Plant Garlic in Zone 9a

Seed-starting, transplant & harvest dates for USDA Zone 9a

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 9a averages 274 frost-free days, running from a last spring frost around March 1 to a first fall frost around November 30. Garlic needs roughly 240 days from planting out to first harvest, so it uses about 88 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 9a last frost has passed and the soil has warmed.

Planting garlic for a fall harvest in Zone 9a

Yes. Plant garlic between November 30 and December 28 in Zone 9a, 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 30

Plant by

Dec 28

Overwinters, harvest in spring

Spring

Fall dates are counted backward from the Zone 9a 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 9a

Planting	Sow or start	In the ground	Harvest
Spring	N/A	N/A	N/A
Fall	by Dec 28	Dec 28	Next spring

Last spring frost

Mar 1

First fall frost

Nov 30

Growing season

274 days

Garlic in nearby zones

Garlic in Zone 8b (colder) Garlic in Zone 9b (warmer) Full Garlic grow guide Zone 9a planting calendar

Other crops in Zone 9a

Tomatoes in Zone 9a Peppers in Zone 9a Cucumbers in Zone 9a Lettuce in Zone 9a Zucchini in Zone 9a Carrots in Zone 9a Beans (bush) in Zone 9a Peas in Zone 9a Broccoli in Zone 9a Spinach in Zone 9a Kale in Zone 9a Onions in Zone 9a Potatoes in Zone 9a Squash (winter) in Zone 9a Corn in Zone 9a Radishes in Zone 9a Beets in Zone 9a Eggplant in Zone 9a Basil in Zone 9a Cilantro in Zone 9a Parsley in Zone 9a Pumpkins in Zone 9a Sunflowers in Zone 9a

Frequently asked questions

When should I start garlic in Zone 9a?

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

Can I direct sow garlic in Zone 9a?

Garlic is best started indoors and transplanted in Zone 9a rather than direct sown.

Can I plant garlic in the fall in Zone 9a?