Timing is everything when it comes to garlic. If you want strong, healthy bulbs, you need to get them in the ground before winter hits. Fall planting gives garlic a head start, letting roots establish before the ground freezes. Come spring, those little cloves will already be ahead of the game, ready to push up into full, hearty plants.
Here’s how to do it right.
1. Choose the Right Time
Plant garlic about 4-6 weeks before your ground freezes solid. For most regions, this means sometime in late September to late October. The key is to let the cloves develop roots but avoid sprouting above ground before winter.
2. Pick the Best Spot
Garlic needs full sun and loose, well-drained soil. Heavy clay or soggy spots will rot your cloves. If your soil is dense, mix in compost or sand to loosen it up. Raised beds work great, too.
3. Select Quality Seed Garlic
Don’t plant garlic from the grocery store. Go for seed garlic from a nursery or a trusted online supplier. Hardneck varieties are great for colder climates, while softneck types thrive in warmer zones.
4. Prep Your Soil
Work the soil about 8 inches deep, removing rocks and breaking up clumps. Add compost or aged manure for a nutrient boost. Garlic loves fertile ground.
5. Plant the Cloves
Break the garlic bulbs into individual cloves, leaving the papery skins on. Plant each clove pointy end up, 2 inches deep and 4-6 inches apart. Space rows about a foot apart.
6. Mulch Well
Cover your planting area with 4-6 inches of straw, shredded leaves, or grass clippings. Mulch insulates the soil, protects against temperature swings, and helps suppress weeds.
7. Water Lightly
If fall is dry, give your garlic a light watering after planting. You want moist, not soggy, soil.
Come Spring
Once the snow melts, pull back some mulch to let the soil warm up. Garlic shoots will pop through, and from there, it’s just a matter of watering, weeding, and waiting.
Final Tip
Be patient. Garlic takes about eight months to mature. But when you dig up those plump, flavorful bulbs next summer, you’ll know it was worth the wait.
Happy planting!
