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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14 Apr 19, joe graham (Australia - temperate climate)
I see a question from Paul Riley temperate climate Australia regarding shot garlic. can someone tell me do you plant garlic with the green shoot sticking out of the soil or is ok to plant deeper Thanks for any advice in advance
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12 May 19, ken gadischke (Australia - temperate climate)
garlic should not be planted after it starts to shoot. Only.plump cloves with no sign of a shoot should be planted. Mid May in temperate climes is the best time to plant.
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04 Jun 19, Carolyn Young (Australia - temperate climate)
Why don't you plant shot garlic? I have a stack to plant i was just going to now
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16 Apr 19, Paul Riley (Australia - temperate climate)
G'day Joe, mine weren't shot when I planted them last week but I have a few up and would have thought the best way would be to have them proud. That's what they'll end up like anyway...
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19 Mar 19, Patricia (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
My name is Patricia Could you please tell me where can I buy organic garlic to plant And at what time of the year I need to plant the garlic We have a lot of frost the winters here at Macclesfield Australia Are very cold Will wait for your reply
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02 May 19, Ted (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
You can buy on line @ . They have all types and strains and most are in stock now ready to plant and the web site is very informative. Regards
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26 Mar 19, Sally (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi, you can get organic garlic now from Green Harvest: greenharvest.com.au They also provide lots of information on growing.
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22 Mar 19, Ruth (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Dear Patricia, we live near the Barrington Tops National Park and get quite a bit of frost. we have been growing garlic organically for many year, always planting around eastertime , ours is a hardneck called Tasmanian Purple, here is a very helpful guide for all that is garlic https://www.australiangarlic.net.au/
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12 Mar 19, Paul Riley (Australia - temperate climate)
Where is the best place to source shot garlic cloves in the Riverland and what kind grows best here?
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14 Mar 19, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Do some internet research.
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Showing 311 - 320 of 915 comments
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my Zone 10A garlic, all in rectangular containers 24" length x 7.5" width, x 6.5" height, is sprouting well also, with some shoots up to about two inches. I had several garlic bulbs I intentionally kept in my refrigerator for a couple months, divided them into cloves, peeled them to avoid mold and decay, and kept the separated cloves open to the light at room temperature until they started sprouting. When the majority had tiny green shoots, I selected the best cloves (solid, no spongy or discolored parts) and planted them shallow with the very top of the clove showing as per advice from an internet container gardening site. I am really being careful not to overwater and it looks like all the cloves sprouted green shoots, but after a couple weeks I did have birds pull up maybe eight out of thirty or so of the newly sprouted cloves, so I replanted the missing ones with a more cloves, then added about an inch more soil over the top, and so far the birds have not raided again with the cloves now about two inches deep. Lesson learned: the internet advice for container gardening to plant the cloves with the tip showing is an invitation to be raided by birds. Solution: plant deeper, maybe two inches below the soil surface, even in shallow containers.

- Dave in California Zone 10A

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This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. Gardenate is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
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