How to Grow Garlic
Allium sativum
Plant in fall, harvest next summer — one of the most low-maintenance crops.
By the Plants by Zone Editorial Team · Reviewed June 1, 2026
About garlic
Garlic is a plant-and-forget crop with an unusual schedule: cloves go in the ground in autumn, overwinter, and are harvested the following summer. It needs almost no attention in between, making it one of the most rewarding low-effort crops. Hardneck types suit cold zones and produce edible scapes; softnecks store longer and prefer mild climates.
When to plant and harvest garlic
Timing is relative to your frost dates. Find your USDA zone for exact dates, or browse the month-by-month calendars.
Start seeds indoors
No
Transplant outdoors
Plant cloves directly
Direct sow
Plant cloves 2–4 weeks before ground freezes in fall
Harvest
Mid-to-late summer
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How to grow garlic step by step
- 1
In fall, break a bulb into cloves and plant them 2 in deep, pointed end up, 6 in apart.
- 2
Mulch heavily for winter protection in cold zones.
- 3
In spring, feed with nitrogen as shoots emerge.
- 4
On hardnecks, snap off the curly scapes in early summer to direct energy to the bulb (and eat them!).
- 5
Stop watering and harvest when the lower leaves brown but several green leaves remain.
Common problems growing garlic
⚠ Small bulbs
Cloves planted too late, too shallow, or crowded; or scapes left on hardnecks.
⚠ Rotting cloves
Poor drainage — plant in well-drained soil or raised beds.
⚠ All leaves, no bulb
Spring-planted garlic often fails to bulb; garlic needs the cold of fall planting.
✓ Good companions for garlic
✗ Keep away from
🧺 Harvesting garlic
Dig (don’t pull) when roughly half the leaves have browned but five or six remain green. Cure the bulbs in a dry, airy, shaded spot for two weeks before storing.
Garlic: frequently asked questions
When should you plant garlic?＋
In most regions you start seeds indoors no, then plant cloves directly — or plant cloves 2–4 weeks before ground freezes in fall. Timing is relative to your last frost, so find your USDA hardiness zone for the exact planting dates where you live.
When do you plant garlic?＋
In fall, 2–4 weeks before the ground freezes, so cloves root before winter. It’s harvested the following summer.
Can I plant garlic from the grocery store?＋
It may work but often carries disease and may be a variety poorly suited to your zone. Seed garlic from a supplier is more reliable.
Sources & review
Written and maintained by the Plants by Zone Editorial Team. Planting times are based on USDA hardiness zones and NOAA frost-date normals, with care guidance drawn from Cooperative Extension sources. Last reviewed June 1, 2026.
USDA Plant Hardiness Zone MapNOAA U.S. climate normalsCooperative Extension
Grow garlic in your zone
See exactly when to plant and what else to grow alongside garlic, tailored to your USDA hardiness zone.
