A quick answer from the garden notebook
When to Plant Garlic
By David Choi · Updated · How we source and review advice
Short answer
Plant garlic in the fall. Where winters are cold, set the cloves in about 1 to 2 weeks after your first killing frost, so roots can grow before the ground freezes. In mild places like Florida, plant from late fall into early winter. Spring planting works, but the bulbs come out smaller.
Garlic planting dates
The timing rule our garlic guide uses:
- Sow outdoors: 1 to 2 weeks after your first fall frost
Your dates
Enter a U.S. ZIP code or a town to see these dates for your garden.
A U.S. ZIP uses official NOAA frost records. Other countries use weather-station records, or a climate reconstruction where stations are missing. Coordinates are used once and not stored. We save only a place label and climate summary in a private browser cookie. You can clear it anytime.
Example dates for the 2026 season
| Place | Dates |
|---|---|
| Seattle, WAFirst fall frost Nov 17 |
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| Minneapolis, MNFirst fall frost Oct 16 |
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| Chicago, ILFirst fall frost Nov 5 |
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| Denver, COFirst fall frost Oct 12 |
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| New York, NYFirst fall frost Nov 20 |
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| Atlanta, GAFirst fall frost Nov 8 |
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| Dallas, TXFirst fall frost Nov 29 |
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Frost dates are the usual (median) dates from NOAA climate normals for 1991 to 2020. In about half of years the last frost comes later than the usual date, so check the forecast before planting. Where frost is rare, as in much of Florida and the Arizona desert, frost dates do not set planting times.
Fall planting where winters are cold
Minnesota Extension says to plant cloves in fall, usually 1 or 2 weeks after the first killing frost. Roots and shoots grow from the cloves by the first hard freeze. The shoots usually do not poke out of the soil until the next spring. Farther south, Maryland Extension plants in mid to late October, so the cloves can grow roots and a few leaves before the cold sets in.
After planting, Minnesota Extension suggests 3 to 4 inches of leaf or straw mulch to even out winter temperatures. Pull it back in spring once hard freezes are over, so the soil can warm.
Why spring planting gives smaller bulbs
Maryland Extension explains that cloves need about two months at 32°F to 50°F before the bulbs start to swell. Spring cloves miss most of that chill. They also cannot grow enough leaves to feed a large bulb.
Places with mild winters
University of Florida Extension says garlic can be planted in Florida from late fall through early winter. The UC Master Gardener chart for California lists October to December for most regions, and September to November for the desert valleys.
When it will be ready
Fall garlic is dug the next summer. Minnesota Extension says to harvest between late June and late July, when the lower leaves turn brown and about half of the upper leaves are still green.
Sources
- Growing garlic in home gardens (University of Minnesota Extension)
- Growing Garlic in a Home Garden (University of Maryland Extension)
- Garlic (University of Florida IFAS Extension)
- Time of planting (University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, UC Master Gardener Program)
The full growing guide
Garlic
A hardy bulb usually planted as separate cloves in fall and harvested the next summer.
- Harvest
- 240 to 270 days
- Effort
- Season
- Cool
More garlic questions
- 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.
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