Plant Garlic in Zone 7b

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

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 7b averages 212 frost-free days, running from a last spring frost around April 3 to a first fall frost around November 1. Garlic needs roughly 240 days from planting out to first harvest, so it uses about 113 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 7b last frost has passed and the soil has warmed.

Planting garlic for a fall harvest in Zone 7b

Yes. Plant garlic between November 1 and November 29 in Zone 7b, 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

Nov 1

Plant by

Nov 29

Overwinters, harvest in spring

Spring

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

Planting	Sow or start	In the ground	Harvest
Spring	N/A	N/A	N/A
Fall	by Nov 29	Nov 29	Next spring

Last spring frost

Apr 3

First fall frost

Nov 1

Growing season

212 days

Garlic in nearby zones

Garlic in Zone 7a (colder) Garlic in Zone 8a (warmer) Full Garlic grow guide Zone 7b planting calendar

Other crops in Zone 7b

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

Frequently asked questions

When should I start garlic in Zone 7b?

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

Can I direct sow garlic in Zone 7b?

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

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