All about garlic > Cultivation

Soil Preparation
Garlic will tolerate a wide range of soils but prefers a free-draining loam high in organic matter. If well-rotted manure is not available then a generous application of a general purpose fertiliser such as Growmore should be raked in immediately prior to planting.This should be followed by two further applications of nitrogen (as ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulphate, urea, etc.) in April and May, applied between the rows at a rate equivalent to 15-20 grams of nitrogen per square metre.

Planting
Ideally, garlic should be planted between mid-September through to early November although planting can be left until spring if you are prepared to accept a lower yield. Separate the bulbs into individual cloves just prior to planting and space them at 10 cm in rows about 30 cm apart. Plant them base down so that there is about 50 - 70 mm soil over the top of the cloves and lightly firm the soil with the back of a spade. In milder districts no winter protection is necessary but those areas exposed to heavy frosts will benefit from a winter mulch of straw or fleece. If you do plant in spring remember that garlic requires a month or so of low temperatures in order to bulb up properly so store bulbs in a frost-free shed rather than a warm boiler room!