March 1, 2026

When to Plant Garlic in Fall

Garlic is one of the few crops you plant in fall and harvest in summer. It seems counterintuitive, but garlic needs a long cold period underground to develop full-sized bulbs. Plant it at the right time in fall, and by July you'll pull up heads of garlic that make store-bought stuff look sad by comparison.

Fall garlic planting dates by zone

The target is to plant garlic 4-6 weeks before the ground freezes. This gives cloves enough time to establish roots but not enough time to send up green shoots that would be damaged by winter cold.

Hardneck vs. softneck garlic

This is the first decision you need to make, and it depends mostly on where you live.

Hardneck garlic produces a stiff central stalk (scape) and typically has 4-12 large, easy-to-peel cloves per bulb. It needs a cold winter (below 40°F for several weeks) to form bulbs properly. Best for zones 3-7. Popular varieties include Music, German Extra Hardy, and Chesnok Red.

Softneck garlic is what you usually see in grocery stores. It has a flexible stalk (good for braiding), more cloves per bulb (12-20, but smaller), and stores much longer. Softneck doesn't need as much cold and does better in zones 7-10. Varieties like California Early, Silverskin, and Inchelium Red are reliable choices.

If you're in zone 6-7, either type works. Try both and see what performs better in your specific microclimate.

How to plant garlic

Break a garlic bulb into individual cloves just before planting. Keep the papery skin on each clove. Use only the largest, healthiest cloves for planting, as bigger cloves produce bigger bulbs.

1. Prepare soil with compost. Garlic likes rich, well-draining soil with a pH of 6.0-7.0
2. Plant cloves 2-3 inches deep (4 inches in zones 3-4), pointed end up
3. Space cloves 6 inches apart in rows 12 inches apart
4. Water well after planting
5. Mulch with straw, leaves, or wood chips after the first hard frost

Don't plant grocery store garlic. It's often treated with growth inhibitors and may carry disease. Buy seed garlic from a reputable supplier or local farm.

What happens underground in winter

After you plant in fall, each clove puts out roots over the next few weeks. The roots establish while the soil is still warm enough for growth (above 40°F). Then the clove goes dormant through winter.

In spring, as the soil warms past 40°F, green shoots emerge. The plant grows leaves through spring, and those leaves feed the developing bulb underground. Each leaf corresponds to one wrapper layer on the bulb. More healthy leaves means a bigger, better-wrapped bulb.

Spring care for fall-planted garlic

In early spring, pull back excess mulch to let the soil warm up. Garlic shoots will push through a couple inches of mulch on their own, but a thick layer can slow them down.

Feed garlic in early spring with a nitrogen-rich fertilizer (blood meal works well) as the shoots emerge. Stop fertilizing once bulbs start to swell (usually when scapes appear on hardneck types, around late May to early June).

Hardneck garlic produces curly scapes in late spring. Cut these off when they make one full curl. Removing scapes directs energy into bulb growth and can increase bulb size by 20-30%. Plus, scapes are delicious in stir fries and pesto.

Harvest and curing

Garlic is ready when the bottom 3-4 leaves have turned brown but the top 4-5 are still green. In most zones, this happens in late June to mid July. Don't wait too long, as over-mature bulbs split open and won't store well.

Dig (don't pull) bulbs carefully. Cure them in a warm, dry, shaded spot with good airflow for 2-3 weeks. After curing, trim roots to 1/4 inch and cut stalks to 1 inch above the bulb (or leave intact for braiding softneck types).

Properly cured hardneck garlic stores 4-6 months. Softneck garlic can last 9-12 months under the right conditions (cool, dry, 50-60°F).

Check your first frost date to time your garlic planting perfectly.

Related: Fall Garden Planting Guide | First Frost Date by Zip Code