Plant Garlic in Zone 4b
Seed-starting, transplant & harvest dates for USDA Zone 4b
Plant cloves in fall, from about the first frost through the following month, so they root before the ground freezes.
Zone 4b averages 146 frost-free days, running from a last spring frost around May 5 to a first fall frost around September 28. Garlic needs roughly 240 days from planting out to first harvest, so it uses about 164 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 4b last frost has passed and the soil has warmed.
Planting garlic for a fall harvest in Zone 4b
Yes. Plant garlic between September 28 and October 26 in Zone 4b, 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 4b 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 4b
| Planting | Sow or start | In the ground | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Fall | by Oct 26 | Oct 26 | 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 4b
Frequently asked questions
When should I start garlic in Zone 4b?
Expect to harvest around N/A (~240 days).
Can I direct sow garlic in Zone 4b?
Garlic is best started indoors and transplanted in Zone 4b rather than direct sown.
Can I plant garlic in the fall in Zone 4b?
Yes. Plant garlic between September 28 and October 26 in Zone 4b, from around the average first frost through the following 4 weeks, so it roots before the ground freezes.
Will garlic survive frost in Zone 4b?
Garlic is a hardy crop and keeps going roughly 28 days past the first light frost in Zone 4b. A row cover or a straw mulch buys more.