Plant Garlic in Zone 8a
Seed-starting, transplant & harvest dates for USDA Zone 8a
Plant cloves in fall, from about the first frost through the following month, so they root before the ground freezes.
Zone 8a averages 228 frost-free days, running from a last spring frost around March 25 to a first fall frost around November 8. Garlic needs roughly 240 days from planting out to first harvest, so it uses about 105 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 8a last frost has passed and the soil has warmed.
Planting garlic for a fall harvest in Zone 8a
Yes. Plant garlic between November 8 and December 6 in Zone 8a, 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.
Fall dates are counted backward from the Zone 8a 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 8a
| Planting | Sow or start | In the ground | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Fall | by Dec 6 | Dec 6 | Next spring |
Garlic in nearby zones
Further reading on garlic
- When to plant garlic by zone
The fall planting window for garlic and other alliums in every zone.
- Last frost date and what to plant before it
Why garlic can go out before your last frost, and how far before.
- Row covers vs frost blankets
Which cover buys garlic the extra degrees on a frosty night.
Other crops in Zone 8a
Frequently asked questions
When should I start garlic in Zone 8a?
Expect to harvest around N/A (~240 days).
Can I direct sow garlic in Zone 8a?
Garlic is best started indoors and transplanted in Zone 8a rather than direct sown.
Can I plant garlic in the fall in Zone 8a?
Yes. Plant garlic between November 8 and December 6 in Zone 8a, from around the average first frost through the following 4 weeks, so it roots before the ground freezes.
Will garlic survive frost in Zone 8a?
Garlic is a hardy crop and keeps going roughly 28 days past the first light frost in Zone 8a. A row cover or a straw mulch buys more.