How To Plant, Grow, And Harvest Garlic - The Old Farmer's Almanac

Who knew something so small: a single garlic clove—could grow into a powerhouse bulb packed with flavor? Growing garlic is fun, simple, and a little magical. Plant your cloves in fall, and by summer, you’ll be harvesting your own fresh “stinking rose” to spice up any dish. Learn all about planting, growing, and harvesting garlic and garlic scapes.

A nickel will get you on the subway, but garlic will get you a seat.–Yiddish proverb

Planting Garlic—From a Clove

Yes, garlic is planted from a single clove, often from the past season’s garlic harvest! Each clove will grow into a new bulb.

While garlic can be planted in early spring, however, it’s more common to plant in late fall after a hard frost to give garlic plants a head start on spring growth. Why? Garlic needs a cold period to grow—about ten weeks before 45°F (or 8°C). If you live in a warmer climate, you can also put the garlic in a paper bag in the back of the fridge for 10 weeks to mimic the outdoors.

The bulbs are generally ready to harvest the following summer. But you can also enjoy the garlic leaves or “scapes,” which appear in early spring. They’re delicious stir-fried or in salads.

In addition to its intense flavor and many culinary uses, the “stinking rose” also serves as an insect repellent in the garden and has been used as a home remedy for centuries.

Can You Plant Store-Bought Garlic?

We do not recommend this. Most grocery store garlic heads have been treated. Plus, most commercial garlic comes from large-scale farming areas with mild climates (such as California), so the garlic may not be suited for growing in your climate and may carry pests or diseases with it as well.

If you want big bulbs, use “seed” garlic from a local nursery, farmer’s market, or online seed supplier. Or, keep some of your best heads of garlic from your harvest to replant! But before you plant garlic, make sure you know the difference between the two main types of garlic: hardneck and softneck garlic—and which type will grow best in your climate. See Recommended Varieties below.