So, you have beaten the rush and secured your seed garlic for the Autumn season. Great start! Buying early is the smartest move a gardener can make, as the best varieties (especially the popular Purple ones) almost always sell out by the time Autumn actually rolls around.
But here is the catch: say, if it is early January/ mid-Summer. It is hot. It is humid. And your garlic does not need to go into the ground until March or April.
Garlic is a living thing. Even though it looks like it is sleeping, it is just waiting for the right trigger to start sprouting. If you leave it on the kitchen bench in the summer sun, it will dry out. If you put it in a damp spot, it will rot.
Here is the simple guide to keeping your bulbs in perfect condition until planting day.
Rule #1: Do Not Put It in the Fridge (Yet)
This is the most common mistake. While we do recommend chilling garlic immediately before planting in tropical zones, you should not use the fridge for long-term storage.
- The Risk: Fridges are humid environments. If you leave your bulbs in there for months, they are likely to grow mould or start sprouting prematurely because they think winter has arrived.
- The Exception: Only put garlic in the fridge 4–6 weeks before you plan to plant it, and only if you live in a warm climate (like Brisbane or Darwin) to give it a "fake winter."
Rule #2: Darkness is Your Friend
Light is one of the signals that tells garlic to wake up. To keep your bulbs dormant (asleep), they need to be in total darkness.
- Do: Keep them in a dark cupboard, a pantry, or even a cardboard box with holes in it.
- Don't: Leave them on a windowsill or in a glass bowl on the bench.
Rule #3: Airflow is Essential
Garlic breathes. If you seal it up, moisture builds up and the bulb will rot from the inside out.
- The Best Container: The mesh or net bag it arrived in is perfect. A brown paper bag left slightly open is also great.
- The Enemy: Never store garlic in sealed plastic bags or Tupperware containers. They will sweat and turn to mush.
Rule #4: Find the "Goldilocks" Spot
You want a spot that is cool, but not freezing. Dry, but not desert-dry.
- Avoid the Shed: In an Australian summer, a tin shed or garage can easily hit 40°C+. This will cook your garlic or dry the cloves out until they are shriveled and empty.
- Avoid the Fruit Bowl: Ripening fruit (like bananas and apples) releases a gas called ethylene. This gas acts like a growth hormone and can trick your garlic into sprouting early.
- The Perfect Spot: The bottom shelf of a pantry, a linen cupboard in the coolest part of the house, or even under a bed in a spare room are usually the most stable temperatures in an Aussie home.
A Quick Checklist for Storage Success
- Keep them whole: Do not break the bulb apart into cloves until 24 hours before you plant. The papery skin on the whole bulb protects the cloves from drying out.
- Keep them cool: Ideally between 15°C and 20°C (standard room temp in a cool house is fine).
- Keep them dry: Humidity is the enemy of storage.
When Should I Plant?
Once the weather turns and the soil cools down, it is time to wake them up!
- Cool/Temperate Zones: Late March to May.
- Subtropical/Warm Zones: Mid-April to May.
Until then, tuck your garlic away in a cool, dark place and enjoy the rest of your summer harvest. Your future self will thank you when you have firm, healthy cloves ready to go in Autumn!