When to plant Elephant Garlic in Nottingham

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 Nottingham · last frost ≈ 20 Apr

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

    6 Mar to 21 Mar

    Dig over the soil around 6th March - 21st 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

    21 Mar to 6 Apr

    Set the cloves in during 21st March - 6th 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

    20 Apr to 3 Oct Dates as each sowing reaches this stage

    From 20th April to 3rd 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

    19 Jul to 3 Oct Dates as each sowing reaches this stage

    Lift the crop from 19th July - 3rd 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.