When to Plant Garlic in Canberra, Cold / Highland Guide

Sow March to July. Right now in September it is out of season. The next sowing month is March.

Published · Last reviewed · By Garden Buddy
Growing advice is reviewed by hand. Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.

This Garlic guide is written for the Cold / Highland zone, which takes in Canberra, Cooma and Bright. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.

Not your zone? Cairns Brisbane Sydney Melbourne Alice Springs Perth

Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.

Garlic

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Garlic is one of the most rewarding crops for Australian home gardeners. Plant cloves in autumn, harvest in summer. It practically grows itself. Variety selection is critical: softneck types for warm climates, hardneck for cold. Subtropical-specific varieties exist for northern growers. Home-grown garlic is vastly superior to imported Chinese garlic that dominates supermarket shelves.

Planting Calendar for Cold / Highland

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
- - D D D D D - - - - -

S = Seed Tray   T = Transplant   D = Direct Sow

Want a nudge when it is Garlic sowing time in Canberra?

One email a week with what is worth planting in the Cold / Highland zone right now, Garlic included, plus which veg has jumped in price at the supermarket. Free, and you can stop it in one click.

Current Growing Conditions

Soil temperature: 11.2°C (optimal range: 5–20°C) ✓ Ready to plant

Modelled from Open-Meteo forecast (Canberra), not a live sensor.

How to Grow Garlic in Cold / Highland Australia

When to Plant

March to April. Plant before ground freezes. Canberra's cold winters are ideal for hardneck garlic which needs a cold period to develop large bulbs.

Soil
Well-drained, fertile sandy loam enriched with aged compost. Garlic absolutely demands good drainage. Waterlogged soil causes bulb rot. Raised beds ideal in heavy clay areas. Do not add fresh manure at planting time.
pH Range
6.0-7.0
Sunlight
Full sun (6+ hours). No shade tolerance. Garlic needs maximum sun for bulb development.
Spacing
15cm apart, 25cm between rows
Watering
Water regularly during active growth (autumn-spring) but reduce watering as leaves begin to yellow in late spring/summer. Stop watering 2-3 weeks before harvest. Wet soil at harvest causes storage rot

Companion plants: Rose, Tomato, Beetroot, Lettuce, Chamomile, Strawberry

Avoid planting near: Peas, Beans, Asparagus, Sage

Cold / Highland Growing Tips for Garlic

Recommended Varieties

  • Music (Porcelain Hardneck)
  • Spanish Roja (Rocambole Hardneck)
  • Chesnok Red (Purple Stripe)
  • Printanor (Artichoke)

Key Challenges

  • Very cold winters may heave cloves out of ground
  • Late frosts damaging spring growth
  • White rot

Pro Tips

  • Cold highlands are hardneck garlic heaven. This is where they produce the best flavour
  • Mulch heavily (10-15cm) after planting to insulate and prevent frost heaving
  • Canberra growers at Braidwood produce Printanor commercially. It is proven here

Harvesting Garlic

When ready: Bottom 3-4 leaves brown and dried, top 4-5 leaves still green. This typically indicates 5-7 bulb wrappers remain (each green leaf = one wrapper). Do not wait until all leaves die. Bulb wrappers deteriorate and bulbs split open. Dig one test bulb to check. Cloves should fill the wrapper tightly with clear clove differentiation.

How to harvest: Loosen soil alongside row with garden fork, then gently lift bulbs. Do NOT pull by the stalk, it may break. Brush off loose soil but do not wash. Cure in a dry, shaded, well-ventilated area for 2-4 weeks until outer wrappers are papery and stems are dry. Trim roots and stalks after curing (or braid softneck types).

Where to next

What garlic costs in the shops right now, retailer by retailer, updated daily.

Also worth sowing in the cold and highland zone this September: Sweet Corn, Beetroot, Chilli Peppers and Snow Peas.

The pest most likely to find your garlic: Rust (various).

Supermarket Price

Current average retail: $31.50/kg (12-month range: $29.99–$35.01)

Grow your own and save on grocery bills.

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Common Questions About Garlic

When do you plant garlic in Australia?

It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:

Does garlic grow all year round in Canberra?

No. In the Cold / Highland zone the planting months are Mar to Jul. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.

Which zone am I in?

Type your postcode into the box under the heading and the page tells you, and links this crop in your own zone if it differs. Or look it up on the grow zone map. This page is the Cold / Highland zone, Canberra is its reference city.