Plant Garlic in Zone 4a

Seed-starting, transplant & harvest dates for USDA Zone 4a

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 4a averages 135 frost-free days, running from a last spring frost around May 10 to a first fall frost around September 22. Garlic needs roughly 240 days from planting out to first harvest, so it uses about 178 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 4a last frost has passed and the soil has warmed.

Planting garlic for a fall harvest in Zone 4a

Yes. Plant garlic between September 22 and October 20 in Zone 4a, 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 22

Plant by

Oct 20

Overwinters, harvest in spring

Spring

Fall dates are counted backward from the Zone 4a 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 4a

Planting	Sow or start	In the ground	Harvest
Spring	N/A	N/A	N/A
Fall	by Oct 20	Oct 20	Next spring

Last spring frost

May 10

First fall frost

Sep 22

Growing season

135 days

Garlic in nearby zones

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

Other crops in Zone 4a

Tomatoes in Zone 4a Peppers in Zone 4a Cucumbers in Zone 4a Lettuce in Zone 4a Zucchini in Zone 4a Carrots in Zone 4a Beans (bush) in Zone 4a Peas in Zone 4a Broccoli in Zone 4a Spinach in Zone 4a Kale in Zone 4a Onions in Zone 4a Potatoes in Zone 4a Squash (winter) in Zone 4a Corn in Zone 4a Radishes in Zone 4a Beets in Zone 4a Eggplant in Zone 4a Basil in Zone 4a Cilantro in Zone 4a Parsley in Zone 4a Pumpkins in Zone 4a Sunflowers in Zone 4a

Frequently asked questions

When should I start garlic in Zone 4a?

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

Can I direct sow garlic in Zone 4a?

Garlic is best started indoors and transplanted in Zone 4a rather than direct sown.

Can I plant garlic in the fall in Zone 4a?