Root Vegetable

When to Plant Garlic

Plant in fall, harvest in summer. Garlic is one of the most rewarding crops for the patient gardener.

Sun

Full sun (6-8 hours)

Water

1 inch per week

Days to Harvest

240-270

Difficulty

beginner

Spacing

Frost Tolerance

very high

The Short Answer

Garlic are best direct sown when soil temperature reaches at least 45°F. Garlic can also be planted in fall, 6 weeks before your first frost. Enter your zip code on our homepage tool for exact dates.

How to Grow Garlic

Garlic is planted in fall and harvested the following summer — a full 9-month growing season that rewards patience with flavor no store-bought garlic can match. The curing process matters as much as the growing: hang harvested plants in a warm, dry, ventilated space for 2-4 weeks until the wrappers are papery and the neck is completely dry. Properly cured hardneck garlic stores for 4-6 months; softneck stores for 8-12 months. Save your best, largest cloves for replanting — you're breeding your garlic to adapt to your specific garden conditions over generations.

Fall Planting

Garlic are planted in fall, 6 weeks before your average first frost date. Plant 2" deep, 6" apart.

Growing Tips

Plant individual cloves pointy-side up in fall, 4-6 weeks before ground freezes. Mulch heavily. Harvest when lower leaves brown.

Companion Planting

Good companions:

Tomatoes Peppers Lettuce Beets

Keep away from:

Beans Peas

Garlic Planting Dates by State

Click your state for garlic planting dates specific to your location:

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

Note: Planting dates are based on average frost dates from NOAA Climate Normals (30-year averages). Actual conditions vary year to year. Always check your local forecast before planting frost-sensitive crops.

Last reviewed: March 29, 2026