Cultivated Garlic

How to grow Cultivated Garlic

Written by Steve Davis · Last reviewed 21 July 2026 · Written for UK gardens · How we research our guidance

Planting

Plant individual cloves, pointed end up, in October or November — most varieties need a cold spell to split into a proper bulb. Set them about 2–3 cm deep, 15 cm apart, in rows 30 cm apart. On heavy wet soil, start the cloves in modules in a cold frame and plant out in late winter instead. Use certified seed garlic, not supermarket bulbs, which may carry disease and are often unsuited to the UK climate.

Pruning

Not applicable, but remove the flower stalks (scapes) that hardneck types throw up in early summer — leaving them on reduces bulb size. The scapes are worth eating.

Propagation

By replanting individual cloves from your best bulbs, though after a few generations home-saved stock tends to accumulate disease and is worth replacing.

Pests and diseases

White rot is the serious one: it produces fluffy white fungus and rotting at the base, persists in the soil for many years, and means you should not grow any allium on that ground again. Rust shows as orange pustules on the leaves in damp seasons and reduces the crop without killing it. Allium leaf miner is now widespread — cover the crop with fine mesh.

Notes

Lift in summer once about half the leaves have yellowed, rather than waiting for them all to go over, or the bulbs start to split. Dry the bulbs thoroughly in an airy place out of rain before storing. Rotate alliums around the plot on at least a three-year cycle.

This guidance was researched and written by GardenDecoded — see our editorial policy for how guides are checked and reviewed.

Other names for this plant

These names have all been used for Allium sativum but are no longer the accepted name. You may still meet them on old labels, in books, or in nursery catalogues.

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