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Planting and Growing Garlic: From Cloves to Harvest

clean garlic heads after being harvested from the garden
Botanical Name
Allium sativum
Plant Type
Vegetables
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Soil pH
Neutral
USDA Zones
3a
3b
4a
4b
5a
5b
6a
6b
7a
7b
8a
8b
9a
9b
Special Features
Container-Friendly
Low Maintenance
Deer-resistant
Rabbit-resistant
Written By: Catherine Boeckmann Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

The best time to plant garlic is usually in fall, using individual cloves that will grow into full bulbs by the following summer. 

For the best bulbs, give garlic full sun, well-drained soil, and steady moisture during spring growth, then ease up on watering as harvest approaches.

Read Next

Planting

When to Plant Garlic

Plant garlic in fall, after the weather has cooled but before the ground freezes. In colder climates, a useful rule of thumb is to plant about 1 to 2 weeks after the first killing frost, giving the cloves time to develop roots before winter.

Garlic needs a period of cold temperatures for good bulb development. Fall-planted garlic receives this chilling naturally over winter. If you plant garlic in spring, chill the cloves in the refrigerator for about 8 weeks beforehand, then plant as soon as the soil can be worked.

In many areas, garlic goes into the ground around the same time as spring-flowering bulbs, generally from September through November. Gardeners in mild-winter climates may plant later, but spring-planted garlic often produces smaller bulbs.

Where to Plant Garlic

Plant garlic in full sun, with at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight per day, and in fertile, well-drained soil. Before planting, work compost or other well-rotted organic matter into the soil to improve its structure and fertility.

Good drainage is especially important. Garlic can rot in soil that stays wet, so if you have heavy clay or poorly drained soil, consider planting in a raised bed.

How to Plant Garlic

Plant garlic as individual cloves, 2 to 3 inches deep and about 4 to 6 inches apart, with the pointed end facing up. Separate the cloves from the bulb just before planting, and leave the papery skins intact.

  1. Start with healthy seed garlic. Choose large, firm, disease-free bulbs from a reputable nursery, garden center, or seed supplier.
  2. Separate the bulb into cloves just before planting. Use the largest healthy cloves and keep their papery skins on. Larger cloves generally produce larger bulbs.
  3. Plant each clove 2 to 3 inches deep, with the pointed end facing up.
  4. Space cloves about 4 to 6 inches apart. If planting in rows, leave enough room between rows for weeding and tending the plants.
  5. Water after planting to settle the soil around the cloves.
Planting garlic cloves in the soil
Credit: YuriyS/Getty Images

Spacing for Garlic

Growing

Watering

Keep garlic evenly moist during active spring growth, especially as the bulbs begin to form. Garlic generally needs about 1 inch of water per week from rain or irrigation during dry weather, but avoid keeping the soil soggy.

As the lower leaves begin to yellow and harvest approaches, reduce and then stop watering. Too much moisture late in the season can delay curing and increase the risk of bulb problems.

Fertilizing

Garlic benefits from nitrogen while it is producing vigorous leafy growth in spring. Side-dress plants with a nitrogen-rich fertilizer when active growth resumes. In lower-fertility soils, a second light feeding may be helpful before the bulbs begin to enlarge.

Avoid heavy fertilizing once bulb formation is underway. A soil test is the best guide to whether your soil needs additional nutrients.

Pruning or Maintenance

Keep garlic beds weeded throughout the growing season. Garlic has shallow roots and does not compete well with weeds for water and nutrients.

If you are growing hardneck garlic, cut off the flower stalks, called scapes, after they emerge and begin to curl. Removing scapes helps the plant direct more energy into producing larger bulbs. The tender scapes are edible, too.

Seasonal Care

In cold-winter areas, a layer of straw or chopped leaves helps protect fall-planted garlic from repeated freezing and thawing. As growth resumes in spring, loosen or pull back heavy, matted mulch so the shoots can emerge easily.

A lighter layer of mulch can remain through the growing season to conserve moisture and suppress weeds.

Types

Garlic comes in two main types: hardneck and softneck. The best choice depends largely on your climate and whether you value scapes, large cloves, or longer storage.

  • Hardneck garlic is generally more winter-hardy and is a good choice for colder climates. It produces a stiff central stalk and edible scapes, with fewer but typically larger cloves. Hardneck garlic does not store as long as softneck types. Popular varieties include ‘Chesnok Red’ and ‘German Red’.
  • Softneck garlic is well suited to many milder climates and generally stores longer than hardneck garlic. It usually produces more, smaller cloves and has flexible stems that can be braided after curing. Popular varieties include ‘California Early’ and ‘Inchelium Red’.

Harvesting

When to Harvest Garlic

Harvest garlic when about one-third to one-half of the leaves have turned yellow or brown, while several upper leaves are still green. Don’t wait until all the foliage has dried, or the bulbs may begin to split apart and won’t store as well.

Garlic planted in fall is typically ready to harvest the following summer, usually from June through August depending on your climate and the variety. If you’re unsure, carefully dig up one bulb to check it. Mature bulbs should have plump, well-defined cloves covered by several layers of papery skin.

If you’re growing hardneck garlic for scapes, harvest the scapes earlier in the season when they begin to curl.

How to Harvest Garlic

Loosen the soil around each bulb with a garden fork or shovel, taking care not to pierce or bruise it. Lift the whole plant from the soil rather than pulling hard on the stem.

Gently brush away large clumps of soil, but leave the leaves and roots attached while the garlic cures.

Storage

Garlic can be used fresh from the garden, but bulbs intended for storage should be cured first.

Place freshly harvested garlic in a warm, dry, shady location with good air circulation for about 2 to 4 weeks. Garlic is fully cured when the outer skins are papery, the neck and roots are dry, and the cloves feel firm.

After curing, gently brush away loose soil. Trim the roots and cut the stems to about 1 to 2 inches above the bulb, unless you’re growing softneck garlic and want to braid the tops.

Store cured garlic in a cool, dry, dark place with good air circulation. Softneck garlic generally stores longer than hardneck garlic.

Save a few of your largest, healthiest bulbs if you’d like to plant your own garlic again in fall.

Harvested garlic bulbs laying on a table in the sun
Photo by Nikolaeva Elena/Getty Images

Gardening Products

Pests and Problems

Common Problems

  • Bulbs are small or undersized: Crowding, low fertility, dry soil during active growth, planting too late, or leaving scapes on hardneck garlic can all limit bulb size. Give plants adequate space, steady moisture, and nutrients while they are actively growing.
  • Bulbs are splitting apart: Garlic may begin to separate into individual cloves when it is left in the ground too long. Harvest when the lower leaves have browned but several upper leaves are still green.
  • Leaves are turning yellow: Some yellowing is normal as garlic approaches harvest. If leaves yellow or wilt earlier in the season, check soil moisture and look closely for pest or disease symptoms before adding fertilizer.

Common Pests

  • Plants suddenly yellow or wilt, and bulbs have holes: Onion maggots may be feeding on the roots and bulbs. You may find small, cream-colored, legless maggots inside damaged bulbs. Remove badly affected plants, rotate garlic and other alliums to a different part of the garden, and use floating row covers where onion maggots have been a recurring problem.
  • Leaves develop whitish or silvery streaks and may become distorted: Check between the leaves for tiny onion thrips. Small infestations usually cause little damage in home gardens. Keep weeds under control, use mulch, and knock thrips from the foliage with a strong spray of water if needed.

Plant Diseases

  • Leaves yellow and wilt, and the base of the bulb develops fluffy white growth: These are signs of white rot. Small black, poppy-seed-like structures may also appear around the bulb. Remove infected plants and avoid moving contaminated soil or bulbs to other parts of the garden. Plant only clean, disease-free garlic in unaffected soil. White rot can survive in soil for more than 20 years, so crop rotation alone will not eliminate it.

Wit and Wisdom

  • Garlic has long been nicknamed “the stinking rose“—a playful nod to its famously pungent aroma and its prized place in the kitchen.
  • Ancient Greek athletes were reportedly given garlic before competition, perhaps making it one of history’s earliest “performance enhancers.”
  • Old-time gardeners sometimes said that garlic “learns” a garden, referring to the way locally saved planting stock can become well suited to a particular growing place.

Recipes
Sauteed Spinach with Shallots and Garlic
Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Garden Patch Potato Salad
Creamy Garlic Dressing
Basil & Garlic Stuffed Quail
Vegetables

About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann

Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website, and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana.

Read more from Catherine Boeckmann

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Comments

<span>D Damond</span> Thu, 04/27/2017 - 13:38
I use very little garlic, but I want to plant it around my (new) roses. Can I just leave it in the ground, or should I "harvest" and replant every year? Also, is there an optimal distance from the rose bushes for the garlic to best serve as "guard"? Thank you!
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Thu, 04/27/2017 - 15:10

It is worth a try. Garlic is said to act as a repellent crop for aphids when planted near roses. It is thought that the scent is one reason why aphids tend to avoid it. Garlic is typically planted into the ground in the fall and harvested in the summer, but you can leave it in longer to help your roses if you are not planning to consume the garlic.

 <span>Sarah A Green</span> Thu, 06/08/2017 - 13:48
In reply to "can I just leave it in the ground or do I have to harvest and plant again?" I thought I had some cute flowers growing in my back yard of a rental that we live in. Every year they come up and are really pretty. This year I decided to take a closer look, I thought they were onions maybe, having not grown onion since I was 6 in my mom's garden I couldn't remember. I decided to dig one up and see how big it was, since its been there for almost 4 years and who knows how much longer before we lived here. That's when I learned it was garlic, not onion. They are small heads but it is early June here in So. Utah, so they do just keep growing back year after year, but I don't know the quality.
<span>Roy Gingrich</span> Sat, 04/15/2017 - 14:11
I never harvested my garlic last year, it is now coming back up this spring. Can I wait and harvest this fall?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Mon, 04/17/2017 - 10:49

It might be better to dig up the bulb and gently separate the individual cloves and replant as soon as you can.

 <span>Amber9</span> Wed, 04/12/2017 - 13:53
I just recently decided I was going to try to grow garlic, I live in Oklahoma, is it too late and how should I plant it? In the ground or in a pot? We had a very mild winter and it's already been warm (70° to 80°) the past couple of weeks. Any suggestions??
<span>Crystal H</span> Sun, 04/09/2017 - 08:56
I grow mostly hardneck varieties due to my location. This last fall I planted Spanish Benetee for the first time and some of the individual cloves have sprouted two tops. Has anyone had this happen and what does it mean?
<span>Randy</span> Tue, 05/30/2017 - 22:36
I've had that happen and was trying to explain it to a friend yesterday. If you look up growing garlic from seed, you will see how you can make the tops become seed and grow your strain of garlic. It is a two year process, but can create strong crops if they are suited for your climate. It is also a fun journey to go through when growing. The "flowers" of little baby cloves can be removed carefully and then the seeds are developed from the flowers that are between the cloves. I'm sure the little cloves can be planted, but I would just eat or juice them.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Tue, 04/11/2017 - 09:55

We can not find a reason/explanation for this and are curious to see if anyone "out there" has one. In the meantime, we recommend contacting your cooperative extension service; find yours here: http://www.almanac.com/content/cooperative-extension-services These folks have decades of combined experience!

 <span>Gracelynn Anne</span> Thu, 04/06/2017 - 18:18
I live in southern California where the coldest temperature of the year is around 48 degrees fahrenheit, and from reading other comments I learned the garlic has to stay for 40 days under 40F. I live in an apartment and just plant these for farm, but I still wanna get some results. How do I get my garlic to form bulbs?