Garlic is an easy-to-grow crop that’s harvested in midsummer and planted in the fall. Harvest when the tops just begin to yellow and fall over! See all our tips on growing garlic.
Rather than risk getting subpar garlic from the grocery store, try growing your own! It’s an easy and rewarding crop to grow at home.
Beyond its intense flavor and culinary uses, “the stinking rose” is also good in the garden as an insect repellent and has been used for centuries as a home remedy.
See our video on growing garlic from planting to harvesting.
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garlic in south texas
I'm in the RGV in South Texas. I planted my first crop of garlic in 2 self-watering bucket systems that i keep on my 2nd floor balcony. I ave healthy green scapes now, and all looks good.
No idea how the harvest will turn out at the end of the summer, but for now i'm happy with how it's moving along.
Good luck!
Waited to long to plant...
So I live in michigan and I missed my time to put my garlic in the ground. It's now below freezing everyday and about 14 inches of snow. Can I plant them indoors and transplant outside in the spring. Or am I doomed this year with no fresh garlic???? Thanks so much
Garlic in Winter
You have nothing to lose by potting up some cloves and putting them in a cold, dry place, like a shed or garage. Might as well give a go!
growing garlic in northern climes - missing the autumn planting
I live in Toronto.
For many years I have been planting in late December.
This year, as you noted, we had a traditional cold, snowy December, which is on the harsher side compared to only the past 20 years.
Nonetheless, if you bed is prepared, you will likely have only an inch of frozen bed to get through.
I use a bamboo stock, or if need be, as it looks right now, for I am going to try to plant my garlic today, December 26th, a steel pipe, to pierce the frost level, and remove enough soil/create a hole, to place a seed garlic in it.
It will likely be messy, slightly miserable work, but well worth it.
There is nothing like eating your own garlic!
My experience in spring planting has been disappointing; the garlic really needs the winter hardening of the seed to fully bloom.
Good luck (get out there!)
December garlic?
I planned to grow garlic in a large container this November but with one thing and another it is now December and I'm finally ready to plant. However we are expecting really cold temps here in SC for the next few days but we never get so cold that the ground freezes. I'm wanting to know if I go ahead and plant but cover the bed with a lot of mulch, do you think it will work? Also what are good companion plants for garlic?
get your garlic going
It sounds like you still have a good shot at getting your garlic in, Jill. Better late than never. Set it and cover as you describe. As for companionship … roses and raspberries are friendly (see here http://www.almanac.com/content/companion-planting-herbs) but keep it away from beans and peas (see here http://www.almanac.com/content/companion-planting-garden) and a few other plants (see here: http://www.almanac.com/content/companion-planting-chart-vegetables).
Good luck—and thanks for asking!
Hello, I live in South Hero
Hello, I live in South Hero Vermont and I haven't planted my garlic yet. My first question is: is it too late to plan my garlic? Second question is that the garlic I have to plant is from my last year's grown stock. I put them in the refrigerator after they were dry and then read that you shouldn't refrigerate garlic at all.
on growing garlic
To answer your first question, no it is not too late to plant garlic. We’ve planted in November and enjoyed a fine harvest the following summer. (Be sure you set it in good composted soil.) last year’s stock should be fine … about the refrigeration…ideally, whole garlic heads/cloves should not be refrigerated. If cut, most advise refrigerating it in an airtight container. We have, however, found some endorsement for refrigerating garlic that was not planted in fall but needs the chill to grow. We can’t vouch for that, never having done it.
We’ll stick to the universally accepted basics: You can plant your garlic as long as the ground has not frozen. Because to blanket it with mulch. If, having been stored in the refrigerator (or elsewhere), it has become soft and the “paper” peels off easily, it may have spoiled and probably will not produce a satisfactory crop. if it’s firm and the paper is still snug on it, you should have no problem planting it and harvest it next summer…assuming that everything else (soil, weather, etc.) is favorable.
Good luck!
Hi - this is our first year
Hi - this is our first year of growing garlic. We planted in raised beds and covered with old mulch hay. My question is rotation of planting beds for garlic. I've read that you cannot replant in the same area - that you need to wait 3-4 years between using the same area. Can you tell me why? Thanks!
Hi Maria,
Hi Maria,
Crop rotation can help avoid pests/diseases that attack plants of the same family, such as the allium, or onion, family of which garlic is a part. If the same crop is grown in the same place year after year, it is more likely to attract the same pests (or the soil harbor their eggs/overwintering larvae) that attack those crops; it is the same with certain diseases, which can live in the soil. Also, different crops may use nutrients differently (such as light feeders and heavy feeders) and affect soil structure differently. So, it helps to rotate each year. A crop rotation plan groups crops of the same family together, and they are grown in another place in the garden the following year. The cycle of rotation may take 3 or more years to get back to the original planting arrangement.
For more information, you might be interested in this article and video:
http://www.almanac.com/video/how-rotate-your-vegetable-crops
Hope this helps!
I live in south Alabama. My
I live in south Alabama. My wife and I are about to plant a small patch of garlic. We have selected 5 varieties to see how well they do here in the south. We feel like our sandy soil will be a good medium to grow in. Our hope is that if all goes well, to begin growing on a small commercial scale-around 1/10th of an acre. My question concerns drying/curing. We live in a very hot and humid area of the country. Any input on how best to cure our garlic after harvest? I know dark, dry areas that are well ventilated, are best. I am just unsure of what is going to be a good place for this.
Hi, David, A word of warning
Hi, David, A word of warning to help insure you get the best results: Sandy soil is not really the best medium to grow garlic in (or, honestly, many things). While it is well draining, it does not hold nutrients. As fast as rain/water runs through sand, so fast does any fertilizer or other beneficial nutrient. Think of it another way: they garlic cloves (and other plants) have nothing to grab on to, so to speak, when planted in sand. Get yourself a bag or two of good compost and replace a few inches of sand with it, then plant the garlic cloves. Read more about how to plant and care above before you do anything else. If you don’t do this much, you probably won’t have any garlic to cure. (Just trying to help you here.)
What you might do is try to plan to harvest on a relatively low-humidity day or two. (We realize these conditions hardly ever occur in south Alabama in the middle of summer…but keep an eye out.) Barring that, harvest when the soil is dry and set the garlic aside, in shade. If you run air conditioning indoors, bring it in and put the aside where it will not be disturbed for a while. We hope this helps.
Another thought: If there are
Another thought: If there are farmers and/or gardeners in your area/vicinity, drop in on them and ask them about garlic (or other vegetables). Most folks are more than happy to share their experience and advice. They would know your area, maybe your soil, certainly your climate.
All the best
I live in Northern California
I live in Northern California (yreka area) and planted my garlic last week and the sprouts are coming up already, even though it's been dropping into 20s to 30s at night. Is this a problem? WILL they still come up this spring? Or will I need to replant?
I planted garlic on October
I planted garlic on October 10th. We have had an incredibly warm October here. Way above average. I thought my garlic would not sprout until next spring. It is already a couple of inches tall. Is this normal or is it way ahead of schedule because it's so unusually warm?
I am in Boulder, Colorado. Many thanks!
Hi, Sarah, Garlic will sprout
Hi, Sarah, Garlic will sprout in the fall if conditions such as you describe occur. It should not hurt the bulbs. Throw more mulch on them, covering the growth. This can be leaves or other organic matter. Next season they should grow as expected.
garlic
You are doing good for educating many about this and make diference in lives of people, you hava realy changed my mentalityx thanks
Thanks, Robert! We appreciate
Thanks, Robert! We appreciate your taking the time to share your thoughts. All the best!
how to grow garlic
hello, i need help on knowing when is the best time of month to grow garlic. This is a school project so i need help. thanks
If you are in an area of the
If you are in an area of the country that has a winter—extreme cold, snow, etc.—plant your garlic before the ground freezes: Separate the cloves, stick them in the ground (pointy-end up) a couple of inches, and cover them with soil. (Good, rich compost is best.) Cover them with a couple inches of leaves or the like and let them alone until spring.
When to plant
Love all your writings and directions, when do I plant my fall bulbs in Winchester Ky.?
Garlic planting
Thanks for your kind words, Randolph! As per above, Iif you are in an area that gets a hard frost, plant garlic 6 to 8 weeks before that frost. In more southerly areas, February or March is a better time to plant. You can get an estimate of the date of your first fall frost here: http://www.almanac.com/gardening/frostdates/zipcode/81501
Good luck!
Garlic
How often should I water my garlic in the summer and how often do I fertilize it.
And do I cover the earth with plastic after planting the garlic at the end of September so that they don't sprout before the summer of the next year.
garlic prep and care
Do not cover the garlic with plastic, Tony. Give is a blanket of mulch several inches deep (fallen leaves are great!). If you plant in well composted, well draining soil (see also above re pH and other requirements), you should not have to fertilize. Water occasionally; more if local conditions—drought to any degree—indicate. Garlic really does not ask for much, if you give it good soil.
Watering garlic
Do you water garlic after planting it in the fall
water on garlic
Hi, Claudia, It would be fine to water the garlic. Certainly if it were to rain it would get wet. So that should be no problem. Good luck with it! Garlic is one of the easiest crops!
planting garlic
I live in an area where the soil is very compact, a high percentage is clay. The wintertime is very cold. Do you have any recommendations on how to plant garlic in this type of soil? Can they be planted in planters that would be left outside all winter? My concern about containers is that they may be more likely to freeze versus planting in the ground. Any suggestions or feedback would be welcomed.
garlic in containers...
Clay is not your friend, in this case (in most cases). You could dig a hole, maybe about a foot deep and, depending on how many garlic you’re going to plant, a few feet by a few feet and replace the clay with good composted material, and then plant the garlic. They need to be a couple inches deep and apart (see above). They do not set deep roots, so that would be a suitable bed. Alternately you could put the good composted material into pots and plant the garlic in there (with/at the suggested depth) and then put the pots into holes in the ground. That way, they are more protected from the elements than if in the pots above ground, where freeze/thaw/refreeze conditions could hurt the bulbs. We hope this helps!
papery skin of garlic
As I was preparing the garlic to plant, ( my first time), the papery skin came off mand of the garlic bulbs. Can I still plant them?
garlic skin
You can still plant the garlic cloves, but without their individual protective layer (sometimes called a “tunic”), they might be more susceptible to diseases. Before planting, some gardeners soak their cloves (usually unpeeled, but sometimes peeled) in a solution of 1 gallon water to 1 tablespoon baking soda overnight (some add a little liquid seaweed to the solution). Then just before planting, soak them in rubbing alcohol for about 4 minutes. This helps to prevent disease. You might try that with some of your cloves to see if it might help. Good luck!
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