How To Grow Garlic: Fall Is the Time to Get Planting (Complete Guide)
Fall is the time to plant garlic. Here's what you need to know to prepare now for an abundant crop next summer!
Quick Reference: How to Grow Garlic
- When to plant: first or second week of October across most of the U.S., 4-6 weeks before the ground freezes hard.
- Where to buy seed: a local farm, seed catalog, or trusted organic supplier. Skip supermarket bulbs treated with sprouting inhibitors.
- How deep: plant cloves point-up, 2 inches deep, 6 to 8 inches apart, in rows you can weed between.
- Cover with mulch: at least 6 inches of shredded leaves or grass clippings to insulate through winter.
- When to harvest: the following July, when the bottom three or four leaves have turned brown.
- Cure for storage: hang whole plants in a dry, airy spot for 2 weeks; trim, then store at room temperature, not the fridge.
In early autumn, when thoughts turn from vegetable gardening and move reluctantly toward preparations for winter, there is still one crop that can be planted: garlic. Wondering how to grow garlic? Depending on where you live, garlic is usually planted during the first or second week of October, covered in at least 6 inches of a good mulch of shredded leaves or grass clippings, and harvested the following July. Almost no other vegetable rewards a fall planting this generously, and almost none keeps as well in a cool kitchen drawer once it is cured.
Can I Grow Grocery Store Garlic?
It is not advised to use supermarket garlic unless you know it was locally grown. Most grocery-store garlic is a “softneck” variety shipped from California or China, and a lot of it has been treated with sprouting inhibitors to keep it shelf-stable; those bulbs will refuse to sprout in the garden. If you want to grow from a supermarket bulb, find one labeled organic, locally grown, and from the current season. Even then, a seed-garlic supplier or a local farmer will give you cleaner, healthier stock and a much wider menu of varieties (Britannica’s garlic entry has a good overview of the species and its varieties).
How To Grow Garlic
Get the dirt! Getting the soil ready is an important and often neglected prerequisite for successful garlic growing. Although garlic evolved in poor soils (most likely in the desert regions of Central Asia, near modern Kyrgyzstan), application of organic matter to the soil prior to planting will definitely increase your yield. Late summer is the best time to add compost or well-rotted manure to the site where you intend to plant. To prevent weed growth between when you are finished with preparations and when you plant, cover the bed with black plastic or heavy mulch. You can add a little more nitrogen to your garlic bed in the spring in the form of compost or rotted manure, but lay off after that; too much nitrogen may cause premature yellowing of the leaves and smaller bulbs at harvest.
Divide and conquer! When you are ready to plant, divide your garlic bulbs into individual cloves the day of planting (not earlier; the cloves dry out fast). Plant the cloves 6 to 8 inches apart, with the pointed end facing up, in rows or double rows with room to weed in between. You may have to remove some of the mulch in the spring if it has compacted and is impeding your plants’ growth. Often, though, the mulch breaks down enough over the winter to allow the garlic to push through on its own.
Bug free! Planting garlic is a joy because the days are crisp and cool and there are few bugs to intrude on your revery. There are also few pests that bother garlic once it is in the ground. In fact, it may even deter some insect invaders and is often used in companion plantings to protect other vegetables from pests, especially aphids, Japanese beetles, and cabbage loopers.
Choose your favorite! Selecting the type of garlic you want to plant is a matter of individual taste, but be aware that there are many species out there beyond the California white you usually see at the supermarket. There are dozens of exotic varieties available with names like Russian Red, Purple Stripe Porcelain, Rosewood, and Kabar. So-called “hardneck” varieties develop a flowerhead on the stem called a “scape,” which curls and then extends upward, eventually becoming woody (hence the name “hardneck”). Hardnecks generally have bigger cloves, fewer of them per bulb, and a stronger flavor; softnecks store longer but have smaller, more numerous cloves.
Great ‘scapes! Garlic scapes are considered a delicacy in their own right. They are harvested soon after they appear (typically late May or early June), and are often sold in bunches at farmers’ markets. Chop them like scallions into pesto, scrambled eggs, or a quick stir-fry.
Off with their heads! Cutting the flowerheads off of garlic when they appear also allows more of the plant’s energy to go into producing larger bulbs. Many commercial operations “pop the tops” off of their garlic for this reason, then sell the scapes separately for a small premium.
When to Plant Garlic by Region
| USDA Zone | Plant by | Harvest around | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-4 (northern New England, upper Midwest, prairie Canada) | Mid-September to early October | Late July | Use 8-10 in. mulch; protect from frost heave |
| 5-6 (Mid-Atlantic, Great Lakes, Pacific Northwest interior) | Early to mid-October | Mid-July | Classic 6 in. mulch is enough |
| 7-8 (Mid-South, Southern Appalachians) | Late October to mid-November | Late June | Choose softneck or warm-tolerant hardneck |
| 9-10 (Gulf Coast, Southern California) | Mid-November to early December | Early June | Pre-chill cloves in fridge 6 weeks before planting |
Harvesting Tips
Your garlic is ready to harvest once the cloves have distinctly formed. When the bottom three or four leaves of the plant turn brown, it is usually a good indication that the bulbs have nicely divided into cloves. Dig (do not pull) the bulbs with a fork to avoid bruising. You will need to cure the harvested bulbs by hanging the whole plants in bunches in a dry, airy location for a couple of weeks. A barn, garage, or shed is ideal, but you can also lay them on a screen under cover of a tarp or porch roof. Once your garlic has cured, trim off the stem to about an inch above the bulb and store at room temperature, around 60 to 65°F. Refrigerated garlic tends to sprout more quickly.
So, get planting this fall for a gourmet treat next summer. Time your bed with our Best Days calendar, and pair garlic in the next year’s beds using our companion planting guide.
How to Grow Garlic FAQ
When should I plant garlic?
The first or second week of October across most of the U.S., 4 to 6 weeks before the ground freezes hard. The cloves need to root through the fall before the bed locks up for winter.
Can I grow garlic from grocery store cloves?
Sometimes, but only if the bulb is locally grown, organic, and from the current season. Most commercial garlic has been treated with sprouting inhibitors and will refuse to grow.
How deep should I plant garlic cloves?
Plant cloves point-up, about 2 inches deep, 6 to 8 inches apart in rows. Cover with at least 6 inches of mulch (shredded leaves or grass clippings) to insulate through winter.
How long does garlic take to grow?
About nine months from clove to harvest. Plant in October, the green shoots come up in March or April, scapes appear in May or June, and the bulbs are ready to dig in July.
What is the difference between hardneck and softneck garlic?
Hardneck garlic sends up a woody flower stalk (the scape), has fewer but larger cloves, and a stronger flavor. Softneck garlic stays soft-stemmed, has more but smaller cloves, and stores longer.
How do I cure and store garlic after harvest?
Hang whole plants in a dry, airy spot for two weeks until the necks are stiff and the outer skins are papery. Trim the stem to about an inch, brush off loose dirt, and store at 60 to 65°F. Skip the fridge.
Do I need to cut garlic scapes?
Yes, on hardneck varieties. Snipping the scape sends the plant’s energy back into the bulb, producing noticeably larger heads at harvest. The scapes themselves are great in pesto.
Join The Discussion
Are you growing garlic this year? Share your experience with your community in the comments section below.
Related
Visit our Gardening By The Moon Calendar online here!
Love cooking with garlic? See the winning dishes from our garlic recipe contest here!
Paul Robert
Paul Robert lives in Hartford, Maine, with his dog Raymond. He has been an organic gardener for over 35 years, and raises some poultry as well. His special interest is trees. Several kinds of oak and elm, as well as Korean mountain ash, American and Chinese chestnut, persimmons and many other specimens grow on his 1.6 acre mini-farm. He may be contacted at yukigunifarm@peoplepc.com.
- Paul Robert
I am from Taiwan. I plant garlic started from seeds. After 3 months, I harvest stem and leaves, no bulbs. 1kg garlic is about 10 USD in TW. Sometimes, it jumps up to 20 USD.
I live in Winnipeg Canada can I grow garlic in an above ground bed or container?
Louis, I grow mine in an above ground bed. No problem. Lots of garlic every year. I live in Sherbrooke QC. Plant in October and harvest in July.
I’ve got all my garlic dried and waiting. Pskem,Bogatyr,Georgian Fire, Marino are some of the varieties I grow. Easy crop. Garlic isn’t bothered by much.
Thanks for this info, my Daddy raised some kind of garlic, it was a solid bulb and it would have little marble size bulbs on the roots which would come up each year. My husband didn’t think it was garlic but as you stated there are so many different ones, and it sure smelled and tasted like garlic, but since it has died out I do believe I will save a couple of cloves and plant my own garlic. Again Thanks…….Betty
do i have to peel of the garlic clove before planting and do i plant it with the pointy part up or
down. and how deep should i planted. thank you for your advice
Don’t peel. Plant roots down, pointy part up. I just barely covered mine with dirt and they did great.
I grow my own garlic. The garlic you buy at the grocery store is from China.
Thanks for this helpful information about hardneck garlic…but how does the hardneck variety differ from the softneck…does the softneck not bloom? I already have garlic (hardneck) on order; should be here (Phoenix, AZ) around the middle of August, and I had planned to plant it immediately, since the company from which it is ordered states it ‘will be shipped in time for planting’. Since reading your advice I now know to hold off till cooler temperatures have arrived.
Love this! Thanks for the info and the reminder to plant. More blogs like this please!!! 😉
Can garlic be eaten as soon as it comes out of the ground or do I need to wait? And what is the best way to store it? Thanks
I eat mine straight out of the ground. And I cut off a little above the roots and replant.
can garlic be planted any time other than fall?
I pull my garlic all year round as I need it. I dig it up, cut a little above the roots, and then place the roots back in the ground. If you replant it during hot weather, it’ll remain dormant until Fall, then you’ll start to see the shoots come up.