When to plant Elephant Garlic in Cambridge

Allium ampeloprasum var. ampeloprasum

Elephant Garlic
Elephant Garlic · Allium ampeloprasum var. ampeloprasum

A hardy allium grown from planting cloves rather than true seed, with large bulbs and a milder flavour than garlic. In the UK it does best in a sunny, free-draining bed, planted in autumn and lifted the following summer.

120 cm · Full Sun · Moderate Water

Add to garden

Calibrated to Cambridge · last frost ≈ 7 May

Sow outdoors April, harvest August to October. Frost risk October to May.
ActivityJanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
Sow outdoorsNoNoNoYesNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNo
HarvestNoNoNoNoNoNoNoYesYesYesNoNo

Growing guide

What to do through the growing season

Growing guide for

Change the guide to see different planting timelines and tips.

Use this for a later start if the ground was too wet in autumn. Bulbs still need a free-draining site and a long growing season to make decent-sized heads.

  1. 01

    Prepare the Bed

    23 Mar to 7 Apr

    Dig over the soil around 23rd March - 7th April and mix in compost or well-rotted manure. Raise the bed slightly if your ground is heavy, as elephant garlic dislikes sitting wet.

  2. 02

    Plant Cloves

    7 Apr to 23 Apr

    Set the cloves in during 7th April - 23rd April, with the pointed end up and the tip about below the surface. Space cloves apart in rows apart, then water only if the soil is dry.

  3. 03

    Keep Weed Free

    7 May to 20 Oct Dates as each sowing reaches this stage

    From 7th May to 20th October, hoe off weeds while they are small and keep the planting evenly moist in dry weather. Avoid overwatering, as the bulbs need steady growth rather than soggy soil.

  4. 04

    Harvest Bulbs

    5 Aug to 20 Oct Dates as each sowing reaches this stage

    Lift the crop from 5th August - 20th 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.