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Home / Food Gardening / Vegetable Gardening / When & How To Plant Garlic In Your Garden

When & How To Plant Garlic In Your Garden

By Amy Andrychowicz | 13 Comments

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How & When To Plant Garlic
How & When To Plant Garlic In Your Garden

Planting garlic is easy, but you have to make sure to get the timing right. If you plant it too late, then it won’t have time to form large, mature bulbs. So, in this post I will show you exactly when and how to plant garlic.

How To Plant Garlic In Your Garden

If you want to learn how to grow garlic in your garden, then it’s important to get the timing right.

Many new gardeners make the mistake of planting garlic too late, and end up with tiny bulbs when they go to harvest it.

I am no exception! The first time I tried growing it in my garden was an epic failure, and I was extremely disappointed.

The good news is that once you learn how and when to plant garlic, you’ll find that it’s super easy!

Here’s what you’ll find in this detailed guide for planting garlic…

Table of Contents

  • How Do You Plant Garlic?
  • Where To Plant Garlic
  • When To Plant Garlic
  • How To Plant Garlic Step-By-Step
  • FAQs
    • How deep do you plant garlic?
    • Can you plant garlic without the skin?
    • Do you need to water garlic after planting?
    • Is it too late to plant garlic?

How Do You Plant Garlic?

Unlike most types of vegetables, you don’t grow garlic from seeds. Garlic seeds take too long to mature into full bulbs.

Plus, they don’t stay true to the original variety. So instead, you break apart the bulb, and plant the individual cloves.

Breaking garlic bulb into individual cloves

Breaking garlic bulb into individual cloves

Where To Plant Garlic

The best place to plant garlic is in a full sun location where the soil has good drainage. Garlic will not tolerate wet feet, so be sure to choose a spot where the water drains fast.

It also grows best in loose, fertile soil that is free from impediments. So be sure to amend the soil with worm castings, compost, or an organic all-purpose fertilizer. And take the time to clear the bed of weeds, sticks, and rocks.

When To Plant Garlic

Knowing when to plant is key to having a good garlic harvest. Planting it at the wrong time is the most common mistake that new gardeners make.

If you’re a newbie, you might be surprised to learn that fall the best time to plant garlic, for most gardeners.

If you live in a warm climate with a long growing season, you can indeed plant it in the spring. But for the rest of us, the gardening season is too short, so we must plant it in the fall.

However, it’s important to keep in mind that even in warmer areas, you may not get large heads if you plant it in the spring rather than the fall.

Here’s how to figure out exactly when to plant it in your garden…

  • Planting in the fall – If you live in a cold climate like I do here in Minnesota, then wait to plant the cloves until after the first few frosts. Be sure to cover them with a 4-6″ layer of mulch for winter protection.
  • Planting in the spring – Spring planting is best for warm climates with a long growing season. Plant your cloves as soon as the soil is workable in the winter, or very early spring.
Spacing out garlic cloves in raised bed

Spacing out garlic cloves in raised bed

How To Plant Garlic Step-By-Step

If you’ve ever planted any other type of bulb in your garden before, you’ll see that garlic is not much different. Here’s are the step-by-step instructions for planting it…

  • Step 1: Prepare the garden bed, and remove any plants or weeds that were growing there.
  • Step 2: Loosen up the soil, and mix in all-purpose fertilizer granules, compost, or organic worm castings. Be sure to also remove any rocks or large twigs.
  • Step 3: Carefully divide the bulb into individual cloves, leaving the papery skin on the cloves.
Planting garlic cloves with pointy tip facing up

Planting garlic cloves with pointy tip facing up

  • Step 4: Lay the cloves on top of the soil, spacing them 6-8″ apart.
  • Step 5: Plant each one 2-3″ deep, with the pointy tip facing up.
  • Step 6: Cover the cloves with soil, gently packing it down over the top.
  • Step 7 (optional): If you’re planting in the fall, cover the bed with lightweight vegetable garden mulch.
Garlic clove planted in the garden

Garlic clove planted in the garden

FAQs

Below I will answer some of the most frequently asked questions about planting garlic bulbs. If you can’t find an answer to your question here, then ask it in the comments below and I’ll answer it asap.

How deep do you plant garlic?

You should plant each garlic clove 2-3″ deep. See the “How To Plant Garlic Step-By-Step” section above for more details.

Can you plant garlic without the skin?

Yes. Don’t worry if the papery skin accidentally came off as you were separating the cloves, that doesn’t mean they won’t grow.

Do you need to water garlic after planting?

If there’s no rain predicted, then water your garlic after planting to settle the soil over the cloves. Remember that they don’t like soggy soil, so only water garlic after planting if it’s dry.

Is it too late to plant garlic?

That depends on where you live. The best time to plant it is 4-6 weeks before the ground freezes in cold climates, or as soon as the soil is workable in warm areas.

So planting in March or April is definitely too late in the spring. As is November or December in cold areas.

Planting garlic is easy, but it’s important to get the timing right. Don’t worry, once you get the hang of it, you’ll have the best and biggest harvest in the neighborhood.

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Share your tips for planting garlic in the comments section below.

How & When To Plant Garlic In Your Garden

About Amy Andrychowicz

I live and garden in Minneapolis, MN (zone 4b). My green thumb comes from my parents, and I've been gardening most of my life. I’m a passionate gardener who loves growing everything from vegetables, herbs, and flowers to succulents, tropicals, and houseplants - you name, I've grown it! Read More...

Comments

  1. Rebecca says

    April 23, 2020 at 9:59 am

    Dear Amy, I just planted garlic in my garden, for the firs time ever, it looks that it’s growing very well, my question is, how long does it take to fully grow and to harvest it?
    (Houston Tx. area)

    Reply
    • Amy Andrychowicz says

      April 27, 2020 at 10:11 am

      It depends on the type of garlic you planted. Hardneck varieties planted in the fall in cold climates is usually ready to harvest sometime in July (or mid-summer). Softneck varieties planted in the spring in a warm climate with long summers are usually ready in late summer/early fall. But it also depends on the cultivar, because some are faster to mature than others. You’ll know they are ready to harvest once the leaves have turned yellow. Read this post for more details… How To Grow Garlic In Your Garden

      Reply
  2. Debbie says

    April 13, 2020 at 12:41 pm

    I purchased your heirloom garlic.
    I live in Buffalo, NY and start my vegetables indoors under LED grow lights.
    Do you recommend starting my garlic indoors ?i
    Since, I have the option or should I wait and plant them directly in my outdoor garden.

    Reply
    • Amy Andrychowicz says

      April 20, 2020 at 4:17 pm

      If you purchased a softneck variety, then you can plant it directly into your garden now in the spring. Hardneck varieties are better to plant in the fall. It’s not beneficial to start garlic indoors, because they hate to be transplanted. Transplanting garlic will stunt their growth, and they may not produce a very large head because of it. Here’s more information about how to grow garlic.

      Reply
  3. Barbara In Montreal Canada says

    March 23, 2020 at 10:53 pm

    Can I plant garlic in my house ? I have a southern exposeseur and get sun all day long …

    Reply
    • Amy Andrychowicz says

      March 30, 2020 at 9:15 am

      Humm… I have never tried growing garlic indoors myself, but you could certainly give it a try. I would definitely recommend using a softneck variety, and you’ll need to give it tons of light. Good luck, and please let me know how well it works for you! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Susan says

    September 3, 2019 at 10:43 pm

    I live in Summerville, SC, a part of the “Lowcountry” close to Charleston and am a beginner gardener who has always wanted to grow my own garlic. I have the perfect full sun plot I’ve been cultvating for this purpose but am now uncertain as to when to plant and where to purchase the actual garlic bulbs for planting. Experts seem to disagree as to whether or you buy from the grocery store or order special bulbs from growers. What are your recommendations?

    Reply
    • Amy Andrychowicz says

      September 10, 2019 at 9:24 am

      I definitely recommend buying garlic bulbs from growers. They are specifically grown to use as “seed garlic”, and you will have the best success with them. Though you could grow garlic from the grocery store, it is unreliable. First, you don’t know what type you’re getting, so it may not be suitable for growing in your climate. Also, sometimes the bulbs are treated so they won’t sprout. Read my detailed post about growing garlic for more information… How To Grow Garlic In Your Garden.

      As for where to get the bulbs, check with your local garden center. You can also find them for sale online, here is a good source… Botanical Interests Garlic

      Reply
  5. cecile says

    August 9, 2019 at 9:09 am

    I tried last Fall and planted a lot in my garden. I harvested 5 heads yesterday. They are small. It’s very disappointing, but maybe I’ll try again. I’m in Minneapolis too and followed your previous posts about garlic. I bet the squirrels stole a lot.

    Reply
    • Amy Andrychowicz says

      August 19, 2019 at 10:06 am

      Oh bummer, sorry to hear that your garlic didn’t do as well as you expected. It could be the variety that you purchased, or a few other things: They like a lot of sun, nitrogen-rich and fast-draining soil, fertilizer, and pruning. Here’s a post with detailed instructions for how to grow garlic that should help you out next time. Good luck!

      Reply
  6. Laura @ RYG says

    November 17, 2015 at 2:51 pm

    I love growing my own garlic, maybe it’s just in my head, but I honestly think it tastes so much better than grocery store garlic. It’s unbelievably easy to grow and since I cook a ton, I use a ton of garlic. I just love experimenting with various types of garlic….so I guess that’s my tip. We have a local farm here that showcases many varieties and its fun planting all the types and tasting it of course!

    Reply
    • Amy Andrychowicz says

      November 19, 2015 at 11:47 am

      No, it’s not in your head. It TOTALLY tastes better, just like everything else that’s homegrown! 🙂 That’s a great tip! I didn’t even know there were different kinds of garlic when I first started out. Garlic is garlic, right. Haha!

      Reply
    • Mike the Gardener says

      November 19, 2015 at 12:09 pm

      I agree with Amy. It definitely tastes better than what is in the stores.

      Reply

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Amy Andrychowicz is the creator and owner of Get Busy Gardening (getbusygardening.com), an author, a blogger, and a passionate gardener.

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Amy Andrychowicz is an author, and the creator of Get Busy Gardening. She is devoted to helping new gardeners learn through guidance, encouragement, and advice that is easy to understand.
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