Plant Garlic in Zone 5a

Seed-starting, transplant & harvest dates for USDA Zone 5a

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 5a averages 156 frost-free days, running from a last spring frost around April 30 to a first fall frost around October 3. Garlic needs roughly 240 days from planting out to first harvest, so it uses about 154 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 5a last frost has passed and the soil has warmed.

Planting garlic for a fall harvest in Zone 5a

Yes. Plant garlic between October 3 and October 31 in Zone 5a, 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

Oct 3

Plant by

Oct 31

Overwinters, harvest in spring

Spring

Fall dates are counted backward from the Zone 5a 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 5a

Planting	Sow or start	In the ground	Harvest
Spring	N/A	N/A	N/A
Fall	by Oct 31	Oct 31	Next spring

Last spring frost

Apr 30

First fall frost

Oct 3

Growing season

156 days

Garlic in nearby zones

Garlic in Zone 4b (colder) Garlic in Zone 5b (warmer) Full Garlic grow guide Zone 5a planting calendar

Other crops in Zone 5a

Tomatoes in Zone 5a Peppers in Zone 5a Cucumbers in Zone 5a Lettuce in Zone 5a Zucchini in Zone 5a Carrots in Zone 5a Beans (bush) in Zone 5a Peas in Zone 5a Broccoli in Zone 5a Spinach in Zone 5a Kale in Zone 5a Onions in Zone 5a Potatoes in Zone 5a Squash (winter) in Zone 5a Corn in Zone 5a Radishes in Zone 5a Beets in Zone 5a Eggplant in Zone 5a Basil in Zone 5a Cilantro in Zone 5a Parsley in Zone 5a Pumpkins in Zone 5a Sunflowers in Zone 5a

Frequently asked questions

When should I start garlic in Zone 5a?

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

Can I direct sow garlic in Zone 5a?

Garlic is best started indoors and transplanted in Zone 5a rather than direct sown.

Can I plant garlic in the fall in Zone 5a?