Plant Garlic in Zone 6a

Seed-starting, transplant & harvest dates for USDA Zone 6a

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 6a averages 176 frost-free days, running from a last spring frost around April 20 to a first fall frost around October 13. Garlic needs roughly 240 days from planting out to first harvest, so it uses about 136 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 6a last frost has passed and the soil has warmed.

Planting garlic for a fall harvest in Zone 6a

Yes. Plant garlic between October 13 and November 10 in Zone 6a, 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 13

Plant by

Nov 10

Overwinters, harvest in spring

Spring

Fall dates are counted backward from the Zone 6a 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 6a

Planting	Sow or start	In the ground	Harvest
Spring	N/A	N/A	N/A
Fall	by Nov 10	Nov 10	Next spring

Last spring frost

Apr 20

First fall frost

Oct 13

Growing season

176 days

Garlic in nearby zones

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

Other crops in Zone 6a

Tomatoes in Zone 6a Peppers in Zone 6a Cucumbers in Zone 6a Lettuce in Zone 6a Zucchini in Zone 6a Carrots in Zone 6a Beans (bush) in Zone 6a Peas in Zone 6a Broccoli in Zone 6a Spinach in Zone 6a Kale in Zone 6a Onions in Zone 6a Potatoes in Zone 6a Squash (winter) in Zone 6a Corn in Zone 6a Radishes in Zone 6a Beets in Zone 6a Eggplant in Zone 6a Basil in Zone 6a Cilantro in Zone 6a Parsley in Zone 6a Pumpkins in Zone 6a Sunflowers in Zone 6a

Frequently asked questions

When should I start garlic in Zone 6a?

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

Can I direct sow garlic in Zone 6a?

Garlic is best started indoors and transplanted in Zone 6a rather than direct sown.

Can I plant garlic in the fall in Zone 6a?