Garlic planting months by climate zone
The chart comes from the same data as the planting calendar. Tap a zone for its full calendar and the towns it covers.
| Zone | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | Sow or plant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical | yes | yes | yes | yes | Apr–Jul | ||||||||
| Subtropical | yes | yes | yes | yes | Mar–Jun | ||||||||
| Arid and semi-arid | yes | yes | yes | Apr–Jun | |||||||||
| Temperate | yes | yes | yes | Mar–May | |||||||||
| Cool | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | Mar–Jul | |||||||
| NZ warm north | yes | yes | yes | May–Jul | |||||||||
| NZ temperate | yes | yes | yes | May–Jul | |||||||||
| NZ cool south | yes | yes | yes | May–Jul |
plantnot recommendedthis month
Earlier is usually better within each window. Green Harvest's advice for south-east Queensland is to plant by the end of April, because later plantings give smaller bulbs. In New Zealand, Tui says garlic can go in through autumn and winter, from April to July, although the shortest day in late June is the traditional date.
Softneck or hardneck?
Garden guides split garlic into two groups, and the right one depends on your climate.
- Softneck types have no stiff flower stalk, smaller cloves and a longer storage life, and are the kind usually found in shops (University of Maryland Extension). The Diggers Club recommends them for warm areas.
- Hardneck types grow a stiff flower stem, called a scape, and suit cool areas, according to Sustainable Gardening Australia and Yates. University of Maryland Extension notes that pinching out the scape increases bulb size, and the scapes can be eaten like spring onions.
Chilling cloves in warm climates
Where winters are mild, the cloves may never get enough cold to form a bulb. The Diggers Club's fix for warm zones is to use softneck garlic and keep the cloves in the fridge for 10–12 weeks before planting. ABC Gardening Australia's Jerry Coleby-Williams plants pre-chilled cloves in winter in Brisbane.
Don't plant supermarket garlic
Check where shop garlic comes from before you plant it. ABC News reports that imported garlic is fumigated with methyl bromide to reduce the risk of bringing in pests and diseases, and the Australian Garlic Industry Association's chair says it may also be sprayed with growth inhibitors to extend its shelf life. Plant seed garlic from a nursery or a local grower instead, and pick the largest cloves: University of Maryland Extension notes that large cloves produce larger bulbs.
How to plant
- Plant pointed tip up, flat base down. Maryland Extension sets cloves in a 13 cm deep furrow and covers them with 2.5–5 cm of soil.
- Space them 8–15 cm apart in the row, or in double or triple rows to save space. The calendar's figure is 10–15 cm.
- Mulch or not: Maryland Extension suggests organic mulch to keep weeds down, or leaving the soil bare for quicker growth and larger bulbs where weeds are not a problem.
When to harvest and how to cure
Garlic is ready in late spring or early summer, five to nine months after planting. University of Maryland Extension lifts the plants with a garden fork when about half the foliage has turned brown. Dry them with the tops on in a well-ventilated spot out of direct sun for 7–14 days, then trim and store them somewhere cool and dry. Stored well, bulbs keep for 6–9 months.
Questions
When do you plant garlic in Australia?
In autumn and early winter: March to May in temperate areas such as Sydney, Perth and Adelaide, March to July in cool areas such as Melbourne, Canberra and Hobart, and March to June in the subtropics, preferably by the end of April.
Do I need to put garlic in the fridge before planting?
Only in warm climates. The Diggers Club recommends 10–12 weeks in the fridge for cloves planted in warm zones, where winters are too mild for the cloves to get enough cold to form a bulb.
When is garlic ready to harvest?
In late spring or early summer, when about half the leaves have turned brown. Lift the bulbs with a fork and dry them with the tops on for one to two weeks before storing.
Can I plant garlic from the supermarket?
It isn't a good idea. Imported garlic is fumigated with methyl bromide and may be treated to stop it sprouting. Buy seed garlic of a type that suits your climate from a nursery or local grower.
Sources
- The Diggers Club, How to grow garlic – softneck types and chilling cloves for warm zones.
- Green Harvest, garlic growing notes – plant by the end of April in south-east Queensland.
- Sustainable Gardening Australia, Glorious garlic, and Yates, How to grow garlic – hardneck types for cool areas.
- ABC Gardening Australia, Guide to garlic – pre-chilled cloves in Brisbane.
- Tui, Garlic growing guide – shortest day and longest day, April–July planting.
- ABC News, Fresh vs fumigated: the difference between Australian and imported garlic (December 2022).
- University of Maryland Extension, Growing garlic in a home garden – planting depth and spacing, clove size, scapes, harvest, curing and storage.
- Planting months by zone: the GardenMaths planting calendar, with the sources listed on each zone page.
Last reviewed 23 September 2026 · Report an error