How to Grow Garlic
Allium sativum
Garlic is a versatile allium prized for its pungent flavor and culinary versatility. Gardeners grow this hardy cool-season crop to enjoy fresh bulbs in salads, sauces, and roasted dishes throughout the year.
📷 Wikipedia: GarlicStarting Garlic: indoors or direct sow?
🌾 Sow directly in the garden — Garlic is not usually started indoors.
Garlic is best planted directly outdoors rather than started indoors as seedlings.
Soil, care & harvest
Prepare loose, well-drained soil with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0. As a cool-season crop, plant cloves outdoors 2-6 weeks before your last spring frost date. Push each clove about 1 to 2 inches deep into the soil. Expect germination within 14 to 28 days after planting.
Space cloves 4 to 6 inches apart in rows spaced roughly 12 inches wide. Garlic does not require trellising or support structures. Water regularly during dry spells, but reduce watering significantly two weeks before harvest. Apply a light mulch after establishment to retain moisture and suppress weeds.
Watch for onion thrips, aphids, and fungal issues like white rot; practice crop rotation and remove infected plants promptly. Harvest when the lower leaves turn brown but some green remains at the top, typically 240-270 days after planting. Cure bulbs in a dry, airy spot before storage.
When to Plant Garlic
Planting windows vary by USDA hardiness zone. Look up yours by ZIP code.
| Zone | Start Indoors | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | — | June – July | December – September |
| Zone 2 | — | May – July | December – September |
| Zone 3 | — | May – June | December – October |
| Zone 4 | — | April – June | December – October |
| Zone 5 | — | April – May | December – November |
| Zone 6 | — | April – May | December – November |
| Zone 7 | — | March – May | December – November |
| Zone 8 | — | March – April | November – December |
| Zone 9 | — | February – March | October – December |
| Zone 10 | — | January – March | October – December |
| Zone 11 | — | January – February | September – December |
| Zone 12 | — | January – February | September – December |
| Zone 13 | — | January – February | September – December |
