Autumn-Planted Allium Bed
A 6×3 bed planted in October, harvested in July: twelve garlic, onion sets, French shallots, leeks, and a perennial onion corner.
About This Template
One October afternoon of planting, then the bed runs itself: alliums are the lowest-effort serious crop in gardening, and autumn planting is their secret. The full top row goes to garlic — twelve cloves that need winter cold to split into fat heads and reward the early start with double the size of spring-planted bulbs. The middle row pairs overwintering onion sets with French shallots, the gourmet allium that costs a fortune in shops and grows like a weed. The bottom row carries leeks for the winter kitchen plus the perpetual corner: Egyptian walking onions that replant themselves indefinitely, and chives for daily snipping. Everything overwinters outside, shrugs off frost, and matures just as the summer garden takes over.
Benefits
- 1Autumn-planted garlic grows heads twice the size of spring plantings
- 2Zero care from November to March — winter does the work
- 3Shallots multiply: each bulb planted returns a whole cluster
- 4Walking onions replant themselves — one purchase, onions forever
- 5Clears in July, exactly when summer crops are begging for space
Growing Tips
- 1Plant garlic cloves pointy-end up, 5 cm deep, after the first light frost
- 2Snap off garlic scapes in June — pesto now, bigger bulbs later
- 3Stop watering onions when the tops flop; cure them two weeks dry
- 4Braid and hang the harvest somewhere airy; good bulbs keep 6+ months
Included Plants (6)
Garlic×12
Allium sativum
Spacing: 15 cm · 6 in
Onion×8
Allium cepa
Spacing: 15 cm · 6 in
French Shallot×4
Allium cepa var. aggregatum
Spacing: 15 cm · 6 in
Leek×8
Allium ampeloprasum
Spacing: 15 cm · 6 in
Egyptian Walking Onion×2
Allium x proliferum
Spacing: 20 cm · 8 in
Chives×2
Allium schoenoprasum
Spacing: 15 cm · 6 in
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