How to Grow Garlic: Plant in Fall, Harvest in Summer
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Garlic may be the easiest vegetable there is. You push cloves into the ground in fall, cover them with mulch, and mostly ignore them until the following summer. Few pests bother it, and each clove you plant grows into a whole new bulb.
- When: plant in fall, after the first frost and 2 to 4 weeks before the ground freezes.
- How: single cloves, pointed end up, 2 inches deep and 4 to 6 inches apart.
- Then: cover with 3 to 6 inches of straw or shredded leaves.
- Harvest: the next summer, when the lower third of the leaves have turned brown.
When to plant garlic
Garlic is planted in fall because it needs a spell of cold to form a bulb with separate cloves. The cloves grow roots before winter, rest through the cold, then take off in spring.
| Your winters | Plant |
|---|---|
| Cold (ground freezes hard) | Late September to early November |
| Moderate | October to late November |
| Mild (little or no frost) | November to January |
Missed the fall window? If you can still push a trowel into the soil, plant anyway. Garlic can also go in as soon as the ground thaws in early spring. Spring-planted bulbs are usually smaller, but you will still get a crop.
Hardneck or softneck: which garlic to grow?
| Hardneck | Softneck | |
|---|---|---|
| Best climate | Cold winters | Mild winters (also grows in cold areas) |
| Cloves | Fewer and larger; easy to peel | More and smaller |
| Flavor | Stronger, more complex | Milder; the supermarket type |
| Scapes | Yes: a bonus early-summer crop | No |
| Storage | About 3 to 6 months | About 6 to 9 months; can be braided |
If your winters are cold, start with a hardneck. If they are mild, choose a softneck. With room for both, plant some of each: eat the hardneck first and keep the softneck for later.
Buy seed garlic, not supermarket garlic
“Seed garlic” simply means bulbs grown and sold for planting. Supermarket garlic is often treated to stop it sprouting, and it may be a variety unsuited to your climate. Order seed garlic in late summer, as popular varieties sell out.
Sold by the bulb or pound. One bulb gives you 5 to 12 cloves to plant.
How to plant garlic, step by step
- Choose a sunny spot with loose soil. Garlic needs at least 6 hours of sun and soil that drains well. Bulbs rot in ground that stays wet. A raised bed is ideal.
- Mix in compost. Work an inch or two into the top few inches of soil. You can make your own.
- Split the bulbs into cloves just before planting. Leave the papery skin on each clove. Plant the biggest ones, since big cloves grow big bulbs, and cook with the small ones.
- Plant pointed end up, 2 inches deep and 4 to 6 inches apart, in rows about a foot apart.
- Water once, then cover the bed with 3 to 6 inches of straw or shredded leaves. Mulch protects the cloves from freezing and thawing and keeps weeds down.
You may see green shoots before winter. That is fine. They will survive the cold.
Clean, seed-free straw is the classic winter blanket for garlic.
Caring for garlic
Spring
- Leave the mulch on. Shoots push through it by themselves. Pull it back only if it has matted into a thick, soggy layer.
- Feed once or twice. When shoots are a few inches tall, give a nitrogen-rich fertilizer or a layer of compost. Repeat a month later.
- Water in dry spells. Garlic wants about an inch of water a week while it is growing leaves.
- Weed. Garlic has thin leaves and competes poorly with weeds.
Early summer: cut the scapes
Hardneck garlic sends up a curly flower stalk called a scape. Snip it off once it has made a full loop, so the plant puts its energy into the bulb. Scapes are delicious. Use them like mild garlic in stir-fries, pesto or scrambled eggs.
Before harvest
Stop watering about two weeks before you expect to harvest. Drier soil helps the bulbs keep longer.
When and how to harvest garlic
Harvest time is usually June or July, depending on your climate. Watch the leaves, not the calendar:
- Ready: the lower third of the leaves are brown and the upper leaves are still green.
- Too early: all leaves green. Bulbs will be small.
- Too late: all leaves brown. The bulb wrappers split and the garlic will not store well.
Unsure? Dig up one bulb and look. To harvest, loosen the soil with a garden fork a few inches from the plants and lift the bulbs. Do not pull them by the stem, as it can snap. Brush off loose soil, but do not wash them.
Curing and storing
- Cure for 2 to 4 weeks. Hang the plants in bunches or lay them on a rack somewhere dry, shady and airy, such as a porch, shed or garage. Keep them out of direct sun.
- Trim. When the wrappers are papery and the necks are dry, cut the roots short and the stems to about an inch. Softneck stems can be braided instead.
- Store cool, dry and dark, in a mesh bag or open basket with good airflow. Do not refrigerate whole bulbs, because cold and damp make them sprout.
- Save your best bulbs to plant in fall. You may never need to buy seed garlic again.
Airflow all round keeps cured bulbs dry and firm.
Common problems
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Small bulbs | Small cloves planted, weeds, crowding, or planted late | Plant the biggest cloves; weed and feed in spring |
| Rotting bulbs | Soil stays wet | Plant in a raised bed or looser soil |
| Yellow leaf tips in spring | Cold snap or hunger | Usually harmless; feed with nitrogen |
| One round bulb with no cloves | Not enough cold, or planted too late in spring | Still good to eat; plant in fall next time |
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow garlic in pots?
Yes. Use a pot at least 8 to 10 inches deep with drainage holes, filled with potting mix, and space the cloves 4 inches apart. In very cold areas, move the pot against a sheltered wall for winter. See container gardening for beginners.
How many bulbs will I get?
One clove grows into one bulb. A bulb of seed garlic has roughly 5 to 12 cloves, so each bulb you buy becomes 5 to 12 bulbs.
What can I plant with garlic?
Garlic grows well beside carrots, lettuce, beets and tomatoes. Keep it away from beans and peas. Our companion planting chart has the full list.
How long does garlic take to grow?
About 8 to 9 months from fall planting to summer harvest. It needs very little attention for most of that time.
