Garlic in March: monthly care

Garlic thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, so choose an open position away from shade. It performs best in sandy or loam soils that don't become waterlogged in winter. Before planting, dig over the bed and work in some well-rotted compost or garden manure to improve structure, but avoid freshly manured ground, which can cause bulbs to rot. Plant garlic cloves in October or November for the best yields, as the cold period encourages strong root development and larger bulbs. You can also plant in February or March if you missed the autumn window, though bulbs may be slightly smaller. Break the bulb into individual cloves just before planting, keeping the papery skin intact. Choose the largest, healthiest cloves from the outer ring; small inner cloves produce poor plants. Push each clove into the soil pointed end upwards, so the tip sits about 2–3 cm below the surface. Space cloves 15 cm apart in rows 20–30 cm apart to allow air circulation and room for bulbs to swell. If your soil is heavy clay, plant cloves in modules under cover and transplant young plants out in spring, or grow in raised beds to improve drainage. After planting, firm the soil gently around each clove. Water lightly if the soil is dry, but garlic dislikes wet conditions, so don't overdo it. In exposed gardens, birds sometimes pull up freshly planted cloves; cover rows with fleece or netting for a few weeks if this is a problem. Mulch lightly with garden compost in late winter to suppress weeds, but keep mulch away from the stems to prevent rot.

Garlic has low water needs and actually suffers if kept too wet. Water sparingly after planting, then rely on winter and spring rainfall to keep roots moist. In dry springs, water every two to three weeks, but stop watering entirely by late May or early June as bulbs begin to mature—excess moisture at this stage encourages rot and reduces storage life. Feed once in March with a balanced granular fertiliser or a nitrogen-rich feed such as blood, fish and bone, scattering a light handful per square metre along the rows. This spring feed supports strong leaf growth, which in turn builds bigger bulbs. Avoid feeding after April, as late nitrogen encourages soft, leafy growth rather than firm, well-wrapped bulbs. Garlic is fully hardy across temperate Europe (zone 3a–9b) and needs no winter protection. In fact, autumn-planted cloves benefit from cold weather, which triggers proper bulb formation. Keep the bed weed-free, especially in spring when young garlic competes poorly with weeds. Hand-weed carefully or hoe shallowly to avoid damaging the shallow roots. The main pests are onion white rot, a soil-borne fungal disease causing yellowing leaves and fluffy white mould on the bulb base, and leek rust, which shows as orange pustules on leaves. Both thrive in damp conditions, so good drainage and crop rotation (avoid planting alliums in the same spot for at least four years) are your best defences. Garlic is otherwise trouble-free. After harvest, cure bulbs in the sun for two weeks, then store in a cool, dry place—properly dried garlic keeps for six months or more.