your own plan gives the week.
Handle it with care
Wear gloves: it can irritate skin or cause an allergy.
Strong source: RHS.
Planting
Plant out March to May, 15cm apart. Strong source: RHS.
Plant garlic cloves October to December, 2.5cm deep, 15cm apart, rows 30cm apart. Strong source: RHS.
Cut the flower stems off the garlic
Gardeners call this flower-stem and scape removal.
For hardneck plants only. For softneck plants only.
Remove them as soon as they start to form, so the plant’s energy goes into swelling the bulb.
Dig up the garlic
Usually May to June. Strong source: RHS.
Dry the garlic off for storing
Gardeners call this curing and ripening off for storage.
Dry them in a single layer in the sun, ideally in a well-ventilated greenhouse, but not above 30°C.
Usually June to October. Strong source: RHS.
What the source words mean
Strong: the RHS page for this plant is among them.
Every line above names the page it comes from. Where we found no good source for a job, we left it out. Where the name “Garlic” comes from.