How to Grow Garlic
Get Your Exact Garlic Planting Dates
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Your Garlic dates ·
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Supplies You'll Need
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Plant Overview
Growing Requirements
Sun
Full Sun (6+ hours)
Water
Low to Moderate
Spacing
6" apart
Depth
2" deep
Height
12-24"
Germination
8-21 days
Ready to Grow Garlic?
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Common Garlic Varieties
Popular cultivars to look for at your local nursery or seed supplier.
Rocambole (Spanish Roja)
Classic hardneck with rich, complex flavor; easy to peel and widely loved by chefs.
Porcelain (Music)
Large hardneck cloves with bold, lingering heat; one of the most productive varieties.
Softneck (Inchelium Red)
Excellent keeper lasting 9–12 months; mild flavor makes it ideal for braiding.
Elephant Garlic
Technically a leek relative; mild, subtle flavor in very large cloves — great roasted whole.
Purple Stripe (Metechi)
Beautiful purple-streaked cloves with rich, complex flavor; stores well into winter.
Days-to-maturity figures are approximate and vary by climate and growing conditions.
Common Garlic Problems
What to watch for — and how to fix it before it spreads.
Pests
Rasp leaf surfaces leaving silver streaking; reduce photosynthesis and yield.
Apply spinosad; use reflective mulch; water consistently to avoid plant stress.
Microscopic mites tunnel into cloves, causing rot and poor germination.
Inspect and discard soft cloves at planting; dip seed garlic in 30-second hot water treatment (130°F).
Diseases
Fluffy white growth at the base of bulbs with tiny black sclerotia; soil-persisting fungus.
Do not plant garlic (or onions/leeks) in affected beds for 20+ years; there is no cure.
White elliptical spots on leaves that coalesce in cool, wet weather; defoliation reduces bulb size.
Apply copper fungicide; improve airflow; harvest promptly when scapes fall.
Common Mistakes
Garlic needs cold vernalization to form multiple cloves; spring-planted garlic produces a single undivided bulb.
Plant hardneck garlic in fall (4–6 weeks before ground freezes) for harvest the following July.
Scapes left on the plant divert energy from bulb development, reducing final size by up to 30%.
Cut scapes when they make one curl (curl has just completed); eat scapes fresh or freeze them.
Too-early garlic has undeveloped wrappers; too-late bulbs burst open and store poorly.
Harvest when 5–6 bottom leaves have turned brown; each leaf = one wrapper layer on the bulb.
Seed Saving Guide
Vegetative propagationPropagate vegetatively, not by seed
Garlic is propagated by planting individual cloves — save the largest cloves from your harvest for replanting.
Select the largest, healthiest bulbs from your harvest as your "seed garlic" for the next growing season.
Raised Bed Planting Guides
A 4×8 bed fits 4 per sq ft of Garlic. See plant counts, spacing grids, and companion pairings for every bed size →
Garlic Planting Calendar by Zone
Garlic Planting Calendar by State
Other Plants
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I plant Garlic? +
Plant Garlic bulbs in fall, right around your area's first fall frost, so roots establish before the ground freezes. Use the search on this page to find exact dates for your location.
How long does Garlic take to grow? +
Garlic typically matures in about 240 days from planting. Exact timing varies by variety, soil conditions, and local climate.
Should I start Garlic indoors or direct sow? +
Garlic is planted as dormant bulbs directly in the garden — no indoor seed starting needed. Plant at the appropriate time based on your local frost dates.
How much sun does Garlic need? +
Garlic requires full sun (6+ hours) to thrive.
How far apart should I plant Garlic? +
Space Garlic plants 6 inches apart to allow adequate airflow and root development.
How much water does Garlic need? +
Garlic has low to moderate water needs. Consistent moisture is important especially during germination and early growth.
Can you save seeds from Garlic? +
Garlic is not typically propagated by seed. Garlic is propagated by planting individual cloves — save the largest cloves from your harvest for replanting. Select the largest, healthiest bulbs from your harvest as your "seed garlic" for the next growing season.
About Garlic
Plant in fall for summer harvest. Hardneck varieties produce edible scapes in spring.
Expect your Garlic to be ready for harvest in approximately 240 days from planting.
Use the search above or browse by zone or state to find the perfect planting dates for your location.