How To Plant, Grow And Harvest Garlic (Video)

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Learn how to plant, grow and harvest garlic in your own home garden with this step-by-step guide showing you all you need to know from planting through harvest and even storage.  Learning when and how to plant garlic has a lot to do with how big the garlic bulbs get, and how many pounds you’ll have at harvest time.  Garlic is fairly easy to grow providing it has rich soil and you keep it free from weeds.  Growing large garlic is also an important step in growing the food to fill your pantry.  

How We Use Garlic

My family loves garlic, and we include it in most of our savory meals especially during the wintertime.  We use it in soups and stews, and in a lot of our canning recipes.  My kids favorite thing is the pickled garlic in the sweet dill pickles that we make.  We also use garlic medicinally at times, so it is a really great vegetable to have on hand.

Why I Like Growing Garlic

I like growing garlic because after pulling it in the fall, it can be stored for many months in a cool dark place like my homestead pantry without having to be preserved.  So much of what we grow has to be preserved in some way, and garlic can be kept for quite awhile without any special storage preparation other than curing.  You can dehydrate garlic, store it minced in olive oil or pickle it as well.  But for the most part we store it just like it is when it comes out of the ground.

Onions are also an easy thing to grow, and they don’t require preservation either. Learn how to grow big onions here.

Varieties Of Garlic

There are many different varieties of garlic, but there are two main types of garlic, hardneck varieties and softneck varieties.

Hard Neck Garlic

Hardneck types of garlic are characterized by their hard neck which is part of a central flowering stalk called a scape.  It produces large bulbs with fewer, larger cloves and is much more winter hardy than soft neck garlic with a stronger garlic flavor.  It produces a garlic scape which should be picked about a month before the garlic bulbs are ready to harvest.  Garlic scapes are delicious and can be used in many recipes or preserved for winter use.

“Music” is my favorite hard neck garlic variety to grow, and I like the garlic scapes so well, that I would grow it just for them.  The actual garlic is just a bonus.  Hardneck garlic does not store as long as soft neck garlic, but it is still my favorite to grow.  

Soft Neck Garlic

Softneck garlic does not have a central flowering stalk and does not produce a scape, allowing for denser garlic heads.  The absence of a central flowering stalk results in small bulbs with more numerous and smaller garlic cloves.  Soft neck garlic stores longer than hardneck garlic, and is typically the kind of garlic sold in the grocery store.

Step By Step Garlic Growing Guide

Plant In The Fall For The Biggest Garlic

To get larger bulbs of garlic at harvest time, it’s important to plant your garlic in the fall.  Garlic does best after it goes through a process called vernalization, which just means it’s allowed to experience the cold temperatures of winter.  Planting it in the fall also means you’ll have a jumpstart on the growing season as garlic will be the first thing growing in your garden in the spring.  Since garlic is fully acclimated to the ground because it’s been planted all winter, it’s the first thing to sprout in the early spring.  Garlic can be grown even in the most northern climates, and won’t be harmed by cold winters.  It’s best if it is covered with a blanket of snow for insulation all winter long, but even in open winters which we sometimes experience here in Nebraska, the garlic always grows just fine.  

If you don’t get your garlic planted in the fall, you can plant it in the spring, but the bulbs will not be as large because they won’t have gone through the cold temperatures of winter, and won’t have as much of a jumpstart on the growing season.  

A Note About Storing Garlic For Spring Planting

Garlic only keeps well in storage for about 6 months, so if you harvest it in July, it will keep just fine until you plant it in October or November.  However, if you try to keep it over the winter and plant it in the spring, sometimes it will go bad before you can get it planted.  

Landscape Fabric To Prevent Weeds

Keeping garlic weed free is really important for it to be able to have full access to the soil nutrients and sunlight without any competition.  I prefer to grow my garlic on landscape fabric (which you will see demonstrated in the video below).  It has helped me keep the weeds out of my garlic without having to spend time weeding on a weekly basis.  Growing on fabric also helps to warm up the soil quicker in the springtime.  If you are not going to grow on fabric, I suggest you set up a weekly cultivating schedule, and use a collinear hoe or similar tool to keep the weeds out of your garlic.

Plant In Beds

I do most of my growing on 30” wide beds, which is what I recommend in my garden planning tutorial.  This is a better use of your space than if you are planting in rows.  I suggest putting 9” of space between your rows, and planting 3 rows per bed.  If you plant your garlic 4” apart in row, you can get 450 garlic cloves planted in a 50’ long bed.  That is usually enough garlic for the average-sized family for the year.  

I usually get 4-5 large cloves per garlic bulb, so that would give you 2,250 cloves in one harvest.  Keep in mind that you’ll need to save another 450 individual cloves to plant next year’s crop.  So that gets you down to 1,800 cloves, which is a little more than 5 cloves per day for the year.  And remember that you’re going to need a lot of cloves for canning as well.  You can never have too much garlic!

Planting Garlic

Break garlic cloves away from the bulb, leaving their paper skin intact.  Plant garlic cloves 2 to 3 inches beneath the soil surface, making sure that the pointed end of the garlic clove is facing up.  You can cover it with a four to six inch layer of mulch like straw, grass clippings or leaves if you live in the far north.  This is optional, and I’ve had good results with and without mulch.  

Watering Garlic

I do not water my garlic when I plant it in the fall.  There is no need for the garlic to actually show any signs of growth before winter.  I do like to water my garden with drip line because it’s an efficient way to water and I can easily control how much water the plants get.  If you don’t have a drip line set up, you can also water with a sprinkler.  

As I’m planting the garlic in the landscape fabric, I lay down the drip line that will be used to water them in the spring.  I just don’t connect it to anything until springtime.  Once springtime arrives, I only water the garlic if it is extremely dry.  When the days are still short and temperatures are mild, they really don’t need water.  Once they really start growing, and the temperatures start to warm up, then I will start giving them about 1 inch of water per week.

Weeding

Even when growing in the fabric there will usually be a few weeds that will germinate in the holes in the landscape fabric.  I just take a few minutes and pull them out when they’re small, being careful not to pull up any garlic.  I usually only have to do this a couple of times before harvest time.

Harvesting Garlic Scapes

Garlic scapes are the flower bud portion of hard neck garlic.  They are a curly shoot that comes up from the middle stalk of the plant.  They have a mild garlic flavor and they should be harvested when they just start to make a full curl, before they open into a flower.  For a nice tender scape, harvest when still fairly small.  

To harvest the garlic scape, just break it off where it joins the plant, right above the highest set of leaves.  

Since we are most interested in harvesting a nice garlic bulb with good sized garlic cloves, we always make sure to pick off all the garlic scapes soon after they appear.  This encourages the plant to put all of the it’s energy into growing a large bulb.  If you do not harvest the garlic scapes, the bulb of garlic will be small and not as useful for cooking or re-planting.

Ways We Like To Use Garlic Scapes

• Simple And Easy Roasted Garlic Scape Recipe
• How To Make Garlic Scape Butter – Simple Recipe
• Pickled Garlic Scapes – Simple Canning Recipe
• Easy Garlic Scape Pesto Recipe
• Easy Creamy Garlic Chicken Pasta Recipe
• How To Make Dehydrated Garlic Scape Powder

Harvest The Garlic

Hard Neck Garlic

Three to four weeks after you harvest the garlic scapes, the bulbs will be ready to harvest.  You will know they are ready to harvest when the bottom four or five sets of leaves turns brown.  Pull up a couple and make sure they are the size you are wanting to harvest.  If so, pull up all the garlic.  I usually harvest my garlic the first week of July, depending on the year.

Soft Neck Garlic

Soft neck garlic grows similar to onions and will the stalks will fall over when it is ready to harvest.  Just pull up a few bulbs and make sure they are as big as you want them to be.  If so, pull all the garlic.

Curing

Cure your garlic by laying it out in a well ventilated dry place out of direct sunlight and away from any moisture.  I usually lay our garlic out to dry on a hay rack in our barn.  Dry it for a couple of weeks or until it is completely dry.  

Storage

You can cut the tops off the garlic, leaving a couple inches of stem for the hard neck varieties.  Store in a ventilated box in a cool dark place like a refrigerator, or a cool room.  If storing in the refrigerator, be sure to protect it from dehydration by putting it in a crisper drawer or other container.  

Garlic can be also braided before it’s completely dry when the stems are still slightly pliable.  Then it can be hung in the kitchen for decor or easy use.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where Can I Purchase Garlic For Planting?

You can purchase garlic from seed catalogs like Johnny’s Seeds, Berlin Seeds or from True Leaf Market.  

Can I just plant garlic from the grocery store?

Garlic from the grocery store has usually been treated with something to keep it from sprouting and to make it last longer.  You also have no idea what variety of garlic you are getting from the grocery store.  I suggest buying good quality seed stock your first year growing garlic, and then just save seed from the garlic you grow each year.  

How do you grow garlic from a clove?

Break garlic cloves away from the bulb, leaving their paper skin intact.  Plant garlic cloves 2 to 3 inches beneath the soil surface, making sure that the pointed end of the garlic clove is facing up.  You can cover it with a four to six inch layer of mulch like straw, grass clippings or leaves if you live in the far north.  This is optional, and I’ve had good results with and without mulch.  

How long does it take to grow garlic?

When planted in the fall, garlic takes about 9 months to grow.  However, it requires very little care which is one reason why I like growing it so much.  You can basically plant it and forget about it until it’s time to harvest the scapes and then the bulbs.  

What is the trick to growing garlic?

Garlic prefers a rich well drained loose soil and to be kept free from weeds.  As long as those two conditions are present, you will grow big beautiful garlic. 

Do I Peel Garlic Before Planting?

No, the paper like peelings on the garlic cloves help to protect them until they start to grow.  Just break the cloves away from the bulb, and plant them under 2 to 3 inches of soil.

When Is The Best Month To Plant Garlic?

When to plant garlic depends on where you live, but most generally it’s best to plant it in the fall during the months of October or November.  If you live in a warm climate, you can plant it as late as December.  As long as you plant it before the ground freezes, it will be just fine.

What Happens If You Plant A Whole Bulb Of Garlic?

If you plant a whole bulb of garlic, it would grow but would only grow lots of little bulbs of garlic and the cloves would be very small.

What Is The Best Fertilizer For Garlic?

If your soil is well amended, you shouldn’t need to add much fertilizer to your garlic.  You can spray organic biothrive mixed in water on your garlic once it starts to grow in the spring if you think your soil might be lacking some nutrients.

How Much Garlic Do You Get From One Plant?

This will depend on the variety you plant, but I typically get 4 to 5 large cloves on each bulb.

How Can You Tell When Garlic Is Ready To Harvest?

‘For hard neck garlic, the bulbs are ready to harvest when the bottom four or five sets of leaves turns brown.  For soft neck garlic, the stalks will fall over when it is ready to harvest.

What Kind Of Garlic Stores The Best?

Soft neck garlic generally stores better than hard neck garlic. 

Is Elephant Garlic Different Than Regular Garlic?

Yes, elephant garlic is different than regular garlic.  Elephant garlic is similar to leeks, and isn’t really a garlic.

What Is The Best Spacing For Garlic?

Garlic should be planted about 4 to 6” apart in row, with three rows 9 inches between rows in a 30” wide bed.     

What Is The Best Way To Water Garlic?

I like to water my garden using a drip irrigation system, but you can water it with a sprinkler as well.  Garlic likes about 1 inch of water per week.  If you reach your hand down into the soil and there is moisture several inches down, then they probably don’t need watered.  Making the roots grow deeper in search of water will create a healthier, more robust plant.  

Where To Plant Garlic In The Garden?

Garlic prefers to grow in full sun, in a loose, well-drained soil.  They prefer a soil PH of 6.0 to 7.0 but are widely adaptable and will grow almost anywhere.  

Garlic is a heavy feeder, so it grows best in a rich, well-amended soil.  It is best if the soil has good drainage and a lot of organic matter like compost in it as well.  To learn more about how I test my soil, click here.

Best Garlic Companion Plants Are: 

• Tomatoes
• Carrots
• Beets
• Spinach
• Strawberries
• Potatoes

Worst Garlic Companion Plants Are:

• Beans
• Peas
• Asparagus
• Sage
• Parsley

How Much Garlic Should I Plant?

It is a good idea to think of how many times per week you would eat garlic if you had it readily available.  We use it in so many meals, that I figure our family eats 4 or 5 garlic cloves per day on average.  We also use quite a bit of garlic during canning season for spaghetti sauce, pickles and canned vegetable soup.  You can usually count on getting 4 to 5 cloves of garlic per plant, so that would mean you would need to plant 365 garlic plants to last you a year.  However, you’ll also need 365 extra cloves (approximately 75) for use as seed for next years crop.  I suggest that you plant a 50 foot long 30 inch wide bed of garlic which should yield you about 450 bulbs, enough for a whole year.

How To Preserve Garlic?

If your garlic starts to get soft in storage, you can dice it up and dehydrate it at 170 degrees on a baking sheet in your oven, or for a few hours in a dehydrator.  Then you can blend it up to make your own garlic powder.  

You can also saute them for just a couple of minutes, and then freeze them in an airtight container for up to 6 months.  Sauteing them first will keep them from making everything in your freezer taste like garlic.  

You can also mince garlic or chop it finely and store it in a jar covered in olive oil in your refrigerator.

Shop This Post

• Landscape fabric, optional
• Propane torch – only if using landscape fabric
• Garlic Cloves – can be ordered different places, but I prefer True Leaf Market, Johnny’s Seeds or Berlin Seeds
• Drip Line

How To Plant Garlic In The Garden

Start by preparing the soil to make sure it’s loose. Add any soil amendments needed based on soil test recommendations.

Lay down your landscape fabric and burn holes in it for the garlic to grow in. (Optional)  If you’re not using landscape fabric, just mark out your rows using a stringline, and start planting.

Break garlic cloves away from the bulb, leaving their paper skin intact.  Plant garlic cloves 2 to 3 inches beneath the soil surface, making sure that the pointed end of the garlic clove is facing up.  You can cover it with a four to six inch layer of mulch like straw, grass clippings or leaves if you live in the far north.  This is optional, and I’ve had good results with and without mulch.  

Leave the garlic alone until it sprouts in the spring.

Water and Weed

When the garlic has sprouted, and the temperatures get warmer in the spring give it about 1 inch of water per week.  If it’s really hot,it might need more, but be careful not to overwater your garden.  Cultivate or weed once a week, and the weeds will be easy to keep up with.  If using the fabric, I typically only have to weed them about twice during the season.

Harvest Scapes

If you’re growing hard neck garlic, snap the garlic scapes off shortly after they form and when they are still tender.  This will encourage the garlic to put all their energy into bulb growth.  

Harvest Garlic Bulbs

For hard neck garlic, harvest by pulling it out of the ground after the bottom four to five leaves start to turn brown.

For soft neck garlic, harvest by pulling it out of the ground when the tops start to fall over and the bulbs are a decent size.

Cure

It is important to dry and cure your garlic so it will keep for a long time.  Lay it out in a well-ventilated spot out of direct sunlight and rain for a couple of weeks.  You can store them in mesh bags and hang them in your pantry, or you can braid them and hang them up.

And that’s all their is to know about growing garlic.  Garlic is one of the easiest crops to grow, and growing a lot of it gives you a greater sense of food security for the coming winter.  

I hope you try growing your own garlic, and let me know in the comments below which varieties you’re growing and any questions you may have.