How to Grow Garlic: Tips for Growing Great Garlic

Learn how to grow garlic with this complete guide, from planting and care to harvest and storage. Tips for growing healthy garlic in any garden.

Garlic is one of the most reliable and rewarding crops you can grow in a home garden. With just a bit of planning at planting time, it requires very little attention and produces a generous harvest of flavorful bulbs you can enjoy for months.

Unlike many vegetables, garlic follows a long, seasonal growing cycle. It’s typically planted in the fall, rests through winter, and grows vigorously in spring before being harvested the following summer. That slow, steady pace is what makes garlic so easy to manage.

You can grow garlic in a wide range of climates, even in small garden spaces. Whether you’re aiming for large bulbs to cure and store, tender green garlic for fresh eating, or simply want to grow more of your own staple foods, garlic is a great place to start.

In this guide, you’ll learn how garlic grows, when and how to plant it, how to care for it through the seasons, and when to harvest and preserve your crop. Along the way, you’ll also find links to more detailed guides that walk you step by step through fall planting, spring planting, and even what to do when garlic starts sprouting in storage.

Why Grow Garlic?

Garlic (Allium sativum L.) is a member of the Liliaceae family and genus Allium, which includes chives, leeks, onions, and shallots.

While archeologists have found evidence that garlic was grown and consumed while building the pyramids in Egypt between 2780 and 2100 BC, it is believed that the origins are in central Asia, where it once grew wild. Today, garlic is cultivated worldwide as a seasoning for food and medicinal properties.

Here are a few reasons garlic deserves a spot in your garden:

• More Variety: There are more than 200 cultivars of garlic available from seed catalogs and farmers’ markets in the United States. Only two varieties are commonly found in grocery stores. If you like cooking and eating garlic, growing your own lets you add different types to your meal planning.
• Staple Ingredient in Cooking: Garlic is an essential ingredient for adding flavor to many cuisines from around the world, including soups and stews, snacks and dips, stir-fry and salsas, breads, and flavored butters. It is worthwhile to keep garlic on hand with so many culinary uses.
• Health Benefits: Garlic has documented health benefits. It can help boost the immune system, reduce high blood pressure, and has antibiotic and anti-fungal properties. So it is a good idea to include garlic in your diet.
• Easy to Grow: Garlic is a pretty low-maintenance crop and is not bothered by many pests and diseases. Other than a bit of side dressing of compost in early spring, mulching, and occasional watering during dry spells, your garlic will grow well without a lot of care.
• Stores Well: Once cured, garlic has a long shelf life. With just a little space in your garden, you can grow enough garlic to last most of the year.
• Replant Cloves: You’ll only need to buy garlic seed once because you can harvest in summer and replant your homegrown cloves again in fall. If you continue to plant your largest cloves each year, your garlic will adapt over time to your soil and climate.

How Garlic Grows: Understanding the Growth Cycle

Garlic grows differently from most garden vegetables, and understanding its growth cycle makes planting and care decisions much easier.

Garlic is grown from individual cloves rather than seeds. Once planted, each clove develops into a single garlic plant that eventually forms a whole bulb made up of multiple cloves.

For the largest bulbs, garlic is typically planted in autumn. After planting, the clove focuses on developing roots while soil temperatures are still mild. When winter arrives, and the ground freezes, growth slows, and the plant goes dormant.

As temperatures warm in spring, fall-planted garlic resumes growth right where it left off. It produces tall, leafy green growth that later in the season fuels bulb development. Garlic forms bulbs when day length reaches about 14 hours, which usually occurs in late spring to early summer.

The more time garlic has to grow healthy foliage before bulbing begins, the larger the bulbs will be at harvest. That’s why fall planting is ideal. It gives garlic the longest possible growing window.

Garlic can also be planted in spring or grown from sprouted cloves, but these methods have a shorter growing season and typically produce smaller bulbs or green garlic rather than large, storage-sized heads.

Understanding this natural cycle helps set realistic expectations and explains why timing matters when growing garlic.

When to Grow Garlic

You can plant garlic at different times of year depending on your goals, climate, and what you have on hand. While fall planting is the traditional and most reliable method, spring planting and even sprouted garlic can still produce useful harvests.

Below is a quick overview to help you choose the right approach, with links to detailed step-by-step guides for each option.

Planting Garlic in the Fall (Best for Large Bulbs)

Late fall planting is the preferred method for growing garlic if your goal is large, fully developed bulbs that store well. Planting in fall gives garlic time to develop roots before winter, go dormant during cold weather, and resume growth early in spring.

Plant garlic about 4 to 6 weeks before your estimated hard frost date in the fall. Gardens in zones 0 to 4 should plant garlic in late August to September, while zones 5 to 8 should plant garlic in mid-October through mid-November, and zones 9 to 10 in late November to December, or before the ground freezes.

This longer growing season allows plants to build strong foliage before bulb formation begins, resulting in bigger harvests. Learn more: How to Plant Garlic in the Fall.

Planting Garlic in the Spring

If you miss the fall planting window, garlic can still be planted in spring. Spring-planted garlic has a shorter growing season and usually produces smaller bulbs or green garlic shoots, but it’s still worth growing for fresh use.

Garlic can be planted in the spring garden once the soil has thawed and is workable. Learn more: How to Plant Garlic in Spring.

Planting Sprouted Garlic

If garlic starts sprouting in storage, it doesn’t have to go to waste. Sprouted garlic cloves can be planted in the garden or in containers and grown for garlic greens and small fresh bulbs.

This method works well anytime the soil is workable or when you want to grow garlic indoors for quick harvests: Planting Sprouted Garlic: What to Do When Garlic Starts to Grow.

Types of Garlic to Grow

There are two main subspecies of garlic, hardneck (Allium stivum ophioscorodon) and softneck (Allium sativum sativum). Our understanding of the wide varieties of garlic and how they are related is evolving. However, there are 10 main types of garlic right now, including 8 hardnecks and 2 softnecks, with many varieties within each class.

Hardneck Garlic

Hardneck garlic, also called stiffneck varieties, is more suited for areas with cold winters. This cultivar requires a period of cold temperatures to stress the seed and stimulate it to divide into separate cloves that form a head of garlic. This process is called vernalization. If hardneck garlic doesn’t get a cold period of at least 40˚F for about 4 to 8 weeks, it may not divide into cloves that form the bulb.

Hardneck varieties grow a woody stalk in the middle of the bulb, and the cloves form in a single layer around it. A few weeks before the garlic is finished growing, it will send up a flower stalk from the stem called a garlic scape. The stalk gives the garlic a stiff stem or hardneck.

If you grow hardneck garlic, you will get two harvests. Topping or cutting the garlic scape helps the plant focus its energy on developing a large bulb. Garlic scapes are edible and have a delicious, mild garlic flavor.

There are eight sub-varieties of hardneck garlic, including true hardneck and weak hardnecks. Weak hardnecks often grow more like softneck garlic and don’t form scapes depending on the environment.

Porcelain Garlic

Porcelain garlic has a strong garlic flavor and forms 4 to 6 large cloves per bulb with white skins and sometimes pink-tinged cloves. It stores well, about 10 months in a cool location. Porcelain varieties include Armenian, Georgian Crystal, German Extra Hardy, Italian Red, Music, Northern White, Romanian Red, and Zemo.

Rocambole Garlic

Rocambole garlic has thin, papery wrappers and a shorter storage life of only 4 to 6 months, but it has the richest, slightly sweet flavor. The bulbs form 8 to 10 cloves that can be brownish in color with solid, splotched, or streaked patterns. The garlic scape forms a double loop.

Types of rocambole garlic include Amish, Italian Purple, German Giant, German Red, Killarney Red, Russian Giant, and Spanish Roja.

Purple Stripe Garlic

Purple Stripe garlic is believed to be the ancestor of all garlic. The skins and cloves have reddish-purple lines, and the bulbs produce 8 to 12 cloves per bulb, depending on the type. The cloves are tall and slender, with pointy tips, and have a thick, papery skin that helps them last 9 to 12 months in storage. The cloves have an intense garlic flavor when raw, but the flavor sweetens when roasted or sautéed. Purple stripe varieties include Belarus, Chesnok Red, and Persian Star.

Marbled Purple Stripe Garlic

Marbled purple stripe garlic was once classified as purple stripe garlic but is now recognized as a separate variety. The cloves are huge, with bold purple-blotched marbling and elongated bulbs. The scapes can be pretty tall, up to 6 feet. Marbled varieties have adapted to grow well in both cold and warm climates. They also last a long time in storage, about 9 to 12 months. Varieties include Duganskij, Metechi, Northern Siberian, and Pskem.

Glazed Purple Stripe Garlic

Glazed Purple Stripe was once grouped with purple striped but is now grouped into its own variety, known for its glazed or matte metallic-colored bulb wrappers. The cloves are not as elongated or large as the purple-striped ones, but they are full of hot garlic flavor. Expect 6 to 12 cloves per bulb. The paper wrappers are more delicate and require careful harvesting. Because of this, they may not last as long in storage, up to 6 to 8 months. Varieties included Celeste, Purple Glazer, Red Rezan, and Vekak.

Weak Hardnecks

Weakly bolting hardnecks are sometimes classified as softnecks in seed catalogs. These are genetically related to softneck silverskins but may form scapes or bulbils along the stem.

Creole Garlic

Creole garlic, sometimes called Mexican purple garlic, grows well in cold and warm climates and produces small but intensely flavored bulbs with excellent storage capabilities. They often have 8 to 12 red to dark purple colored cloves per bulb surrounded by white wrappers. Varieties include Ajo Rojo, Burgundy, Creole Red, Germinador, Pescadero Red, Rose De Lautrec, and Spanish Benitee.

Asiatic Garlic

Asiatic garlic forms medium-sized bulbs with white skins and 4 to 8 deep purple, brown, or red cloves. If it does form scapes, the flower differs from other garlic and resembles a long, dark, wrinkled bean pod. The bulbs size up very well without removing the stalk. Asiatic garlic usually matures earlier than other varieties and should be harvested just as soon as leaves begin to brown. Asiatic garlic varieties include Asian Tempest, Korean Red, Pyongvang, and Russian Inferno.

Turban Garlic

Turban garlic grows squat heads with 5 to 7 fat brownish to purplish cloves that taste hot when raw and mild when cooked. The plants sprout early in spring and mature quickly. If turban garlic develops scapes, the stalks droop rather than curl, and the flower pod is shaped like a turban. Leaving the flower stalks on the plant will not affect bulb growth. Turban varieties include Red Janice, Sonoran, Thai Purple, and Xian.

Softneck Garlic

Softneck garlic is the type of garlic we are used to seeing at the supermarket. It has multiple cloves enclosed in a white wrapping. The flavor is mild and has a reputation for lasting a long time in storage. There are 2 sub-varieties of softneck garlic, artichoke and silverskin.

Softneck garlic is less cold hardy in extreme northern areas and grows better in warmer climates. Softneck varieties do not produce a scape, but you can braid the foliage for hanging. They also tend to mature at different rates, so you’ll need to watch the plants and harvest when the lower leaves begin to turn brown.

Artichoke Garlic

Artichoke garlic is named for the overlapping clove pattern throughout the bulb, similar to an artichoke. The mild-flavored bulbs are large and produce 12 to 20 layered cloves encased in a white or lightly streaked wrapper. It does not form a flower stalk but may produce bulbils that will protrude from the lower part of the stem. Artichoke garlic varieties include California Early, Italian White, Inchelium Red, Lorz Italian, and Polish White.

Silverskin Garlic

Silverskin garlic is the preferred variety for many gardeners because it grows well in many climates, produces the highest yields, and has the longest storage life. Each bulb contains 12 to 20 cloves wrapped well in layers of papery skin. Silverskin garlic types include Nootka Rose, Silver Rose, Sicilian Silver, and Silver White.

Which Type of Garlic Should You Grow?

Generally, hardneck types do well in cold climates, while softneck types need less cold to divide into multi-cloved bulbs. Most home gardeners can successfully grow either type, but here are some general guidelines:

• Grow hardneck garlic if you live in a cold climate and want scapes and bold flavor.
• Grow softneck garlic if you live in a milder climate or want garlic that stores longer.

If you’re unsure, start with varieties recommended by local growers or seed suppliers familiar with your region.

Select Varieties that Grow Well in Your Area

When purchasing your garlic seed, try to buy from a supplier with a similar growing environment. Garlic is adaptable to many growing conditions, but it can take several years to adjust. You will get better results right away if you grow garlic that is conditioned to your climate and soil type.

Purchase Garlic Seed from a Trusted Source

Planting with good quality, organic seed stock will get your garlic crop off to a good start with fewer chances of disease. Garlic seeds are the individual cloves that make up a bulb of garlic.

The common white grocery store garlic shouldn’t be used for seed. Chances are that garlic was grown in the mild climate of Northern California or even outside the country. It also may have been chemically treated so it won’t sprout. Instead, purchase certified seed garlic for the best results. You can find seed garlic at local garden centers and online.

Some online sources I have used include High Mowing Seeds, Pinetree Garden Seeds, and FEDCO. Other trusted sources include Botanical Interest, Territorial Seeds, and Seed Saver’s Exchange. Online ordering usually opens in summer for fall delivery.

Also, consider your local farmers’ markets, feed stores, county fairs, garlic festivals, or fellow gardeners in your area.

Try not to be shocked at the initial price of garlic seed. Remember, each clove will grow another head of garlic, producing plenty for eating and garlic seed for years to come. Depending on the variety, one pound of garlic seed can yield 40 garlic bulbs or about 5 pounds of garlic in your first year.

Tips for Growing Garlic

These tutorials walk you through all the steps of planting garlic in fall or spring, including preparing the garden bed, dividing the bulbs into cloves, plotting out your growing area, and planting the cloves. For planting timing and step-by-step instructions, see:

• How to Plant Garlic in the Fall
• How to Plant Garlic in Spring

Once garlic is planted, it’s a low-maintenance crop that fits easily into the garden routine. A few basic growing conditions will help your plants stay healthy and produce a good harvest. Here are some tips for growing garlic:

Sun and Soil Requirements

Garlic grows best in full sun (at least 6–8 hours per day) and loose, well-drained soil rich in organic matter.

Avoid planting garlic in areas where onions or other alliums were grown recently to reduce the risk of disease. Amending the bed with compost before planting improves drainage and provides nutrients for steady growth.

Mulching Garlic

Mulching garlic beds is an important step in growing garlic successfully.

Water the garlic bed well after planting and add a light layer of mulch to keep the weeds down until the ground freezes. I like using shredded leaves because they are plentiful in fall, but you can use any organic mulch to do the job.

Adding a heavy layer of mulch before the ground freezes can insulate the bed and delay the plants’ natural dormancy. Unfortunately, this can damage the roots once severe winter arrives.

Once the ground freezes, add another layer of mulch to insulate and keep the soil frozen. Then say goodbye to your garlic until next year. The mulch will protect the roots and prevent the garlic from being heaved out of the ground by alternate freezing and thawing.

For a deeper look at mulch benefits, see 5 Ways Organic Mulch Helps Your Vegetable Garden.

Keeping Up with the Weeds

The mulch will help keep weeds down, but you will need to pull out the few that sprout through so they don’t compete with your garlic for nutrients and moisture. Weed the garden frequently, especially early on when the plants are young: Tips for Controlling Weeds in the Garden.

Fertilizing Garlic

If you used high-quality compost and a slow-release organic fertilizer at planting time, your garlic is off to a great start. A supplemental application of nitrogen-rich fertilizer in early spring will boost foliage and promote healthy green growth.

Once the garlic emerges in spring, side-dress the plants with composted chicken or poultry manure or an organic nitrogen fertilizer such as blood meal or feather meal. Pull the mulch back and apply the fertilizer several inches away from the plant stems. Gently scratch it into the soil, tuck the mulch back in, and water well.

Additionally, you can water with an organic fish emulsion fertilizer if the foliage shows signs of stress, such as yellow tips. Follow the directions on the bottle. Don’t be tempted to over-fertilize, as this may delay or reduce bulb growth. Stop fertilizing once the bulbs form.

Watering Garlic

Garlic prefers consistent moisture, especially during active growth and bulb formation.

• Water when the soil feels dry an inch below the surface.
• Aim for about 1 inch of water per week from rain or irrigation.
• Avoid waterlogged soil, which can lead to rot.

Water your plants in the morning or early afternoon, and avoid getting any part of the plant wet. Use drip irrigation, a soaker hose, or hand water with a watering wand to deliver water at the soil level.

As harvest approaches, reduce watering and stop altogether to allow the outer paper skins to dry and improve storage quality.

Watch for Pests and Diseases

Inspect your plants weekly and look for signs of pests and diseases affecting garlic bulbs and foliage. Not many pests bother garlic because the scent is a natural insect repellent. But a few can damage bulbs, including bulb mites, leafminers, thrips, nematodes, leek moth, and wireworms.

Fungal diseases are more likely to occur in humid, wet conditions. Planting in well-draining soil, practicing good garden hygiene, and rotating your crops will help prevent issues. Some common diseases garlic plants are susceptible to include downy mildew, purple blotch, garlic rust, and white rot.

Removing the Garlic Scapes

Garlic scapes are the flower stalks that hardneck garlic plants produce. Several weeks before the garlic bulb finishes growing, it sends up a flower stalk. The stem grows upward for several inches, then curls once or twice before continuing to grow upward.

Removing the garlic scape allows the plant to devote its energy to growing a larger garlic bulb. These tender, mildly garlic-flavored shoots are edible. Substitute them in recipes that call for garlic. See 10 Ways to Use Garlic Scapes for details on how to harvest, plus ways to use and preserve garlic scapes.

Harvesting Garlic

You can harvest at any time for fresh eating. However, if you are growing garlic for long-term storage, let it mature to the maximum size, but not so long that the cloves separate, as these bulbs store poorly.

The number of days to maturity varies with the climate and variety of garlic, but October-planted garlic is usually ready by mid-July in my Maine, zone 5, garden. If you are in a warmer climate, begin checking your garlic in June.

Different varieties are ready to harvest at different times. Generally, Asiatics and Turbans mature first, followed by Artichokes, Creoles, Rocamboles, Purple Stripes, and Porcelains, and finally Silverskins.

Knowing when to harvest garlic can be tricky. Lifting the bulbs too early will result in small, undeveloped bulbs. Harvesting too late, and the cloves could split through their skins. Either situation will affect the garlic’s long-term storage potential.

Garlic is finished growing when the foliage begins to turn brown. Leaves grow from the bottom up, so the ones at the bottom will die back first. Dig up a test bulb once the bottom 2 to 3 leaves turn brown. The cloves should be large, and the skins filled out and tight. Stop watering and wait for a dry period to dig up the bulbs.

This article provides more information on how to tell when garlic has finished growing, along with harvesting and curing tips for long-term storage. See: How to Harvest, Cure, and Store Garlic.

Ways to Preserve Garlic

Whole heads of freshly harvested garlic will last several months at room temperature when stored in a pantry or shelf with good ventilation. However, once you remove the cloves from the bulb, they will only last several weeks before they shrivel.

Luckily, there are several easy ways to preserve your harvest depending on how you plan to use it in the kitchen. Choosing the right method helps extend shelf life and keeps garlic convenient and ready to use year-round.

Store Whole Garlic Bulbs

Cured garlic bulbs can be stored whole in a cool, dry place with good air circulation. I store mine in our basement. When stored properly, garlic can last for several months, and in some cases up to a year, depending on the variety: How to Harvest, Cure, and Store Garlic.

Freeze Garlic

Freezing is one of the easiest ways to preserve garlic for everyday cooking. Garlic can be frozen whole, chopped, puréed, or roasted, making it quick to grab when you need it: How to Freeze Garlic.

Pickle Garlic

Pickling garlic mellows its strong flavor and creates a tangy, ready-to-use ingredient. Pickled garlic can be refrigerated or canned for longer storage, depending on the method used: How to Make Pickled Garlic.

Dehydrate Garlic

Dehydrating garlic allows you to make shelf-stable garlic flakes or homemade garlic powder. This is a great option if you want compact storage and quick seasoning for meals: Homemade Garlic Powder.

Growing Garlic Is Worth the Effort

Garlic is one of those crops that earns its place in the garden. It doesn’t take much space, doesn’t demand constant attention, and rewards you with a harvest that can flavor meals for months.

By understanding how garlic grows and choosing the right planting time for your goals, whether that’s fall planting for large, storage-ready bulbs or spring and sprouted garlic for fresh use, you can confidently grow garlic in almost any garden.

Once planted, garlic mostly takes care of itself, following the natural rhythm of the seasons until it’s ready to harvest. With a little planning and the right care, it’s an easy way to grow more of a staple food you already rely on in the kitchen.

If you’re looking to build a productive, resilient garden one crop at a time, garlic is an excellent place to start.

Good planning is key to a successful vegetable garden

Whether you are new to growing your own food or have been growing a vegetable garden for years, you will benefit from some planning each year. You will find everything you need to organize and plan your vegetable garden in my PDF eBook, Grow a Good Life Guide to Planning Your Vegetable Garden.