1. Make sure soil is not too acidic (we forgot to test and garlic grew but did not thrive)
2. Make sure your drainage is very good because for 2 years in a row now, there have been heavy rains close to harvest time just when the garlc needs to be dry
3. Someone here suggested feeding which we didn't do the first year but decided to do this year. I think this helped us get a crop where we may not have otherwise. V. annoyed with myself that I didn't write down this info either, as you feed early until a certain point then stop
4. Weed assiduously!

We got "planting" garlic from an organic F&V stall at the market - it was already sprouting. We planted 180 bulbs and were looking forward to a bumper crop, but we made a few mistakes including a bed that maybe didn't get enough sun in the afternoon, was not as well drained as it should have been and as mentioned above, we kept forgetting to test the soil, and I suspect it was a little too acidic, having been very well manured. As a result, we pulled up a lot of small but delicious heads of garlic and lost quite a few to rot with the downpours in Melbourne around November.

We were intending to start them off earlier this year. Probably April and potentially in the former potato/pea bed as long as that doesn't pose any issues re succession. We *will* test and lime the soil this time, but at least we know it will be well drained!

In Greece, my partner's grandfather always planted his garlic on the anniversary of the liberation of his town (Yiannitsa) from the Turks, which is 28th October 1912. So adding 6 months to that is roughly Anzac Day. What a nice bit of synchronicity :-)

Yeh there is a grain/produce shop in Oakleigh which has certified garlic for planting - aphids destroyed my crop last year and I also think my soil was too acidic, will need to get the lime on there :)

Thanks