Plant Garlic in Zone 3b

Seed-starting, transplant & harvest dates for USDA Zone 3b

Harvest (~240d)

N/A

Plant cloves in fall, from about the first frost through the following month, so they root before the ground freezes.

Zone 3b averages 128 frost-free days, running from a last spring frost around May 13 to a first fall frost around September 18. Garlic needs roughly 240 days from planting out to first harvest, so it uses about 188 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 3b last frost has passed and the soil has warmed.

Planting garlic for a fall harvest in Zone 3b

Yes. Plant garlic between September 18 and October 16 in Zone 3b, 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.

Plant from

Sep 18

Plant by

Oct 16

Overwinters, harvest in spring

Spring

Fall dates are counted backward from the Zone 3b 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 3b

Planting	Sow or start	In the ground	Harvest
Spring	N/A	N/A	N/A
Fall	by Oct 16	Oct 16	Next spring

Last spring frost

May 13

First fall frost

Sep 18

Growing season

128 days

Garlic in nearby zones

Garlic in Zone 3a (colder) Garlic in Zone 4a (warmer) Full Garlic grow guide Zone 3b planting calendar

Other crops in Zone 3b

Tomatoes in Zone 3b Peppers in Zone 3b Cucumbers in Zone 3b Lettuce in Zone 3b Zucchini in Zone 3b Carrots in Zone 3b Beans (bush) in Zone 3b Peas in Zone 3b Broccoli in Zone 3b Spinach in Zone 3b Kale in Zone 3b Onions in Zone 3b Potatoes in Zone 3b Squash (winter) in Zone 3b Corn in Zone 3b Radishes in Zone 3b Beets in Zone 3b Eggplant in Zone 3b Basil in Zone 3b Cilantro in Zone 3b Parsley in Zone 3b Pumpkins in Zone 3b Sunflowers in Zone 3b

Frequently asked questions

When should I start garlic in Zone 3b?

Expect to harvest around N/A (~240 days).

Can I direct sow garlic in Zone 3b?

Garlic is best started indoors and transplanted in Zone 3b rather than direct sown.

Can I plant garlic in the fall in Zone 3b?