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 5a 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 50°F and 95°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 4 - 5 inches 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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02 Jul 21, Vicki (USA - Zone 7b climate)
What is the best garlic to grow in Virginia Zone 7b?
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31 May 21, Mary Manion (USA - Zone 7a climate)
My first year growing German Red Garlic I bought from Burpee's and planted last early November, in 7A South Jersey, USA. Late frost, then huge temperature variations and a heat wave of 97 last week is doing us in! I have been careful to keep it watered. But suddenly after that lots of my spring greens bolted and my garlic- which did NOT flower- just started to fall over and turn yellow. I have left them in the ground as it was not supposed to harvest until mid July! Any chance it will spring back? Should I cut the stem off? Thanks for advice!
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12 May 21, Anonymous (USA - Zone 7a climate)
I always grow my garlic from grocery store garlic, if I have no planting cloves of my own. I am in zone7...it alwAys germinated and proceeds to grow beautiful large garlic! I ordered some a good while back from a reputable gardening site, and it did NOT do well...almost no bulbs,
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03 Apr 21, Lasha (South Africa - Dry summer sub-tropical climate)
If planted in may will the garlic grow well?it will have two months warm and about two war and two cold
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06 Apr 21, (South Africa - Dry summer sub-tropical climate)
On a tv show the other day they said in the southern hemisphere plant garlic April May.
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06 Mar 21, Gina (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
Is it this straight forward for elephant garlic too? I’ve saved some bulbs from summer, hoping to plant these in big pots as the soil here is terrible.
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08 Mar 21, Anon (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Probably yes.
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18 Feb 21, Wynny (USA - Zone 9a climate)
I live in zone 9a. It is Feb. 17. I would like to know (since I already planted the garlic today) when I can (or can't) harvest. Will I be able to harvest this year, or will I have to wait until next year?Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall?
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22 Feb 21, Anonymous (USA - Zone 10b climate)
Lucky for you, you're in the same climate zone as the famous garlic producing town of Gilroy, CA. I understand they plant around late October/November and harvest in June or July. I'm not sure what the result will be for you since you planted yours later and garlic needs a very long season. Try pulling them up in July. If your weather gets very hot before then I'd put some light shade cloth over the garlic to bring the temperature down a few degrees. You may find that your bulbs are smaller than you hoped for, or that it only makes one large clove instead of separate cloves. They should still be good, just not ideal. Then try planting again around Halloween and your garlic should be much bigger next year. Btw, I'm not sure why the chart says garlic shouldn't be planted in 9a. Certainly 9a on the West Coast can and does plant it.
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19 Feb 21, Anonymous (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Read the planting notes at the top of the page. Harvest times . Also it does not recommend planting garlic in your climate zone.
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