Eating Garden

How to Grow Garlic

Allium sativum

A hardy bulb usually planted as separate cloves in fall and harvested the next summer.

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At a glance

  • Difficulty

    Easy

    1 of 5 · More shovels, more care

  • Sunlight

    Full sun

  • Water

    Average thirst

  • First harvest

    240 to 270 days

    from sowing

  • Plant spacing

    3 to 4 in apart

More about this plant

Plant healthy cloves pointed side up, mulch them for winter and keep weeds from crowding the slow young plants. Harvest by watching the leaves, not by relying on one calendar date.

  • Comes back each year.
  • Can grow in raised beds, the open ground.
  • A good one to grow together with children.

Make it your plan

Add your location for local planting datesAdd place

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What are you starting with?
Where will it grow?

Your plan, starting Nov 10, 2026

Estimated harvest: Jul 8, 2027 – Aug 7, 2027. Add your location to compare this date with local planting windows. Your chosen date stays the same.

Add your location to compare this date with local planting windows. Your chosen date stays the same.

Estimated first harvest

Jul 8, 2027 – Aug 7, 2027

Counted from sowing. Variety, plant age, weather, and care can change this estimate.

The lower leaves have turned yellow or brown while about half of the upper leaves remain green. A sample bulb has cloves that fill their skins.

A cold winter followed by cool spring growth. Garlic is hardy and usually performs best when planted in fall, though local timing varies.

First, gather a few things

  • Garlic cloves
  • A growing spot with 3 to 4 in between plants
  • A prepared garden bed
  • A watering can or hose

Get ready

Do these before you put the plant or seeds in place.

  1. Start here

    1. Choose healthy seed garlic

    Buy firm cloves from a reputable seed source. Grocery-store garlic may not suit your climate and can carry disease.

  2. 2. Prepare a sunny, draining bed

    Loosen the soil and add finished compost if needed. Garlic needs moisture, but not standing water.

Start or plant it

Follow the steps for the way you chose to start.

  1. 1. Plant each clove pointed side up

    Separate the bulb shortly before planting. Set cloves 2 to 3 inches deep and 3 to 4 inches apart.

Water

Check the soil first. Heat, rain, and pots can change how often this plant needs water.

  1. 1. Check before you water

    Push a finger about 1 inch into the soil. Water when it feels dry there.

  2. 2. Water the roots

    Water slowly at the base until the soil feels moist a few inches down. For a pot, water until a little runs out of the drainage holes.

    Water deeply enough to moisten the root zone during active growth. Stop watering when the leaves begin to mature, about two weeks before harvest.

Need help judging moisture? Read how to check the soil and water the roots.

If the plant looks unhappy

  • Too dry

    Bulbs stay smaller, especially when the plant is actively filling them.

    If the soil is dry, water deeply and check it again tomorrow.

  • Too wet

    Wet soil near harvest delays curing and raises the risk of bulb and storage problems.

    If the soil is wet, wait before watering again and check that excess water can drain away.

While it grows

Check on your plant and do these jobs as they come up.

  1. 1. Mulch for winter

    Add 3 to 4 inches of clean leaves or straw to protect the bed and slow early weeds.

  2. 2. Keep weeds from taking over

    Young garlic grows slowly. Weed shallowly so you do not damage the bulbs or roots.

  3. 3. Cut hardneck scapes if you wishOptional

    Snip the curly stalk and eat it. Removing it can direct more growth toward the bulb.

Looking after it

  • FeedingFeed it regularlyFollow a soil test. Garlic often needs nitrogen during spring growth, but feeding should stop as bulbs mature.
  • PruningNeeds pruningOn hardneck garlic, snip the curly flower stalk if you want the plant to put more energy into the bulb. The scape is edible.
  • MulchCover a fall-planted bed with about 3 to 4 inches of clean leaves or straw to soften winter temperature swings and hold down weeds.

Pick and store it

Use the plant's signs of readiness, then harvest gently.

  1. 1. Check if it is ready

    The lower leaves have turned yellow or brown while about half of the upper leaves remain green. A sample bulb has cloves that fill their skins.

  2. 2. Pick it

    Loosen the soil and lift each bulb carefully with its leaves attached. Do not pull hard on the tops or bruise the bulb.

  3. 3. Keep it fresh

    Cure whole plants in a warm, dry, airy place out of direct sun until the skins are papery and the roots are dry. Then trim and store the bulbs dry in an open mesh bag.

More picking tips

  1. 1. Lift when the leaves give the signal

    Harvest while roughly half the upper leaves are still green, then cure the whole plants with good airflow.

Common problems

  • Grey mould

    Cosmetic, the crop is still fine

    Look for: Grey fuzz on ripening fruit, fading flowers or damp leaves, often where plant parts touch or stay wet.

    What to do: Remove affected fruit and leaves and put them in the bin, not the compost heap.

    Botrytis can occasionally affect garlic. Start with healthy cloves and cure harvested bulbs with good airflow.

    How to prevent it next time

    Prevention: Pick ripe fruit promptly, keep fruit off the soil, and give plants room.

Common mistakes

  • Planting cloves upside down

    The pointed end belongs at the top. An upside-down clove wastes energy bending its shoot toward the surface.

  • Letting weeds crowd young garlic

    Garlic grows slowly at first and does not compete well. Keep the bed clear without digging deeply.

  • Watering too close to harvest

    Wet soil delays curing and makes storage problems more likely. Stop as the leaves begin to mature.

  • Waiting for every leaf to turn brown

    Very late bulbs can split open and store poorly. Harvest while about half the upper leaves remain green.

Companion plants for garlic

Some of this is measured in trials and some is long-standing garden practice. Each note below says which it is.

Good together

Gardeners have long paired these:

  • StrawberrySome strawberry growers plant garlic among their plants; the garlic scent is proposed, not proven, to repel aphids.Traditional garden practice
How to choose companion plants

Questions about garlic

Tap a question to see the answer.

Will garlic grow where I live?

A cold winter followed by cool spring growth. Garlic is hardy and usually performs best when planted in fall, though local timing varies.

  • LightFull sun
  • ShadeNeeds full light
  • SeasonA cool season cropUsually grown in fall or spring.
  • FrostSurvives a hard freeze

What soil is best for garlic?

  • Soil pH6.0 to 7.0A cheap test kit from a garden centre will tell you yours.
  • DrainageWants well drained ground
  • RichnessWants rich ground

Garlic can grow in many soil types when the bed is loose, fertile, moisture-retentive and well drained. Add finished compost if the soil needs structure.

Use a soil test before adding fertilizer. Do not keep adding phosphorus when the soil already has enough.

Before changing your soil, learn how to test soil acidity and understand the result.

When and how deep do I plant garlic?

When to plant

Match these relative steps to your local seasons. Where frost applies, use the last freezing night in spring and the first in fall. In frost-free climates, follow trusted local seasonal guidance.

  • Sow outdoors 1 to 2 weeks after your first fall frostPlant cloves in fall, one or two weeks after the first killing frost (Minnesota Extension). Ask a local extension office if winters are mild.
  • Ready to pick about 240 to 270 days from sowing.

What you need

  • How to start itFrom seedYou can sow it straight into the ground.
  • How deep to plant2 to 3 in
    Planting depth: 2 to 3 in below the soil surface. Drawing is not to scale.
  • How far apart3 to 4 inLeave 6 to 10 in between rows.
    Leave 3 to 4 in between plants and 6 to 10 in between rows. View from above; drawing is not to scale.

What happens to garlic through the year?

Measured from your first fall frost, because seasons differ from garden to garden. In frost-free climates, use trusted local seasonal guidance alongside these relative steps.

  1. Sow outdoors

    1 to 2 weeks after your first fall frost

How do I give garlic a better start?

Simple ways to help your garlic grow, from the soil up.

  • Start with good soil

    Garlic can grow in many soil types when the bed is loose, fertile, moisture-retentive and well drained. Add finished compost if the soil needs structure.

  • Give the soil a cover

    Cover a fall-planted bed with about 3 to 4 inches of clean leaves or straw to soften winter temperature swings and hold down weeds.

  • Feed with care

    Follow a soil test. Garlic often needs nitrogen during spring growth, but feeding should stop as bulbs mature.

Use a soil test before adding fertilizer. Do not keep adding phosphorus when the soil already has enough.

Can I plant garlic in spring?

Yes. Plant as soon as the soil can be worked. Fall is usually better, and spring-planted bulbs may stay smaller.

How do I know garlic is ready?

Look for brown lower leaves with about half the upper leaves still green. Dig one sample and check that the cloves fill their skins.

Should I cut the curly flower stalk?

You can cut a hardneck scape when it curls. This may send more growth toward the bulb, and the scape is good to eat.

Why did my garlic rot in storage?

Wet soil near harvest, bulb damage or incomplete curing can cause trouble. Cure until the skins are papery and store with dry airflow.

Quick answers about garlic

One question each, answered first, with the source named.

  • How Does Garlic Grow? From Clove to Bulb

    Garlic grows from one clove planted in fall. Roots grow over winter, leaves in spring, and the bulb fills out in early summer.

  • When to Plant Garlic

    When to plant garlic is usually fall: in cold areas, 1 to 2 weeks after the first killing frost. Spring cloves make smaller bulbs.

Helpful gardening guides

Dig into the next thing you need, from starting a garden to getting watering right.

  • Raised Bed Garden Guide for Beginners

    A raised bed garden guide for beginners: decide whether a bed helps, choose a reachable size, fill it with soil that drains, and keep it watered.

  • Watering Guide

    How to check the soil, water the root area, and avoid rigid schedules that do not fit your garden.

  • Sunlight Guide

    How to count direct sun, match crops to your space, and work with a garden that gets less light.

Starting your first garden? Choose your space and get it ready, then plan local planting times.

Browse all gardening guides

Also filed under: Vegetables, Herbs

Where this came from

Advice varies with your climate and variety. Check the sources behind each section.

Sources & review dates
Timing
University of Minnesota Extension, Growing garlic in home gardens · checked 2026-09-15 · The one derived day count here. The source gives dates, not days: cloves go in one or two weeks after the first killing frost, and harvest runs between late June and late July. Late October to late June is about 240 days and early November to late July about 270.
University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, UC Master Gardener Program, Time of planting · checked 2026-09-24 · Where frost is rare, cool-season crops are timed to months averaging 55°F to 75°F.
Common problems
Penn State Extension, Garlic Production · checked 2026-09-15
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