When to Plant Garlic
veg · hardy · ~240 days to harvest
Plant cloves in fall, from about the first frost through the following month, so they root before the ground freezes.
Planting time for garlic is set by your frost dates, not by the calendar month. Sow directly in the garden around your last frost, once the soil has warmed. From there it takes roughly 240 days to the first harvest. Garlic is a hardy crop, and it keeps going about 28 days past a light frost, which is what makes a fall crop worth planting. Pick your zone below for exact dates, or find your zone by ZIP if you are not sure which one you are in.
When to plant garlic by zone
| Zone | Last frost | Sow | In the ground | Harvest | Fall planting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3a | May 15 | — | — | Jun 10 | Sep 15 – Oct 13 |
| Zone 3b | May 13 | — | — | Jun 13 | Sep 18 – Oct 16 |
| Zone 4a | May 10 | — | — | Jun 17 | Sep 22 – Oct 20 |
| Zone 4b | May 5 | — | — | Jun 23 | Sep 28 – Oct 26 |
| Zone 5a | Apr 30 | — | — | Jun 28 | Oct 3 – Oct 31 |
| Zone 5b | Apr 25 | — | — | Jul 3 | Oct 8 – Nov 5 |
| Zone 6a | Apr 20 | — | — | Jul 8 | Oct 13 – Nov 10 |
| Zone 6b | Apr 15 | — | — | Jul 13 | Oct 18 – Nov 15 |
| Zone 7a | Apr 10 | — | — | Jul 20 | Oct 25 – Nov 22 |
| Zone 7b | Apr 3 | — | — | Jul 27 | Nov 1 – Nov 29 |
| Zone 8a | Mar 25 | — | — | Aug 3 | Nov 8 – Dec 6 |
| Zone 8b | Mar 15 | — | — | Aug 10 | Nov 15 – Dec 13 |
| Zone 9a | Mar 1 | — | — | Aug 25 | Nov 30 – Dec 28 |
| Zone 9b | Feb 15 | — | — | Sep 4 | Dec 10 – Jan 7 |
| Zone 10a | Jan 31 | — | — | Sep 14 | Dec 20 – Jan 17 |
| Zone 10b | Jan 15 | — | — | Sep 25 | Dec 31 – Jan 28 |
| Zone 11a | none | Feb 1 | Feb 1 | Sep 29 | Oct onward |
| Zone 11b | none | Feb 1 | Feb 1 | Sep 29 | Oct onward |
| Zone 12a | none | Feb 1 | Feb 1 | Sep 29 | Oct onward |
| Zone 12b | none | Feb 1 | Feb 1 | Sep 29 | Oct onward |
| Zone 13a | none | Feb 1 | Feb 1 | Sep 29 | Oct onward |
| Zone 13b | none | Feb 1 | Feb 1 | Sep 29 | Oct onward |
Dates use the representative frost window for each zone. Your own ZIP will differ by a week or two: look it up here.
Planting garlic in fall
Garlic is the definitive fall crop. Plant cloves from around your first frost through the next four weeks: late enough that they root without pushing much top growth, early enough to establish before the ground freezes hard.
The timing rule is from around the average first frost through the following 4 weeks. Planting earlier pushes soft growth that winter kills; planting later leaves the roots too shallow to hold through a freeze. The coldest zone where this still works on the averages is Zone 3a.
For the whole-garden version of this arithmetic, see the fall planting calendar by zone, and how to read and stretch your first frost date.
When to plant garlic in 12 US cities
These use each city's own NOAA frost dates rather than its zone average, which is why two cities in the same zone can differ by a week or more. Texas alone spans a wide range: in Houston (Zone 9a) garlic is planted Dec 9 to Jan 6; in Dallas (Zone 8a) garlic is planted Nov 24 to Dec 22.
| City | Zone | Last frost | In the ground (spring) | Fall planting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | 7b | Mar 30 | — | Nov 20 – Dec 18 |
| Los Angeles, CA | 10b | none | Oct to Feb (cool season) | Oct onward |
| Chicago, IL | 6a | Apr 16 | — | Oct 28 – Nov 25 |
| Houston, TX | 9a | Feb 13 | — | Dec 9 – Jan 6 |
| Phoenix, AZ | 9b | none | Oct to Feb (cool season) | Oct onward |
| Philadelphia, PA | 7b | Apr 2 | — | Nov 10 – Dec 8 |
| Atlanta, GA | 8a | Mar 15 | — | Nov 20 – Dec 18 |
| Dallas, TX | 8a | Mar 8 | — | Nov 24 – Dec 22 |
| Denver, CO | 6a | May 5 | — | Oct 9 – Nov 6 |
| Seattle, WA | 8b | Mar 2 | — | Nov 23 – Dec 21 |
| Minneapolis, MN | 4b | Apr 23 | — | Oct 18 – Nov 15 |
| Miami, FL | 11a | none | Oct to Feb (cool season) | Oct onward |
What to plant with garlic
Garlic grows well next to carrots, beets and tomatoes. Keep it away from beans (bush) and peas. Same allium-legume conflict as onions. The full grid for all 24 crops is in the companion planting chart.
Garlic zone pages
More on growing garlic
- When to plant garlic by zone
The fall planting window for garlic and other alliums in every zone.
- Last frost date and what to plant before it
Why garlic can go out before your last frost, and how far before.
- Row covers vs frost blankets
Which cover buys garlic the extra degrees on a frosty night.
- Companion planting chart
What to plant with garlic and what to keep away from it.
Frequently asked questions
When can I plant garlic?
In fall, around your first frost. Garlic is the definitive fall crop. Plant cloves from around your first frost through the next four weeks: late enough that they root without pushing much top growth, early enough to establish before the ground freezes hard.
How long does garlic take to grow?
About 240 days from transplant or sowing to harvest.
Is garlic frost-hardy?
Garlic is a hardy crop. It tolerates light frost and can go out early. In fall it keeps going about 28 days past the first light frost.
Can you plant garlic in the fall?
Yes, and fall is the main planting season for it. Plant from around the average first frost through the following 4 weeks for your zone. Garlic is the definitive fall crop. Plant cloves from around your first frost through the next four weeks: late enough that they root without pushing much top growth, early enough to establish before the ground freezes hard.
What is the latest I can plant garlic?
It depends on your first frost date. In Zone 6a, sow by Nov 10; In Zone 7a, sow by Nov 22; In Zone 8a, sow by Dec 6. Colder zones are earlier, warmer zones later.