Garlic is very easy to grow and is affected by fewer pests and diseases than most plants.
Planting
The soil should be free draining and largely spent e.g. not too nutrient rich. If the soil holds too much water the bulbs will rot.
Varieties
Solent Wight
Planted: Early 2023, Early 2024 (from saved bulbs)
A popular softneck variety that will produce decent sized bulbs with a good flavour. Lifted in July, bulbs will keep until the following March in the correct conditions. Being a softneck it’s suitable for plating out between the start of February and the end of April. Harvest is typically in July and August.
Grown in 2023 from shop bought bulbs. In 2024 we grew this from bulbs saved from the previous year. Cloves were planted indoors at the end of February for transplant in April – this was done so that we could keep the weed sheet on the ground until later in the year, typically you’d plant garlic straight out.
Sprint
Planted: Early October 2025
I bought this at the Malvern Autumn Show, two bulbs at £4.50 each. I got 16 good cloves and another 8 plantable cloves. As I bought it at a show I got to talk to the grower who said could be ready as early a mid-April if planted in early October. I primarily planted them in south facing tubs up against the house. The ground is good and free draining and grows tomatoes just fine – in fact my purple Cherokee are still in there but they only have a couple of weeks left. A few spare cloves went into the buckets, I don’t think they will do terribly well, though.