Plant Garlic in Zone 7a

Seed-starting, transplant & harvest dates for USDA Zone 7a

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 7a averages 198 frost-free days, running from a last spring frost around April 10 to a first fall frost around October 25. Garlic needs roughly 240 days from planting out to first harvest, so it uses about 121 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 7a last frost has passed and the soil has warmed.

Planting garlic for a fall harvest in Zone 7a

Yes. Plant garlic between October 25 and November 22 in Zone 7a, 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 25

Plant by

Nov 22

Overwinters, harvest in spring

Spring

Fall dates are counted backward from the Zone 7a 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 7a

Planting	Sow or start	In the ground	Harvest
Spring	N/A	N/A	N/A
Fall	by Nov 22	Nov 22	Next spring

Last spring frost

Apr 10

First fall frost

Oct 25

Growing season

198 days

Garlic in nearby zones

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

Other crops in Zone 7a

Tomatoes in Zone 7a Peppers in Zone 7a Cucumbers in Zone 7a Lettuce in Zone 7a Zucchini in Zone 7a Carrots in Zone 7a Beans (bush) in Zone 7a Peas in Zone 7a Broccoli in Zone 7a Spinach in Zone 7a Kale in Zone 7a Onions in Zone 7a Potatoes in Zone 7a Squash (winter) in Zone 7a Corn in Zone 7a Radishes in Zone 7a Beets in Zone 7a Eggplant in Zone 7a Basil in Zone 7a Cilantro in Zone 7a Parsley in Zone 7a Pumpkins in Zone 7a Sunflowers in Zone 7a

Frequently asked questions

When should I start garlic in Zone 7a?

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

Can I direct sow garlic in Zone 7a?

Garlic is best started indoors and transplanted in Zone 7a rather than direct sown.

Can I plant garlic in the fall in Zone 7a?