Growing Garlic

Allium sativum : Amaryllidaceae / the onion family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
                P P    

(Best months for growing Garlic in USA - Zone 5b regions)

  • P = Plant cloves

September: Garlic can overwinter. Cover with a good layer of mulch . In areas where frost persists into March/ April, expect to harvest your garlic in June/July.

October: Garlic can overwinter. Cover with a good layer of mulch . In areas where frost persists into March/ April, expect to harvest your garlic in June/July.

  • Easy to grow. Plant cloves. Best planted at soil temperatures between 10°C and 35°C. (Show °F/in)
  • Space plants: 10 - 12 cm apart
  • Harvest in 17-25 weeks.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Beets, Carrots, Cucumbers, Dill, Tomatoes, Parsnips
  • Avoid growing close to: Asparagus, Beans, Brassicas, Peas, Potatoes

Your comments and tips

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07 Dec 22, Paula (USA - Zone 10a climate)
I have never chilled mine and they do okay. I don't know the type as I have as I started with grocery store bulbs, but I have read that soft neck varieties do better in warm climates.
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04 Dec 22, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Probably make no difference. The thing is to use mature aged bulbs. Fresh new bulbs may not be as good as bulbs that have been out of the ground for a few months.
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16 Oct 22, Holly (USA - Zone 5b climate)
Can I plant garlic bulbs in pots (that will remain outside throughout winter) in zone 5b?
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20 Oct 22, (USA - Zone 5b climate)
If you can grow it in the ground you can grow it in a pot usually.
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16 Oct 22, marco (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
gold coast qld ...harvest my garlic .not great !! yet the garlic i did get makes the whole house smell .that will keep everyone away ..any tips for me for next year thanks ...
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17 Oct 22, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Read the notes here about growing it - plant about late May, plenty of water and good soil.
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23 Oct 22, marco (Australia - tropical climate)
might be not enough water ! thanks
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14 Oct 22, David Kalet (USA - Zone 10a climate)
I just moved to Naples Florida. I am looking for hard neck and soft neck varieties that would grow here. I am thinking that planting on December 21 and harvesting June 21 maybe a good start. It doesn't get frosty here, but perhaps vernalizing the bulbs in the refrigerator for 40 days may work. Appreciate any thoughts.
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18 Nov 22, Ruth A Hersh (USA - Zone 9a climate)
Garlic grows GREAT here in Florida, but only the soft neck varieties, & you must give them 8 weeks artificial winter in a refrigerator prior to planting. Preferably one without ripening fruit as they put off gasses that can hurt your garlic whilst chilling.
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06 Nov 22, Dave in California Zone 10A (USA - Zone 10a climate)
David, I also live in Zone 10A but in California (hot and dry, average 10 inches of rain per year), and please IGNORE the Aussie who thinks we do not check our Zone 10A recommendations. I have been container gardening here for a couple years and am still learning, with notable mistakes being not knowing correct planting/harvesting times (I now use this website over anything on a seed package), overcrowding, and overwatering. I have successfully grown garlic in Zone 10A, from store bought garlic cloves that were sprouting tiny green shoots, and they produced but the heads and cloves were only about half the size as the original store-bought, which might be caused by the climate, or more likely from be the mistakes I was making trying to grow new things like crowding, overwatering, and not knowing when to plant or harvest. Anyway, give growing garlic a try and my best advice is to avoid overwatering. I had a lot of cloves rot instead of growing and I think it was because of overwatering. After doing more research I'm trying to grow garlic again by planting some in NOV, and some in DEC, and really monitoring the watering. Even though my garlic was half sized, it still tastes great, so I would rather have half sized garlic I can grow myself than not growing garlic.
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