Plant Garlic in Zone 6b

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

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 6b averages 186 frost-free days, running from a last spring frost around April 15 to a first fall frost around October 18. Garlic needs roughly 240 days from planting out to first harvest, so it uses about 129 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 6b last frost has passed and the soil has warmed.

Planting garlic for a fall harvest in Zone 6b

Yes. Plant garlic between October 18 and November 15 in Zone 6b, 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 18

Plant by

Nov 15

Overwinters, harvest in spring

Spring

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

Planting	Sow or start	In the ground	Harvest
Spring	N/A	N/A	N/A
Fall	by Nov 15	Nov 15	Next spring

Last spring frost

Apr 15

First fall frost

Oct 18

Growing season

186 days

Garlic in nearby zones

Garlic in Zone 6a (colder) Garlic in Zone 7a (warmer) Full Garlic grow guide Zone 6b planting calendar

Other crops in Zone 6b

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

Frequently asked questions

When should I start garlic in Zone 6b?

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

Can I direct sow garlic in Zone 6b?

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

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