How to Grow Garlic: Planting, Care & Harvest Guide

Garlic is one of the most rewarding crops to grow at home. Plant healthy cloves in fall, give them full sun and well-drained soil, keep weeds and excess moisture under control, and harvest when the lower leaves have browned while several upper leaves remain green. With proper curing, homegrown garlic can keep for months.

Plan your planting: Shop seed garlic and shallots for the varieties or crops discussed in this article.

Ready to plant? Shop seed garlic, compare hardneck and softneck varieties, or use our Garlic Selector Tool to find varieties suited to your climate and preferences.

Garlic Growing Quick Reference

1. Choose the Right Garlic

Garlic is generally divided into hardneck and softneck types. Hardneck garlic produces a stiff central stalk and edible scapes. It usually has fewer, larger cloves and performs especially well where winters are cold. Softneck garlic generally produces more cloves per bulb, stores longer and performs reliably in many mild-winter regions. Its flexible stems can be braided after curing.

Elephant garlic produces very large, mild cloves but is botanically closer to a leek. It needs more space than true garlic. For a detailed comparison, see our guide to hardneck versus softneck garlic.

Choose for your climate and goals

• Cold winters: Start with hardneck varieties that benefit from a substantial winter chilling period.
• Mild winters: Softneck varieties are often the easiest and most dependable choice.
• Long storage: Softneck garlic generally stores longer than hardneck garlic.
• Large, easy-to-peel cloves and scapes: Choose hardneck garlic.
• Very mild flavor and oversized cloves: Consider elephant garlic.

Gardeners in warm regions who want to grow hardneck garlic may need to provide additional chilling. See how to vernalize garlic in warmer growing zones.

2. Start with Healthy Seed Garlic

Plant garlic sold as seed stock rather than grocery-store bulbs. Seed garlic is selected for planting, while supermarket garlic may be treated to delay sprouting or may not be adapted to your climate. Begin with firm bulbs that have intact wrappers and no soft spots, mold or visible damage.

Keep bulbs whole until shortly before planting. Then separate each bulb into individual cloves without removing their papery skins or damaging the flat basal plate where roots form. Plant the largest, healthiest cloves for full-size bulbs. Smaller cloves can be used in the kitchen or planted closely for garlic greens.

How much seed garlic do you need?

At 6-inch spacing, a 25-foot row holds approximately 50 cloves. The number of cloves per pound varies substantially by variety: large-cloved hardnecks may provide far fewer planting pieces per pound than small-cloved softnecks. Check the product description for the expected clove count before calculating how many pounds to order.

3. Decide When to Plant Garlic

Fall planting commonly gives garlic more time for root establishment and bulb development in many regions, but final bulb size still depends on variety and growing conditions. Plant after the weather has cooled but early enough for cloves to establish roots before the ground freezes solid. The goal is root development without excessive top growth before winter.

• Cold-winter regions: Plant several weeks before the ground normally freezes, then protect the bed with mulch.
• Mild-winter regions: Plant in late fall or early winter after soil temperatures have cooled.
• Exceptionally cold regions: Very early spring planting is possible, although bulbs may be smaller because the growing season is shorter.

Local weather varies, so use these windows as a guide rather than a fixed calendar date. For more regional detail, read when and how to plant garlic in fall.

4. Prepare the Planting Bed

Choose a site that receives full sun and drains promptly after rain or irrigation. Garlic struggles in compacted or waterlogged soil. Loosen the planting area and incorporate finished compost to improve structure and provide organic matter. A soil test is the best way to determine whether additional fertilizer or pH adjustment is needed.

Avoid planting garlic where garlic, onions, leeks, shallots or other alliums have grown during the previous three years. Rotation helps reduce the buildup of soilborne diseases and pests. If gophers are a recurring problem, install gopher wire beneath the bed or use appropriate gopher baskets before planting.

5. Plant Garlic Cloves

1. Separate the bulbs into cloves shortly before planting.
2. Keep each clove's papery covering intact.
3. Place the flat basal plate down and the pointed end up.
4. Space standard garlic cloves about 6 inches apart. Give elephant garlic roughly twice as much room.
5. Cover the top of each clove with about 1–2 inches of soil. Add more soil depth in very cold climates.
6. Space rows approximately 10–12 inches apart so the plants have room to grow and the bed is easy to weed.
7. Water after planting if the soil is dry.

Should you soak garlic cloves?

Pre-planting soaks are optional, not required for healthy seed garlic. Good planting stock, suitable soil, correct orientation and proper moisture are more important than soaking. Avoid unproven treatments that could damage cloves or introduce contamination.

6. Mulch, Water and Fertilize

Mulch

Apply clean straw, shredded leaves or another loose organic mulch after planting. Mulch moderates soil temperature, reduces weeds and helps prevent repeated freezing and thawing. Use a lighter layer where winters are wet and mild; heavier protection may be useful where winters are severe. Pull back overly dense mulch in spring if it mats down or interferes with new growth.

Water

Keep the root zone evenly moist during active spring growth, but never saturated. The amount and frequency depend on rainfall, soil and temperature. Deep, less frequent watering is generally preferable to frequent surface watering. Reduce irrigation when leaves begin to yellow and stop watering as the crop approaches harvest so bulb wrappers can dry.

Fertilizer

Garlic benefits from fertile soil and adequate nitrogen while it is producing leaves. Base fertilizer decisions on a soil test whenever possible. Compost can supply organic matter, while an appropriate nitrogen source may be applied at planting or as growth resumes in early spring. Stop high-nitrogen feeding as bulbs begin to enlarge; late nitrogen can delay maturity and reduce storage quality.

Browse our garlic growing essentials for soil amendments, fertilizers, irrigation supplies and planting tools.

7. Control Weeds, Pests and Diseases

Garlic competes poorly with weeds because its narrow leaves do not shade the soil. Weed regularly, taking care not to damage shallow roots. Mulch can reduce weed pressure, but inspect beneath it for excessive moisture or pest activity.

Good drainage, crop rotation, clean planting stock and adequate spacing are the foundation of disease prevention. Remove plants that collapse, discolor unusually or show signs of rot, and do not compost obviously diseased bulbs. Consult our garlic disease and pest guide for identification help. For a specific allium pest, see our guide to onion and garlic maggots.

8. Harvest Garlic Scapes

Hardneck garlic produces a curling flower stalk called a scape. Cut scapes while they are tender and beginning to curl. They are edible and can be sautéed, grilled or made into pesto. Removing scapes also directs more of the plant's energy toward bulb development.

Softneck garlic normally does not produce true scapes, although unusual growing conditions can occasionally produce flower stalks.

9. Know When to Harvest Garlic

Do not wait until every leaf is brown. Each remaining green leaf corresponds roughly to a protective wrapper around the bulb, so harvesting too late can leave cloves exposed and reduce storage life. Begin checking when several lower leaves are brown but about five or six upper leaves remain green.

Dig a test bulb and inspect it. The cloves should be well defined and fill out the wrappers, but the bulb should not be splitting open. Loosen the soil with a garden fork and lift bulbs carefully; pulling hard on the stems can damage them. For more detail, see how to harvest garlic.

10. Cure and Store Garlic

Move freshly harvested garlic out of direct sun. Cure whole plants for approximately two to four weeks in a shaded, dry, well-ventilated place. Arrange them in a single layer or hang them in small bundles so air can circulate freely.

When the necks and outer wrappers are thoroughly dry, trim the roots and brush away loose soil. Cut hardneck stems above the bulb; softneck stems can be trimmed or braided. Set aside any damaged bulbs for immediate use and store only sound, fully cured bulbs.

Keep stored garlic in a cool, dry, dark location with good airflow. Do not seal bulbs in plastic. Softneck varieties generally store longer than hardnecks. See our complete guide to curing, storing and preserving garlic.

How to Grow Bigger Garlic Bulbs

• Plant the largest healthy cloves from quality seed stock.
• Select varieties suited to your climate.
• Give each plant adequate spacing and full sun.
• Maintain fertile, well-drained soil.
• Control weeds throughout active growth.
• Keep moisture consistent during spring bulking.
• Remove hardneck scapes while tender.
• Harvest at the right stage rather than waiting for all foliage to die.

For a focused bulb-sizing plan, follow our nine steps for growing larger garlic bulbs.

Recommended next step: When you are ready to plant, Shop seed garlic and shallots.

Frequently Asked Questions

Choose Seed Garlic for Your Garden

Explore all seed garlic and shallots, browse available seed garlic, or visit the Garlic Resource Center for variety comparisons and seasonal guidance. For personalized recommendations, use the Garlic Selector Tool.