Planting garlic in the fall is the last garden chores of the season. A small amount of preparation at planting time will give you an abundant garlic harvest without much effort.
Garlic is one of the easiest crops you can grow in your garden. It is a long season crop with a unique growing pattern compared to other garden crops. Garlic is planted in fall in order to give it a head start and enough time to produce a larger bulb.
Also read 7 Tips to Growing Great Garlic
How to Plant Garlic in the Fall
Planting garlic in the fall allows the roots to begin growing. When winter arrives and the ground freezes, the plants go dormant. Once the soil warms up in the spring, the garlic will start growing again right where it left off.
Prepare Your Growing Bed
Garlic thrives in full sun and loose soil. Choose a garden bed that has not grown anything in the onion family in the past two years and one that receives an average of at least six hours of sunlight each day. Remove weeds and spread some slow-release organic fertilizer according to the package direction. Add about 2-inches of finished compost and work it in the top 4-6 inches of soil.
Plot out your growing bed 4-6 inches in all directions. Dig your holes about 4-inches deep. If you are using the square foot gardening method, plot 6 cloves per square.
Divide Your Garlic Seed
When you purchase garlic seed, you are actually getting heads of garlic. Garlic is grown from individual cloves. Each clove will grow into a bulb of garlic.
Separate your cloves right before planting. Sort out your largest and healthiest looking cloves for planting. If you plant the largest cloves, you will grow larger heads of garlic for next year. Save the smaller and damaged cloves for cooking.
Plant Your Garlic Cloves
Plant a garlic clove into each hole, with the flat side down and the pointy end up. Cover and firm the soil.
Mulch Your Garlic Bed
Water the garlic bed well after planting and cover with a light layer of mulch, such as straw or shredded leaves. Aim for about 2-3 inches of mulch to keep the weeds down until the ground freezes.
After the ground freezes, add another layer of 2-3 inches of mulch to insulate the soil. This helps prevent the garlic roots from being heaved out of the ground by alternate freezing and thawing.
Once the soil warms in spring, you will see green garlic shoots growing through the mulch. If you used an all-purpose organic fertilizer at planting time, your garlic is off to a great start. Water the garlic bed during dry spells when the soil feels dry an inch beneath the surface. Feed with organic fish emulsion fertilizer if the foliage shows signs of stress (yellow tips). Follow the directions on the bottle.
If you planted hardneck garlic, you will have an opportunity to harvest garlic scapes a few weeks before the garlic bulb is finished growing. These tender, mildly garlic flavored shoots are delicious.
You May Also Like:
- 7 Tips to Prepare Your Vegetable Garden for Winter
- How to Harvest Garlic Scapes
- 10 Ways to Use Garlic Scapes
- How to Harvest, Cure, and Store Garlic for Winter
- How to Plant Garlic in Spring
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.
Jen says
Can i plant garlic in like a 2×10 box or is that not deep enough?
©Rachel Arsenault says
Jen, Garlic should be planted about 4-6-inches deep.
Jolie says
Hello! During the growing season, do I need to water the garlic?
©Rachel Arsenault says
Jolie, Yes, water the garlic bed during dry spells when the soil feels dry an inch beneath the surface.
Jessica says
Is it possible to grow garlic in SWFL? Would it be too hot? Will it have the dormant period? Also, will elephant garlic work the same way?
©Rachel Arsenault says
Jessica, By “SWFL” do you mean South West Florida? Yes, you can grow garlic in warmer climates too. You can plant any time from September through February. Most softneck garlic varieties should do well in your climate. Elephant garlic is ideal for your area too and can grow quite large. Space elephant garlic 9-12 inches apart. Your garlic will likely grow through winter. It will slow down during extreme cold, and pick up again when it warms.
Howard says
Been a Mastergardener for over fifteen years always growing garlic in my raised beds.
This is the simplest instructions for planting and maintains I have ever seen will be a regular.
Heather says
Thanks, so much, for the info. I found you via The Empress of Dirt, another fun-filled site, and I’m so thankful for you gals! I don’t know how I got it into my head that growing garlic was difficult. You make it look so doable. Thanks, again! I’m going out there to try my hand today. 🙂
Vince says
Is it okay to just plant regular garlic cloves here in Costa Rica? Can’t find garlic as seed here.
©Rachel Arsenault says
Vince, Yes, the cloves are what is planted. What we refer to as “garlic seed” is actually the cloves. You can grow garlic from seed as well, but it takes several years.
Ma Watkins says
If I have none if my own left I search fir good looking store garlic and plant that. U like purple bulbs fresh and tight with large cloves.
©Rachel Arsenault says
I don’t recommend using grocery store garlic 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. Seed garlic can be found at local garden centers and online. I cover that in more detail here: 7 Tips for Growing Great Garlic
Gloria Baffrey says
I planted store bought garlic (my forst) in my raised beds and they are all sprouted and at least 2 ft tall now. My question is, its already May 1st and I didnt see any bulb yet (dug one up). Keeping my fingers crossed! I did order seeds for this October planting.
©Rachel Arsenault says
Gloria, That’s great! Let them grow. There is still plenty of time for the bulb to form. You can harvest and use your garlic young, or let it mature. I usually pull up my main crop of garlic at the end of July.
Jude says
Hi Rachel,
Thanks for the tips on growning garlic! I’m in the Belgrade Lakes area of ME. Would you please advise when I should be planting my fall garlic? What is the latest week too please?
Thanks,
JS
©Rachel Arsenault says
Jude, Try to get your garlic planted before the ground freezes. I would aim for mid-October.
Jude says
Thank you Rachel! 🙂
Dorothy Posey says
Thank you for the garlic planting post the best I have seen.The garlic I ordered hasn’t arrived but I have prepared a bed like you have shown so I am praying I get the results you have,keeping my fingers crossed.
©Rachel Arsenault says
Dorothy, I am glad this helped you prepare for your garlic. I ordered new seed and they are not shipping until next month. I still need to decide where to plant the garlic this year.
Maureen Peterson says
I must use too much garlic (is there such a thing LOL) I harvested 150 + cloves last year for myself and gave maybe 25 away…I freeze some because the heads start to go in Feb-March. I ran out in April …
Right now my Garlic is ready. already, last 2 yrs it was ready in the end of July here in N IL … Weird weather this year..Black raspberries and onions are early too… but the hot crops are lagging (tomatoes. peppers. eggplants etc)
Lucille Furey says
I planted my garlic last October and it started to come up before winter came. It all died but looks like it might be greening up again. Should I cut off the dead stuff or just let it be? And perhaps I should plant it a little later this year? I live in CT. Thanks
~Rachel Arsenault says
Lucille, I would let it be. Sometimes that happens depending on how warm our fall is. The new growth should push through.