Plant Garlic in Zone 3a
Seed-starting, transplant & harvest dates for USDA Zone 3a
Plant cloves in fall, from about the first frost through the following month, so they root before the ground freezes.
Zone 3a averages 123 frost-free days, running from a last spring frost around May 15 to a first fall frost around September 15. Garlic needs roughly 240 days from planting out to first harvest, so it uses about 195 percent of that window. Garlic is a hardy crop, which is what decides where in the window it belongs.
Garlic resents transplanting and hates cold soil, so direct sow around N/A, after the Zone 3a last frost has passed and the soil has warmed.
Planting garlic for a fall harvest in Zone 3a
Yes. Plant garlic between September 15 and October 13 in Zone 3a, from around the average first frost through the following 4 weeks, so it roots before the ground freezes.
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.
Fall dates are counted backward from the Zone 3a average first frost, not forward from a sowing date. See the fall planting calendar by zone for the full method.
Spring vs fall garlic in Zone 3a
| Planting | Sow or start | In the ground | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Fall | by Oct 13 | Oct 13 | Next spring |
Garlic in nearby zones
Further reading on 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.
Other crops in Zone 3a
Frequently asked questions
When should I start garlic in Zone 3a?
Expect to harvest around N/A (~240 days).
Can I direct sow garlic in Zone 3a?
Garlic is best started indoors and transplanted in Zone 3a rather than direct sown.
Can I plant garlic in the fall in Zone 3a?
Yes. Plant garlic between September 15 and October 13 in Zone 3a, from around the average first frost through the following 4 weeks, so it roots before the ground freezes.
Will garlic survive frost in Zone 3a?
Garlic is a hardy crop and keeps going roughly 28 days past the first light frost in Zone 3a. A row cover or a straw mulch buys more.