Garlic Development: Mid-Winter Growth Audit and Bulb Formation Tracking
🌱 The Soshanguve Growing System
This is Part 18 of the journey — from overgrown land to a self-sustaining organic food system.
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Next: Part 19 — Leek Seedling Mastery: Propagating and Transplanting Leeks
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Building resilient food systems at Evergreen Hideout Agricultural Services (NPO Reg: 2024/380375/07).
July 1, 2026 • Soshanguve, Pretoria"Garlic teaches patience. It spends months underground, invisible, building its bulb while you water and wait. Then one day, you pull it up and realize the waiting was the work."
Growing Food in Soshanguve (Part 18): Garlic Development — Mid-Winter Growth Audit
The morning of July 1, 2026, was cold and crisp — the middle of winter in Soshanguve. I walked out to the garlic bed with a notebook and a trowel. The garlic had been in the ground for 66 days, and it was time to check on its progress.
Garlic is a patient crop. It doesn't rush. It spends months underground, slowly building its bulb while you water and wait. There's no instant gratification with garlic — you plant it in autumn, tend it through winter, and harvest it in summer. It's a long-term relationship.
But when you pull up those bulbs in December, the reward is worth the wait. A head of garlic you grew yourself, with your own hands, in soil you built from nothing — there's nothing quite like it.
In this post, I'll document the mid-winter garlic audit — the leaf development, the stem thickness, the bulb check, and the overall health of the crop. I'll also share the mistakes I've made and the lessons I've learned.
1. The State of the Crop
The garlic bed — uniform rows, healthy plants, and a protective mulch layer. The plants are growing steadily through the winter.
The garlic bed was looking good. The plants were upright, the leaves were deep green, and the rows were straight. Here's the data:
- Days since planting: 66 days (April 26 to July 1)
- Plants: 42 cloves (all emerged — 100% germination rate)
- Average plant height: 20–25cm
- Average leaves per plant: 5–7
- Average stem thickness: 8–10mm
- Health rating: 9.5/10
The leaves were deep green with no yellowing or tip-burn. The stems were thick and strong. The plants were growing steadily, even in the cold winter weather.
I was particularly pleased with the emergence rate — all 42 cloves had sprouted. That's a 100% germination rate, which is excellent for garlic. It told me that the cloves were healthy and the soil conditions were right.
The garlic has responded well to the feather compost we applied on June 5. The plants are growing steadily, and the leaves are a deep, healthy green. The slow-release nitrogen from the compost is providing steady nutrition without causing the rapid leaf growth that fish fertilizer would trigger.
2. The Stem Check
Checking the stem thickness. The stem should be at least 8–10mm thick at the base — thicker stems produce larger bulbs.
The stem thickness is the best indicator of future bulb size. I knelt down and gently checked the base of several plants. The stems were 8–10mm thick — solid, strong, and widening at the base.
This is exactly what I want to see. A thin stem (under 6mm) would produce a small bulb (2–3cm diameter). A thick stem (8–10mm) will produce a large bulb (5–7cm diameter). The thickness of the stem directly limits how large the bulb can grow.
I also checked the leaves. They were deep green, upright, and stiff — good turgor pressure. No brown tips, no yellowing, no signs of nutrient deficiency or stress.
The leaves were about 15–20cm long and 2–3cm wide. Each plant had 5–7 leaves. The leaf count is important — each leaf corresponds to a ring in the bulb. More leaves = more rings = larger bulb.
3. The Bulb Check
The bulb check is the most exciting part of the garlic audit. I gently excavated one plant — carefully, without damaging it — to see how the bulb was developing.
I chose a plant at the edge of the bed, where I could dig without disturbing the others. I loosened the soil around it with my fingers, then gently lifted the plant out of the ground.
The bulb was about 2–3cm in diameter — still small, but developing. The roots were extensive and white — 15–20cm long — which told me the plant was healthy and well-established. There was no sign of rot or disease.
The bulb formation is on track. The bulbing phase doesn't really begin until August, when the days start to get longer. At that point, the plant will shift its energy from leaf production to bulb development. With the right conditions — including the fruit fertilizer I'll apply in August — the bulbs should reach 5–7cm by harvest in December.
After checking the bulb, I carefully replanted the garlic. It was a reminder that the garlic is still growing — it will continue to develop underground for months.
4. Weeding
Hand-weeding the garlic bed. Garlic is shallow-rooted and cannot compete with weeds for water or nutrients.
Garlic plants do not handle resource competition well. They have shallow roots and need all the water and nutrients they can get. Weeds are a direct threat.
I walked through the rows, pulling any weeds I found. Most were small — oxalis, pigweed seedlings, and a few grass seedlings. I pulled them carefully, making sure not to disturb the garlic's shallow roots.
I also checked the mulch layer. It was still intact, but some areas had settled. I redistributed the mulch to maintain a consistent 8–10cm depth. The mulch protects the soil and roots from winter temperature fluctuations.
I made a mental note to add more mulch in a few weeks. The mulch had settled by about 20–30% since I applied it, and I wanted to maintain the depth for the rest of the winter.
5. Watering
Watering the garlic. A gentle shower at the base of each plant — the mulch helps retain moisture.
Watering garlic in winter is a careful balance. The plants need moisture, but they don't like wet feet. Overwatering is the quickest way to rot the bulbs.
I used a watering can with a gentle shower head, applying about 1–2 liters per plant. I watered at the base of each plant, avoiding the leaves. Wet leaves can lead to fungal diseases like downy mildew.
I also used the finger test before watering. I pushed my finger 5cm into the soil — if it felt dry, I watered. If it felt moist, I waited.
The mulch layer helped retain moisture, so I only needed to water every 5–7 days. Without the mulch, I would need to water every 2–3 days.
6. Mistakes I've Made
I've made plenty of mistakes with garlic. Here are the ones I want to share:
Mistake #1: I overwatered garlic in winter.
The first time I grew garlic, I thought it needed lots of water. I watered it every day. The bulbs rotted in the ground. Now I water only when the soil is dry — every 5–7 days in winter.
Mistake #2: I used fish fertilizer on garlic.
I didn't know that garlic doesn't like nitrogen. I applied fish fertilizer, and the garlic produced lots of leaves but small bulbs. Now I only use slow-release compost and fruit fertilizer.
Mistake #3: I planted garlic too shallow.
I planted the cloves only 3cm deep. The bulbs were small and the plants were weak. Now I plant at 5cm depth.
Mistake #4: I didn't remove the scapes.
I didn't know about scapes — the flowering stalks that emerge in spring. They took energy away from the bulb. Now I always remove them.
Mistake #5: I harvested garlic too early.
I was impatient. I pulled the garlic when the leaves were still green. The bulbs were small and didn't store well. Now I wait until 50% of the leaves have died back.
7. What to Expect Next
The garlic is on track for a December harvest. Here's what I expect over the coming months:
July (current): Vegetative growth continues. Leaves will reach 30–40cm by the end of the month. I'll continue to water sparingly and weed regularly.
August: The bulbing phase begins. I'll apply fruit fertilizer (high potassium) to support bulb development. The plants will start to produce more leaves and the stems will thicken.
September–October: Scapes (flowering stalks) will emerge. I'll remove them to direct energy to the bulb. The bulbs will swell rapidly.
November: The lower leaves will begin to yellow and die back. I'll stop watering completely in late November.
December: Harvest time. I'll pull the garlic when 50% of the leaves have died back. The bulbs should be 5–7cm in diameter.
I've been through this cycle before, and I know what to expect. The garlic will test my patience, but it will reward me in the end.
8. Fruit Fertilizer Coming Soon
The garlic has a critical nutritional shift coming up. In August, it will enter the bulbing phase — the period when the bulb starts to swell and grow. At that point, it needs a different type of nutrition.
Vegetative phase (April–July): The garlic needs nitrogen for leaf growth. I've provided this through the feather compost — slow-release nitrogen that won't burn the plants.
Bulbing phase (August–October): The garlic needs potassium and phosphorus for bulb development. This is when fruit fertilizer becomes critical.
The fruit fertilizer is high in potassium (K) and phosphorus (P), which are essential for bulb formation. Nitrogen should be reduced during bulbing — too much nitrogen causes the plant to produce more leaves instead of a larger bulb.
I'll switch from slow-release compost to liquid fruit fertilizer starting in August. The dilution will be 1:20 for soil drench, applied every 14 days until October.
I'll stop all fertilizer applications 2 weeks before harvest (late November) to allow the bulbs to cure properly.
🌱 Evergreen Field Notes — Part 18
- Location: Soshanguve, Pretoria, South Africa
- Current phase: Garlic — Mid-Winter Growth Audit
- Variety: 'Cape Town Pink' (hardneck)
- Planting date: April 26, 2026
- Days since planting: 66 days
- Plants: 42 (100% emergence)
- Average height: 20–25cm
- Average leaves: 5–7 per plant
- Average stem thickness: 8–10mm
- Bulb diameter (current): 2–3cm
- Root depth: 15–20cm
- Fish fertilizer: NOT used (excess nitrogen causes bulb splitting)
- Feather compost application: June 5 (3–4cm layer)
- Watering frequency: Every 5–7 days (winter schedule)
- Health rating: 9.5/10
- Next phase: Leek seedling propagation and transplanting
9. What's Next: Leek Seedlings
With the garlic audit complete, I turned my attention to the next crop. The leeks were up next — they would be transplanted into the garden in the coming weeks.
Leeks are a versatile, cold-hardy crop that deserve more attention in South African winter gardens. They are relatives of onions and garlic but with a milder, sweeter flavor. They store well, are easy to grow, and command a premium price at markets.
In Part 19 — Leek Seedling Mastery: Propagating and Transplanting Leeks, I'll cover:
- Variety selection: Choosing cold-tolerant varieties like 'Winter Giant' or 'Musselburgh'.
- Seedling evaluation: What to look for in healthy leek starts.
- Bed preparation: Clearing the planting zone and creating deep furrows for blanching.
- Planting depth and technique: Leeks need to be planted deep to develop long white shafts.
- Watering in the seedlings: Settling the soil with room-temperature water.
- Mulch management: Tucking the compost layer back around the stems.
Stay tuned for the next update from Soshanguve.
10. Final Thoughts
Standing in the garden after the garlic audit, I looked at the bed. The plants were healthy, the rows were straight, and the bulbs were developing underground. The garlic was on track.
I thought about the journey. The garlic had gone from a clove to a plant in 66 days. It would take another 150 days to reach harvest. But that was the nature of garlic — it taught patience.
The garden was healthy. The soil was alive. And the food was on its way.
— Kutlwano
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← Part 1: Site Diagnostic & Why It Matters
← Part 2: Land Clearing & The Pick-Mattock
← Part 3: Soil Turning & Root Extraction
← Part 4: Soil Architecture & Permanent Beds
← Part 5: The Soil Firewall — Mulching Before Planting
← Part 6: The Software Upload — Planting Garlic
← Part 7: The Staging Environment — Planting Swiss Chard
← Part 8: The Middleware — Planting Spring Onions
← Part 9: Resource Protection — Manual Weed Management
← Part 10: The Nitrogen Boost — Applying Fish Fertilizer
← Part 11: Weeds to Wealth — Building a Compost Heap
← Part 12: Compost Hacking — Sourcing Chicken Feathers
← Part 13: Soil Armor — Top Dressing with Chicken Manure
← Part 14: From Seedling to Soil Armor — Planting Onions
← Part 15: Growing Diva — Planting Cauliflower Seedlings
← Part 16: Perennial Shoots — Propagating Kale from Cuttings
← Part 17: Swiss Chard Update — Mid-Season Growth Audit
Part 19: Leek Seedling Mastery — Propagating and Transplanting Leeks →
📚 View All Posts in the Series
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