Best garlic (lehsun) variety and clove spacing for Madhya Pradesh rabi?

G 282 works well in Ratlam side. Bigger cloves give bigger bulbs, so I separate and plant only the outer fat cloves and use small ones for the kitchen. Plant by mid October, late planting drops the size.

Spacing matters more than people think. When I crowded them the bulbs came small. Now I keep proper gap and the bulbs are market grade. Light frequent irrigation in bulb formation stage helps.

In the Mandsaur belt many of us also grow the Ooty type for the export traders who pay for very white bold bulbs. Match your variety to who you plan to sell to, because the local mandi and the export agent want different looks.

Treat the cloves before planting and break them only a day or two before sowing, not weeks ahead, or they dry out. I learnt that the hard way when an early separated lot gave poor germination.

One caution on seed, do not buy so called certified G 282 from random sellers at high prices in a good price year. Some mix in old stock. Take seed from a known farmer or an authorised source and check the cloves are firm and not sprouted.