How To Plant Garlic In The Garden? | Step-By-Step Guide

Garlic rewards a home bed with fragrant bulbs and steady yields. The job is simple: time it right, prep the soil, set sound cloves, and give light care through the seasons. This guide lays out the timing, spacing, depth, mulch, feeding, watering, scape handling, harvest, curing, and storage so you finish with tight heads that keep well.

Quick Differences: Hardneck, Softneck, Elephant

Pick a type that suits your climate and pantry. Hardneck handles cold and grows scapes with rich flavor. Softneck stores longer and braids well. Elephant is mild and oversized, more like a leek cousin. Use certified seed bulbs for clean stock; store-bought heads can carry disease or be treated to block sprouting.

Trait	Hardneck	Softneck
Cold Tolerance	High; suited to frosty winters	Lower; best in milder zones
Storage Life	3–6 months	6–9 months
Clove Count	4–10 large cloves	8–20 smaller cloves
Scapes	Yes; remove for bigger bulbs	No scapes
Flavor	Bold, complex	Smooth, versatile
Braiding	No	Yes
Typical Spacing	6 inches	6 inches
Planting Depth	2–3 inches	2–3 inches

Best Time To Set Cloves Outdoors

Fall planting leads to bigger heads because roots form before deep cold. Aim for two to four weeks after the first hard frost, while the soil still works. Spring planting can succeed in cool regions if you chill cloves in a fridge for six to eight weeks first; size may be smaller.

As a quick guide, plant from mid-September to late October in cold zones, and late October to December in mild zones. In spring, plant as soon as the bed thaws and drains. Where winters are gentle, softneck types fit well; where winters bite, hardneck thrives.

Site Prep And Soil Targets

Pick a sunny bed with excellent drainage. Raised rows shine on heavy ground. Blend in finished compost to build tilth and steady moisture. Aim for a soil pH near neutral, roughly 6.0–7.0—see the regional numbers and quick tips in the University of Minnesota Extension garlic guide for a dependable range and spacing figures.

Weeds grab water and nutrients fast, so start with a clean surface. A fabric-covered path beside the row helps keep shoes clean and mud off the bed during wet spells.

Planting Cloves Step By Step

Break And Sort Bulbs

Split bulbs a day before planting. Keep papery skins on the cloves. Set aside the fattest cloves for planting and use the small ones in the kitchen. Bigger cloves mean fewer seedlings, but they usually finish with fuller heads.

Lay Out Rows And Spacing

Set rows 10–12 inches apart. Space cloves six inches within the row. This gives each plant room for a full bulb without crowding. In wide beds, use parallel pairs of rows with the same gaps so you can reach from both sides without stepping on the soil.

Depth And Orientation

Make holes two to three inches deep. Place each clove point-up, flat base down. Backfill and firm gently to seat the clove in contact with soil. Shallow planting risks frost heave; extra-deep planting slows emergence and can stunt heads.

Water In And Mulch

Water to settle soil, then lay three to six inches of clean straw or similar mulch. Mulch steadies temperature, limits heaving, and blocks light from weed seeds. In spring, pull mulch back a bit to let shoots warm, then spread it again to hold moisture.

H2 Close Variant: Planting Garlic Outdoors With The Right Spacing

The spacing and depth numbers are what turn a handful of cloves into a pantry row of firm heads. Use this quick pattern to keep rows neat and bulbs uniform.

Standard Bed Layout

• Row gap: 10–12 inches
• Clove gap: 6 inches
• Depth: 2–3 inches
• Mulch layer: 3–6 inches after watering in

Watering, Feeding, And Weeds

Garlic drinks little in winter. In spring it wakes fast and needs steady moisture. Aim for about one inch of water a week from rain and irrigation while leaves expand. Sandy soil may need shorter, more frequent sessions; clay soil can take a deeper drink with longer breaks. Ease off once half the leaves have browned to help skins dry down.

Feed with nitrogen early when shoots push hard. A light top-dress of compost or a spring dose of a balanced organic fertilizer helps. Heavy midsummer nitrogen leads to lush leaves and small heads, so keep it modest after scape season. Keep rows free of weeds, since garlic roots sit near the surface and hate competition.

Scapes, Bolting, And Bigger Bulbs

Hardneck types send up a curly flower stalk called a scape. Snap or cut scapes once they make a single loop. This sends energy to the bulb and gives you a bonus crop for stir-fries and pesto. Softneck types skip scapes, which keeps care simple for warm zones.

Pests, Diseases, And Clean Stock

Garlic shrugs off most pests, though onion maggot and thrips can appear. Good sanitation and rotation go a long way. Do not replant in the same spot more than every three to four years. Source seed bulbs from trusted suppliers to avoid bulb rots and viruses. Skip supermarket heads for planting, since they may be treated or carry issues. If a bed ever shows rot, pull plants, bin the debris, and shift the crop for several seasons.

When To Harvest Bulbs

Watch the leaves in early summer. Harvest when the lower third to half of the leaves have browned, yet several green leaves remain. Each green leaf becomes a wrapper, so digging too late leaves loose heads with fewer skins. Loosen soil with a fork and lift by the base; never yank by the tops. Shake off clumps but do not wash; water on fresh bulbs slows curing.

Curing For Storage

Move fresh bulbs to an airy, shaded spot out of rain. Hang in bundles or lay on racks for two to three weeks. Good airflow and moderate heat make tight skins and solid necks. When the necks feel dry and the outer skins papery, clip roots, trim tops to an inch for softneck or leave hardneck stalks intact, and brush off loose soil. Save your best, clean heads for seed next season.

Storage Conditions And Shelf Life

Keep cured heads cool, dry, and dark. A range near 32–50°F with low humidity suits home storage. A mesh bag in a pantry or cellar shelf works well. Avoid the fridge for long stretches, since cold can trigger sprouting once bulbs return to room temperature. Softneck marks the longest shelf life; hardneck shines for flavor and easy peeling.

Soil Prep Recipe That Works

Before planting day, spread a layer of finished compost over the bed and fork it in. If soil is tight, add a small share of coarse sand or fine grit to open the texture. A sprinkle of organic nitrogen at planting helps root growth in fall. Avoid raw manure in the planting trench; it invites soft bulbs and weed seeds. If pH is low, add garden lime weeks in advance so it has time to blend and settle.

Raised Beds, Containers, And Small Spaces

Cloves thrive in deep planters and raised beds when drainage is sharp. Use a high-quality mix with added compost. Follow the same six-inch spacing; in containers, set rows across the widest dimension so each plant has light on all sides. Watering needs rise in pots, so check moisture often in spring winds. A 10-inch-deep box gives roots room to run and heads room to size up.

Green Garlic And Garlic Greens

Short on time or space? Plant a tray of cloves for tender greens. Set cloves close together in a trough or box, cover with two inches of mix, and snip shoots like chives. Flavor is bright and mild. This does not make full bulbs, but it keeps the kitchen stocked while the main bed matures.

Saving Seed For Next Season

Pick your best heads after curing and mark them for seed. Choose bulbs with plump, even cloves and no nicks or rot. Store them in a separate mesh bag. Plant those prize cloves next fall to keep improving your line. Over a few seasons, your patch settles into a size and taste that match your soil and weather.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

• Planting too early in fall, which can lead to tall greens that winter can burn back.
• Planting too shallow, which leaves cloves at risk of heaving.
• Letting weeds take over in spring.
• Overwatering late in the season, which softens skins.
• Waiting until all leaves are brown before digging, which loosens wrappers.
• Skipping rotation and replanting in the same row year after year.
• Using grocery heads for seed and importing hidden problems to a clean bed.

Regional Timing Clues

Timing shifts with climate and soil. Cold regions aim for mid-autumn planting, while warm zones can plant into early winter. Coastal sites with mild winters can push dates later than inland valleys. Elevation and wind matter too: breezy ridges chill faster and dry faster. Local extension pages post region-ready calendars and spacing numbers you can trust, and the RHS grow garlic page lists clear row and depth figures that match home beds well.

Stage	What To Do	Notes
Fall Planting Day	Set cloves 2–3 inches deep, 6 inches apart; water and mulch	Plant two to four weeks after first hard frost
Early Spring	Pull mulch back, feed lightly, weed	Resume full mulch after soil warms
Late Spring	Keep one inch of water weekly	Watch for thrips; keep weeds down
Scape Season	Remove scapes at one loop	Use in the kitchen; bulbs size up
Early Summer	Ease off water as leaves brown	Prevents soft skins and rot
Harvest Window	Lift when 40–60% of leaves have browned	Handle gently; do not yank tops
Curing	Dry in shade with airflow for 2–3 weeks	Trim roots and tops when papery
Storage	Keep cool, dry, and dark	Set aside best heads as seed

Yield Goals And Row Planning

Plan backward from how much you cook. A common cook uses one to two heads a week, so a household may want 40–80 heads a year. A ten-foot row at six-inch spacing holds about 20 plants. Two or three rows meet most kitchens, with a bit left for gifting and seed.

Mark rows with stakes and a taut line so spacing stays straight. A cardboard template with six-inch holes makes quick work of planting day and keeps gaps consistent from end to end.

Pro Tips For Bigger, Cleaner Bulbs

Mulch Like You Mean It

A thick, clean mulch locks in moisture, blocks weeds, and stops heaving. Straw is classic; shredded leaves work if they are not matted. Top up thin spots after windy cold snaps.

Mind The pH And Drainage

Neutral soil and sharp drainage keep roots happy. If your site holds water, move the row to a raised bed. A pH test kit tells you where you stand. Fine-tune with compost and small lime doses set weeks ahead of planting.

Rotate Beds

Follow garlic after beans, lettuce, or similar crops. Skip onion family beds from the past few seasons to limit soilborne issues. A three- or four-year gap lowers risk and keeps yields steady.

Trusted References For Fine-Tuning

For region-specific spacing, pH, and harvest cues, see the University of Minnesota Extension garlic guide and the RHS grow garlic page. Both outline spacing near six inches, depth near two to three inches, and clear signals for harvest and curing.

Printable Steps You Can Follow Each Season

Fall

Break bulbs; pick fat cloves; plant at set spacing and depth; water; mulch deeply.

Spring

Vent mulch; feed lightly; keep weeds down; water weekly during leaf growth.

Early Summer

Clip scapes; hold steady moisture; watch leaves for the harvest window.

Harvest And Cure

Lift at the right leaf stage; cure in shade with airflow; trim and store cool and dry.

Why This Method Works

Cloves need cold to form segmented bulbs, so fall planting pairs root growth with winter chill. Spring tasks keep energy moving into the head, while early scape removal and a timely water taper set tight skins. Care is light, the steps repeat each year, and the payoff sits on the kitchen counter within reach of a knife and pan.