Growing Garlic: A Guide to Success
Growing exceptional garlic begins long before planting day. The biggest harvests almost always start with the largest cloves from the largest bulbs. Large cloves contain more stored energy, giving your garlic the strongest possible start and the greatest potential to produce large, healthy bulbs.
Just as important is preparing your soil before planting. Garlic is a heavy feeder and benefits from fertile, well-drained soil rich in organic matter. Incorporate compost or a balanced fertilizer before planting to establish a strong nutritional foundation. Once spring arrives, garlic has only a few short months to produce all of its leaves and build its bulb before summer heat signals the end of its growing season.
Every weed-free week matters. Garlic does not compete well with weeds, and every weed that steals water, sunlight, or nutrients reduces the size of your final harvest. Staying ahead of weeds throughout the growing season is one of the simplest ways to grow larger bulbs.
The recommendations below provide an excellent starting point for most gardeners. However, every region has its own climate, soils, and growing conditions. Adjust planting dates and management practices as needed for your local environment.
1. Plant at the Right Time
Garlic is best planted in the fall, approximately six weeks before the ground freezes.
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Northern climates: typically mid-October.
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Warmer climates: later in the fall as temperatures cool.
Planting at the proper time allows roots to establish before winter dormancy, setting the stage for vigorous spring growth.
2. Prepare Your Soil
Garlic performs best in fertile, loose, well-drained soil.
Before planting:
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Work compost into the planting bed if needed.
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Apply a balanced all-purpose fertilizer or other soil amendments based on your soil conditions.
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Avoid planting in poorly drained areas where water can collect.
Healthy soil produces healthy garlic.
3. Prepare the Cloves
Separate each garlic bulb into individual cloves just before planting.
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Leave the papery skins intact.
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Select only the largest, healthiest cloves for planting.
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Use smaller cloves for cooking rather than planting.
4. Planting
Plant each clove:
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Pointed end facing up.
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Root plate facing down.
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Approximately 3 inches deep.
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Space cloves 6–9 inches apart.
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Space rows 12–18 inches apart for easy maintenance.
After covering the clove, the tip should sit approximately 1 inch below the soil surface.
5. Spring Care
Garlic begins emerging in early spring.
As soon as shoots appear:
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Apply a nitrogen-rich fertilizer to encourage vigorous leaf growth.
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Continue watering as needed.
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Stay ahead of weeds by removing them while they are small.
Garlic typically requires about 1 inch of water per week during active growth.
Stop fertilizing just before hardneck varieties begin producing scapes.
6. Weed Management
Weeds are one of the biggest enemies of large garlic.
Garlic simply does not compete well for sunlight, moisture, and nutrients.
Keeping beds weed-free throughout spring and early summer allows the plants to devote all their energy toward growing large bulbs.
7. Remove Scapes (Hardneck Varieties)
In early to mid-summer, hardneck garlic produces flower stalks called scapes.
Once the scape begins forming a curl:
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Cut or snap it off.
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Leave the leaves untouched.
Removing the scape redirects energy into bulb development and results in significantly larger garlic heads.
Best of all, scapes are delicious and can be grilled, sautéed, made into pesto, or used anywhere fresh garlic is enjoyed.
8. Watering Before Harvest
Continue watering throughout the growing season.
As harvest approaches:
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Reduce irrigation.
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Allow the soil to begin drying approximately 5–7 days before harvest.
Slightly drier soil improves curing conditions and reduces the chance of bulb rot.
9. Harvesting
For hardneck garlic, harvest is usually 3–4 weeks after scapes are removed.
Softneck varieties should be monitored by observing leaf dieback.
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Your garlic is generally ready when:
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4–5 green leaves remain.
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Approximately half of the lower leaves have yellowed and dried.
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Test bulbs show full shoulder development.
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Cloves are fully formed.
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Each remaining green leaf becomes one protective wrapper around the bulb. Harvesting while 4–5 green leaves remain provides the best balance of bulb size and storage quality.
If you're uncertain, harvest one test bulb every few days until the garlic reaches peak maturity.
10. Curing
Proper curing is essential for long-term storage.
After harvesting:
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Handle bulbs gently to avoid bruising.
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Leave roots and stems attached.
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Cure in a shaded location with excellent airflow.
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Keep bulbs completely out of direct sunlight.
Garlic is fully cured after approximately three weeks, when:
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Stems are completely dry.
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The neck contains little or no green tissue.
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Outer wrappers are dry and papery.
Once cured:
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Trim roots.
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Trim stems (unless braiding softneck garlic).
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Brush away loose dirt without removing too many protective wrappers.
11. Storage
Store fully cured garlic in:
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A cool location.
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A dry environment.
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An area with good air circulation.
Avoid storing garlic in plastic bags or in the refrigerator, as refrigeration can trigger sprouting.
When properly cured and stored, many garlic varieties will keep for several months, with some softneck varieties storing for nine months or longer.
Growing Outstanding Garlic
Growing outstanding garlic is simple when the fundamentals are followed: start with premium seed, plant the largest cloves, build healthy soil, control weeds, provide consistent moisture, remove scapes from hardneck varieties, and harvest at the proper time. Every season brings new lessons, and small improvements each year will reward you with healthier plants, larger bulbs, and a more abundant harvest.
At Billy's Garlic, we're proud to provide premium USDA Certified Organic seed garlic grown in the unique soils of Washington's Okanogan Valley. We hope this guide helps you enjoy a successful harvest for years to come. Happy planting!