Allium Rust on garlic has become quite an issue of the past 10 years, not just in Canterbury, where I live, but in many places of New Zealand. Many people complain that this fungal disease strikes in late winter/early spring and the only thing that stops it from hammering the garlic plants is by regular spraying with Copper or copper/sulphur fungicides (Organics!). And regular might be as frequent as every fortnight. 

Rust is transmitted by air movement – the spores float with the wind and can travel from great distances. If you are in a densely populated area with many gardeners that grow onions, shallots, leeks, and other Allium species, the spores will be all over the place. 

Traditionally garlic used to be planted on the shortest day (third week of June) and harvested around the longest day (Just before Christmas), but I’ve done some trials now for the last half a dozen years or so to bring those dates forward by at least a month and a half. 

With rather little success, to be frank – I still need to spray regularly and when I am on the road and miss one of the sprays, the leaves will turn that yucky yellow-orange with the rust. 

This year I decided to go inside my tunnelhouse; A week ago (on the 4th of May) I planted a few narrow beds of garlic in-between the lingering Tomato plants 

The tomatoes are still going for at least another month which gives the garlic enough time to develop leaves and do some photosynthesis. 

The beds go north-south and will be in full sun during the winter months, especially when the tomatoes are pulled out near the shortest day. At the moment, while the soil is still relatively warm, the garlic will have enough heat to sprout the leaves in record tempo. 

Just when the development of the bulbs starts to take place the spores start flying outside, but with a bit of luck those spores will find it hard to gain access to my tunnelhouse. 

Fingers crossed! 

Varieties available from farmers markets and Garden Shops: 

Printanor is the common old garlic variety you buy at “New World”. Often it is imported from China and treated to stop it sprouting That means no good for planting!! 

Buy some planting cloves that are either organic or simply not treated. 

At farmers market you can sometimes purchase interesting varieties: 

- Californian Red Turban – can grow into huge bulbs (15 cm diameter bulbs) 

- Macedonian – strong flavour – and somewhat oily 

- West Coast Miners – rather good, large cloves too 

- Hard-neck garlic; gets little flowers/bulblets up the stem – edible as soft green salad component, in mid-spring 

- Elephant garlic is actually a leek, with a swollen stem – not a garlic – very mild flavour 

Shallots can also be planted now! 

Well-drained soil, shallow planting (tip just above the ground) – 15 cm spacing. Cover with ground sheep dags (KINPACK) or fine, rich compost. 

Keep moist but not overly moist, because that encourages rotting. 

Harvest when the foliage dies down (in my case Early to Mid November)