Plant Garlic in Zone 5b

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

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 5b averages 166 frost-free days, running from a last spring frost around April 25 to a first fall frost around October 8. Garlic needs roughly 240 days from planting out to first harvest, so it uses about 145 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 5b last frost has passed and the soil has warmed.

Planting garlic for a fall harvest in Zone 5b

Yes. Plant garlic between October 8 and November 5 in Zone 5b, 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 8

Plant by

Nov 5

Overwinters, harvest in spring

Spring

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

Planting	Sow or start	In the ground	Harvest
Spring	N/A	N/A	N/A
Fall	by Nov 5	Nov 5	Next spring

Last spring frost

Apr 25

First fall frost

Oct 8

Growing season

166 days

Garlic in nearby zones

Garlic in Zone 5a (colder) Garlic in Zone 6a (warmer) Full Garlic grow guide Zone 5b planting calendar

Other crops in Zone 5b

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

Frequently asked questions

When should I start garlic in Zone 5b?

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

Can I direct sow garlic in Zone 5b?

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

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