When to plant Elephant Garlic in Manchester

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 Manchester · last frost ≈ 17 Apr

Sow outdoors March to April, harvest July to September. Frost risk November to April.
ActivityJanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
Sow outdoorsNoNoYesYesNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNo
HarvestNoNoNoNoNoNoYesYesYesNoNoNo

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

    3 Mar to 18 Mar

    Dig over the soil around 3rd March - 18th March 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

    18 Mar to 3 Apr

    Set the cloves in during 18th March - 3rd 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

    17 Apr to 30 Sept Dates as each sowing reaches this stage

    From 17th April to 30th September, 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

    16 Jul to 30 Sept Dates as each sowing reaches this stage

    Lift the crop from 16th July - 30th September 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.