When to plant Elephant Garlic in Birmingham

Allium ampeloprasum var. ampeloprasum

Elephant Garlic
Elephant Garlic · Allium ampeloprasum var. ampeloprasum

A hardy allium grown from planting cloves, not true seed. Use named planting stock, not supermarket bulbs. It does best in a sunny, free-draining bed. Autumn is the main crop. Lift the following summer.

120 cm · Full Sun · Moderate Water

Add to garden

Calibrated to Birmingham · last frost ≈ 27 Apr

Plant out March to April, harvest July to October. Frost risk October to April.
ActivityJanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
Plant outNoNoYesYesNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNo
HarvestNoNoNoNoNoNoYesYesYesYesNoNo

Growing guide

What to do through the growing season

Growing guide for

Change the guide to see different planting timelines and tips.

Use this if the ground was too wet in autumn. Heads are usually smaller. They still need a free-draining site.

  1. 01

    Prepare the Bed

    13 Mar to 28 Mar

    Dig over the soil around 13th March - 28th March. Mix in compost or well-rotted manure. Raise the bed slightly if the ground is heavy.

  2. 02

    Plant Cloves

    28 Mar to 13 Apr

    Use named planting stock, not supermarket bulbs. Plant cloves during 28th March - 13th April, pointed end up, with the tip about below the surface. Space apart, in rows apart. Water only if the soil is dry.

    • Skip planting if the bed sits wet.
    • Birds pull cloves. Cover the row with fleece or mesh until they root.

  3. 03

    Keep Weed Free

    27 Apr to 10 Oct Dates as each sowing reaches this stage

    From 27th April to 10th October, hoe off weeds while they are small. Keep the planting evenly moist in dry weather. Do not leave the soil soggy.

  4. 04

    Harvest Bulbs

    26 Jul to 10 Oct Dates as each sowing reaches this stage

    Lift the crop from 26th July - 10th October once the tops begin to yellow and flop over. Ease the bulbs up carefully, then dry them somewhere warm and airy for two to three weeks before trimming and storing them.

Suggested varieties

Popular varieties of Elephant Garlic to consider

Russian Giant

The classic elephant garlic for UK gardens. Produces very large bulbs with a mild, sweet flavour and stores well over winter. Reliable in most soils, as long as they are not waterlogged.

Elephant Garlic guides by town

See how Elephant Garlic timing shifts in other towns with different frost dates.