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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

<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Thu, 05/30/2013 - 15:31
Yes, you can plant the small bulbils that are found inside the flower. Cut off the stalks with the flower heads attached. Tie the stalks together in bunches and hang them upside down in a ventilated area to dry. When dry plant the individual small bulbils in the fall and add mulch if you have severe winters. Next spring dig the small bulbs, dry and replant the tiny cloves in the fall. It takes several years to grow full-size bulbs.
<span>Lisa Gehrig</span> Wed, 07/16/2014 - 13:32
At which point do you cut the stalk from the plant to dry the bulbils? The skin around my bulbils are just starting to split. Have I waited too long?
<span>Anonymous</span> Fri, 04/19/2013 - 14:01
I'm enthralled with "A Garlic Testament" by Stanley Crawford....seasons and growing garlic on a small New Mexico farm....a great mixture of gardening tips and philosophy ...Aldo Leopold on garlic. This is not a commercial...just wanted to share this title.
<span>Lisahistory</span> Tue, 07/30/2013 - 01:14
Yes, indeed - a wonderful book, as much philosophy as garlic farming.
<span>Anonymous</span> Fri, 09/28/2012 - 13:45
Maybe it's the variety, but I missed a few scapes last summer and did not notice a difference in bulb size...for what it's worth. My question, it's Sept 29 and I'm planting my cloves. One variety I bought from a local farmer the cloves are almost stuck together, a little sticky/funky...should I NOT plant them? Just that one variety, from that one farm. (I've others from other seed places, and some from my garden from last year, planting about 6 varieties this year) I planted them anyway, but am worried about bringing rot or fungus into my garden.
<span>Anonymous</span> Thu, 08/09/2012 - 16:23
I let one of my scapes grow longer just to see what happens and it made a bunch of little seeds in the scape. Are these plantable?
<span>Anonymous</span> Fri, 09/28/2012 - 13:48
It is my understanding that YES the 'seeds' from the scape are plantable...however you need to give them 2 years to mature...I've read that you plant them year 1, dig them out, and replant year 2 for bigger heads. I've planted 2 rows this year for the first time...we'll see.
<span>Anonymous</span> Mon, 07/30/2012 - 21:04
can you plant the seeds from the flower head and get more garlic or will they just die?
<span>K Barth</span> Mon, 07/22/2013 - 15:25
Look closely and you'll discover they aren't seeds exactly, but bulbils--tiny garlic cloves. I plant mine. Year after year. I love this system--no buying involved. I cannot promise that all bulbils will do what mine do, but just go ahead and plant some in a spot where you can watch them. First they'll form a single clove (I plant them soon after I harvest the current garlic crop), and then in autumn that single clove is your planted clove for next summer's harvest! Amazing, yes?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Tue, 07/31/2012 - 15:19
Garlic doesn’t produce flowers or seeds. The individual cloves from heads of garlic are separated and planted. Do not plant grocery store garlic. Find garlic from a gardener friend or local farmer. Individual cloves should be planted, pointed-side up, 2 to 3 inches deep. Each clove will become an entire head of garlic!