Growing Garlic at Home: How to Plant and Grow Garlic

Growing garlic is easy and rewarding. As someone who has been growing garlic for years, I can tell you that few things compare to the satisfaction of harvesting your own flavorful garlic bulbs. Learn how to grow garlic in your home garden with this complete growing guide!

Some of my earliest memories of gardening involve digging up those plump, papery white bulbs and being amazed at how one planted clove transformed into a full head of garlic. The intense flavor of homegrown garlic far surpasses anything you’ll find at the grocery store.

When I established my own garden years later, garlic was one of my first plantings. That decision has paid off abundantly in years of bountiful harvests. I grow all my own garlic now. It’s always rewarding to remove something from your grocery story shopping list for an entire year!

Why Growing Garlic Makes Sense

Growing garlic in your home garden is a smart investment of both time and space. Garlic is one of the most versatile ingredients in cooking, and growing your own ensures you’ll have a steady supply of this kitchen staple.

These hardy plants, known botanically as Allium sativum, are among the easiest crops to grow. Simple fall planting, early summer harvesting, and minimal maintenance makes garlic one of my favorite things to grow.

Home-grown garlic often has more complex flavors than supermarket garlic, which is usually limited to just a few commercial varieties. Plus, growing your own means avoiding the chemical treatments often used on commercial garlic.

Understanding Garlic Plant Biology

Before diving into how to grow garlic, it’s important to understand its growth cycle. Garlic plants grow from individual cloves, with each clove developing into a new bulb with multiple cloves.

Garlic is a member of the allium family along with onions, leeks, and shallots. It’s a cool-weather crop that needs a period of cold temperatures to develop properly.

Unlike many garden vegetables, garlic has a long growing season of 7-9 months from planting to harvest. This long-term investment results in flavorful, aromatic bulbs that store well and enhance countless dishes.

Types of Garlic You Can Grow

When learning how to grow garlic, it’s important to understand the different varieties available. There are two main types of garlic based on their growing characteristics and appearance.

Hardneck Garlic

Hardneck varieties (Allium sativum var. ophioscorodum) produce a flowering stalk or “scape” and have a hard stem running through the center of the bulb. These hardneck types typically have fewer cloves per bulb than softneck varieties, but the cloves are often larger.

Hardneck garlic is more cold-hardy, making it ideal for northern climates with harsh winters. These varieties generally have more complex flavors, which makes them favorites among chefs and garlic enthusiasts.

Hardneck garlic also produces delicious garlic scapes in early summer. These curling flower stems must be removed to encourage the plant to focus energy on bulb production rather than flowering.

Popular Hardneck Varieties

‘Music’: Large bulbs with excellent flavor and storage potential
‘German Red’: Strong, spicy flavor perfect for cooking
‘Spanish Roja’: An heirloom with rich, complex taste
‘Chesnok Red’: Purple-striped variety excellent for roasting

Softneck Garlic

Softneck varieties (Allium sativum var. sativum) don’t produce a flowering stalk and have a soft neck that can be braided for storage. This is the type of garlic most commonly found in grocery stores.

Softneck garlic typically produces more cloves per bulb than hardneck types. These varieties are better suited to milder winter climates and generally store longer than hardneck varieties.

For beginners, softneck types are often easier to grow in warmer climates. Their flexible stems make them perfect for traditional garlic braids.

Popular Softneck Varieties

‘Inchelium Red’: Award-winning flavor with excellent storage
‘California Early’: Reliable producer with mild flavor
‘Nootka Rose’: Adaptable variety with beautiful rose-tinged wrappers
‘Silver White’: Classic grocery store type with good storage potential

Elephant Garlic

Despite its name, elephant garlic isn’t true garlic but rather a relative of the leek. It produces massive bulbs with mild flavor that some describe as a cross between garlic and onion.

Elephant garlic grows much like hardneck garlic but produces much larger cloves that can be the size of an entire head of regular garlic. It’s grown for its mild garlic flavor that doesn’t overpower dishes.

If you’re intimidated by strong garlic flavors, elephant garlic might be a good place to start. Its imposing size makes it an impressive addition to any garden.

Selecting the Perfect Spot

Growing garlic successfully starts with location. These hardy plants need full sun for best results, at least 6-8 hours of direct sun daily.

Consider these factors when choosing your planting site:

Sunlight: Garlic thrives in sunny spots with little to no shade
Soil drainage: Well-drained soil is essential – garlic hates wet feet
Previous crops: Avoid areas where onions, leeks or other alliums have grown recently
Protection: A good mulch help protect planted garlic cloves through the winter months

I once made the mistake of planting garlic in a low spot that collected water. The little garlic shoots emerged, but many rotted before forming bulbs. Now I always ensure my garlic bed has excellent drainage.

Soil Preparation – The Foundation of Success

Before planting your garlic, prepare the soil thoroughly. Start with a soil test to check both pH and nutrient levels if possible. My personal favorite is the Redmond Soil Test kit.

Garlic prefers slightly acidic soil with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0. The right soil amendments can make a huge difference in your success growing garlic.

Soil Amendments

Add plenty of organic matter like:

Composted manure
Garden compost
Aged leaf mold
Worm castings

For clay soil, consider raised beds to ensure proper drainage. Sandy soils benefit from extra organic matter to improve water retention.

Loose soil allows the bulbs to expand easily, resulting in larger bulbs. Work the soil to a depth of at least 6-8 inches, removing any rocks or clumps that might restrict bulb growth.

When and How to Plant

The best time for planting garlic depends on your climate, but fall planting is preferred in most regions. In cooler climates (Zones 3-6), plant in late fall, about 4-6 weeks before the ground freezes.

For warmer climates (Zones 7-9), plant in late fall to early winter. In very mild climates (Zone 10+), you’ll need to pre-chill garlic cloves in the refrigerator for several weeks before spring planting.

white garlic cloves planted in a neat row trench in a garden

Fall Planting vs. Spring Planting

Fall planting gives garlic a head start on root development before winter dormancy. When spring arrives, plants are established and ready to grow vigorously.

Spring planting is possible but typically results in smaller bulbs. If you missed fall planting, don’t worry – you can still plant in early spring as soon as the soil can be worked.

I’ve found that fall-planted garlic consistently outperforms spring-planted garlic in both size and flavor. The cold period during winter seems to contribute significantly to bulb development.

Choosing Planting Stock

You have several options to acquire garlic for planting:

Seed catalogs or online specialty garlic growers
Local garden center or farmers’ market
Your own saved garlic from previous harvests

Avoid planting cloves from supermarket garlic. These are often treated with growth inhibitors and may carry diseases. They’re also typically varieties better suited to commercial growing rather than home gardens.

Planting Process

Break apart garlic bulbs into individual cloves shortly before planting (don’t remove the papery shell)
Select the largest, healthiest cloves for planting
Plant cloves root-end down (pointed end up), 2 inches deep
Space cloves 4-6 inches apart, with rows 12-18 inches apart
Cover with soil and water thoroughly

After planting, add a 2-3 inch layer of mulch like straw, shredded leaves, or grass clippings. In cold regions, apply mulch after the ground freezes to prevent premature sprouting.

Supporting Your Plants

Unlike some garden vegetables, garlic plants stand upright on their own and don’t require trellising or structural support. Their straight, sturdy stems make them a low-maintenance crop.

The most important support you can provide is keeping the bed weed-free. Garlic doesn’t compete well with weeds, which can significantly reduce your yield.

I’ve found that regular hand weeding in early spring when both the garlic and weeds are small makes a huge difference in final bulb size. A thick layer of mulch also helps suppress weeds.

Water and Mulch – Keys to Healthy Plants

Consistent soil moisture is crucial when growing garlic. Young plants need about an inch of water per week during active growth.

Established plants may need more water during bulb development in late spring. I’ve found that monitoring soil moisture with my fingers is the best way to judge when to water. If the soil feels dry, it’s time to water. If the soil feels moist, you can wait to water.

Irrigation Methods

Drip irrigation: Most efficient, keeps leaves dry
Soaker hoses: Good alternative to drip systems
Hand watering: Feasible for smaller plantings

Mulching

Apply a 2-3 inch layer of organic mulch around the base of the plants. I have found straw mulch, leaves, and grass clippings work exceptionally well for garlic beds.

Other good mulch options include:

Composted wood chips
Pine needles

Mulching serves multiple purposes: it retains soil moisture, suppresses weeds, regulates soil temperature, and adds organic matter as it breaks down. It’s particularly important in regions with cold winters to protect the cloves from frost heaving. Read more about mulching in your garden here!

Feeding Your Plants

Garlic plants benefit from balanced nutrition throughout their growing season. The best way to provide this is through soil preparation before planting and periodic feeding during active growth.

A fall application of compost encourages strong root development. In early spring, when green leaves emerge, I apply another layer of well-aged compost. This compost can also act as a mulch to reduce weeds.

I avoid fertilizers and focus instead on feeding and improving my soil by adding organic matter and minimizing soil disturbance.

Caring for Garlic Throughout the Season

As the growing season progresses, your garlic will need different care. In early spring, remove any winter mulch that might smother the emerging green shoots.

Keep the bed consistently weeded, as garlic doesn’t compete well against weeds. Hand weeding is best to avoid damaging the shallow roots.

For hardneck varieties, watch for the curling flower stalks (scapes) that appear in late spring or early summer. Remove these as soon as they appear to redirect energy to the bulbs.

Don’t waste those garlic scapes! They’re delicious chopped into stir-fries, blended into pesto, or grilled as a spring delicacy. This “bonus crop” is one of the joys of growing hardneck garlic.

Dealing with Pests and Diseases

One of the good news about growing garlic is that it has relatively few pest problems. Many insects are actually repelled by garlic’s strong sulfur compounds.

The most common issues are fungal diseases like white rot and rust. White rot is a serious soil-borne disease that can persist for years and destroy allium crops. To avoid problems in fugal diseases, plant your garlic in a different garden location each year.

Prevention is the Best Strategy

Plant certified disease-free seed stock
Practice crop rotation (don’t plant garlic where other alliums grew recently)
Ensure good air circulation and proper spacing
Avoid overhead watering which can spread fungal spores

If you notice yellowing leaves or stunted growth, check the bulbs for signs of rot or damage. Early detection of problems gives you the best chance of saving at least part of your crop.

I’ve found that maintaining healthy soil with plenty of organic matter creates resilient plants that resist most problems. Prevention is definitely easier than cure when it comes to garlic diseases.

Harvesting, Curing, and Storing

Knowing when and how to harvest your garlic is crucial for getting the best quality bulbs that will store well. For a complete guide on harvesting, curing, and storing your garlic, check out my detailed post: Harvesting Garlic: When to Pick and How to Cure.

Enjoying Your Garlic

Each season brings its own rewards when growing garlic. Fall planting connects us to the cycle of planning ahead, while spring brings the excitement of seeing those first green shoots emerge.

Summer brings the satisfaction of harvesting bulbs that have been developing underground for months. And throughout the year, there’s the pleasure of cooking with garlic you’ve grown yourself.

Whether you’re a beginner or experienced gardener, growing garlic is one of the most straightforward and satisfying crops. With minimal effort, you’ll be rewarded with flavorful bulbs that enhance countless meals.

Remember that gardening is as much about the journey as it is about the harvest. Each season brings new lessons and rewards when growing garlic.

Frequently Asked Questions About Growing Garlic

Can I grow garlic in containers?

Yes! Choose a container at least 8 inches deep with drainage holes. Plant cloves 3-4 inches apart, and ensure consistent moisture and fertility throughout the growing season.

How many garlic bulbs can I expect to harvest?

Each planted clove grows into one bulb, so your harvest quantity equals the number of cloves you plant. A typical garden row of 10 feet might yield 30-40 bulbs.

Why are my garlic bulbs small?

Small bulbs can result from planting too late, insufficient sunlight, crowding, poor soil fertility, inconsistent watering, or harvesting too early. Planting larger cloves also tends to produce larger bulbs.

Can I replant cloves from my own harvest?

Absolutely! Select the largest, healthiest bulbs from your harvest, and save them for replanting. This allows you to gradually select for varieties that perform best in your specific growing conditions.

Is growing garlic worth the long growing season?

Most gardeners find that the minimal effort required and the superior flavor of homegrown garlic make it well worth the wait. Plus, you’ll harvest scapes from hardneck varieties as a bonus crop mid-season.

Growing Garlic Step by Step Summary

Choose the right type of garlic for your climate
Prepare well-drained, fertile soil in a sunny spot
Plant individual cloves in fall, 2 inches deep and 4-6 inches apart
Mulch well after planting
Remove mulch when green shoots appear in spring
Keep weeded and watered throughout the growing season
Remove scapes from hardneck varieties when they appear
Harvest when lower leaves begin to yellow (usually late June to early July)
Cure in a warm, dry place for 2-3 weeks
Store in a cool, dry place with good air circulation

Happy growing, and enjoy your homegrown garlic!