How to Plant Garlic? Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners and Intermediates

Introduction: Why grow garlic at home

Want restaurant-quality garlic in your kitchen? Wondering how to plant garlic? It is easier than most gardeners expect, and the payoff is huge: big flavor, lower grocery bills, and bulbs that store for months.

A single clove turns into one full bulb, so 10 cloves will give you roughly 8 to 10 bulbs by season end depending on variety. Growing garlic also lets you choose hardneck or softneck types, grow organic, and harvest unique heirloom flavors not found in stores.

Read on and you will learn when to plant, how to prepare soil, spacing and mulching tips, watering and feeding, plus harvesting, curing and storage. Practical, step by step, and ready for your first bed.

What to know before you plant garlic

Thinking about how to plant garlic? Pick a sunny site with well-drained soil rich in compost. Plant cloves pointy end up, about 2 inches deep and 3 to 4 inches apart; mulch for winter. Most gardeners plant in fall, about 4 to 6 weeks before first hard frost. Choose hardneck for cold climates and bold flavor with scapes, choose softneck for milder climates and longer storage. Expect one bulb per clove, bulbs usually have 4 to 12 cloves, and a 10-foot row typically yields 30 to 50 bulbs.

Choosing garlic varieties and sourcing healthy cloves

Wondering how to plant garlic? Start by picking the right variety for your climate. Hardneck types like Music, Porcelain and Rocambole thrive in cold winters, produce garlic scapes and bold flavor, and perform best in USDA zones 3 to 7. Softneck types such as Silverskin and Artichoke prefer milder winters, store longer and suit zones 7 to 10. Elephant garlic is a different species, milder and larger, not true garlic.

Buy disease-free seed stock from cooperative extension lists, reputable catalogs (Johnny’s, Territorial Seed, Seed Savers) or local garlic growers. Avoid supermarket bulbs; inspect cloves for firm, papery skin, no mold and no green sprouts before planting.

When and where to plant garlic

Want to know how to plant garlic? The best time is fall, about 4 to 6 weeks before the first hard freeze, in many US regions that means September to October; in colder climates plant earlier. In mild winter areas you can plant later or even in late winter for spring growth, but bulbs planted in fall produce larger heads. Choose a sunny spot with at least six hours of sun, well-drained soil, and no low spots where water pools; raised beds or slopes work great.

Preparing soil and beds for big garlic bulbs

How to plant garlic? Start with a soil test, home kit or county extension. Aim for pH 6.0 to 7.0. If acidic add lime months before planting; if above 7 use elemental sulfur per label.

Work 2 to 3 inches of compost into the top 8 inches of soil. For a 4×8 bed that is about two wheelbarrows. Garlic needs loose, nutrient rich soil, so avoid fresh manure.

If drainage or clay are problems build raised beds 8 to 12 inches tall filled with well-drained mix. Proper bed prep is the single biggest factor for big garlic bulbs.

Step-by-step planting guide

Want a foolproof answer to how to plant garlic? Follow these exact steps.

1. Separate cloves the day you plant, not weeks earlier. Leave the papery skin on each clove, and keep the largest cloves for planting, discard any soft or damaged ones.
2. Pick a sunny, well-drained bed. Work in compost so soil is loose and crumbly.
3. Plant each clove pointed end up, flat end down. Position the tip about 2 inches below the soil surface.
4. Space cloves 4 to 6 inches apart in the row, with rows 12 to 18 inches apart for easy weeding and airflow. For smaller garden beds, use 6 inches between rows.
5. After planting, firm soil gently, water once, then add 2 to 4 inches of mulch like straw to suppress weeds and protect over winter.
6. Label the row with variety and date so you track maturity and harvest timing.

Watering, mulching and season care

Watering matters more than most beginners expect. If you searched "how to plant garlic?" start by keeping soil evenly moist, about 1 inch of water per week while shoots are growing; increase to 1.5 inches in hot, dry spells. Water deeply once or twice a week rather than frequent shallow sprays, and stop regular irrigation about two weeks before harvest to let skins dry.

Best mulches include 3 to 4 inches of straw, shredded leaves, or well-aged compost, which conserve moisture and suppress weeds. Seasonal care: remove scapes in late spring for bigger cloves, thin weeds regularly, side dress with compost or balanced fertilizer in early spring, and pull back excess mulch when soil warms.

Fertilizing and feeding for bigger bulbs

When shoots reach 4 to 6 inches, side dress with nitrogen to push leaf growth, repeat once 3 to 4 weeks later, and stop feeding when bulbs start to swell. Garlic needs nitrogen for foliage, phosphorus for roots, and potassium for bulb size. At planting add bone meal or a starter fertilizer for phosphorus. Organic options: compost, fish emulsion every 7 to 10 days, or a light sprinkle of blood meal. Synthetic options: a balanced granular fertilizer at planting, then a high nitrogen top dress in spring.

Pests, diseases and prevention

When learning how to plant garlic, plan for pest defense from day one. Onion thrips cause silver streaks on leaves; use reflective mulch, insecticidal soap or spinosad, and remove heavily damaged plants. White rot is soil-borne and persistent; prevent it by planting certified disease-free cloves, rotating garlic and onion beds for four years, and discarding infected bulbs away from the garden. Rust shows orange pustules; improve air flow, avoid overhead watering, and apply copper sprays at first sign. Always sanitize tools and remove crop debris.

When and how to harvest, cure and store garlic

Watch the leaves, not the calendar. When the bottom 3 to 4 leaves turn brown and the top leaves are still green, bulbs are mature. Stop watering 7 to 10 days before harvest so soil firms up.

Harvest gently, using a fork to loosen soil well outside the bulb circle, then lift each bulb by the base of the bulb, not by the stem. Brush off excess dirt, do not wash.

Cure garlic in a dry, airy, shaded spot for 2 to 4 weeks, until necks are papery and outer skins cling. Hang braids, lay on racks, or use mesh bags. For softneck, trim stems to 1 inch, for hardneck leave 2 inches. Trim roots short.

Store cured bulbs in a cool, dark place at about 32 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit, 60 to 70 percent humidity, in breathable containers. Use any soft or damaged bulbs first.

Troubleshooting common problems

Yellow leaves, small bulbs, soft necks, here is a quick diagnostic fix list. Yellowing early, check water, poor drainage or overwatering; remedy: lift, improve well-drained soil, cut irrigation, feed with compost tea. Small bulbs often mean crowded or shallow planting, weak cloves, or low fertility; plant large cloves 2 to 3 inches deep, 6 inches apart, add compost and bone meal. Soft necks at harvest suggest disease or poor curing; rotate crops, remove rotten plants, cure bulbs 10 to 14 days in dry, ventilated shade.

Companion planting and crop rotation tips

How to plant garlic? Pair bulbs with carrots, beets, tomatoes and brassicas to repel pests. Avoid planting near beans and peas and keep garlic away from other Allium crops like onions. Rotate beds so you don’t plant Alliums in the same spot for at least three years, four years if rust or rot appeared, and seven years for white rot.

Conclusion and next steps

Plant firm cloves upright, 2 inches deep and 4 to 6 inches apart, plant in fall, mulch, water to settle soil, feed in spring, harvest when leaves brown. Seasonal checklist: 1. Fall: plant and mulch. 2. Winter: minimal water. 3. Spring: side-dress and remove scapes. 4. Summer: harvest and cure. Try experiments with curing methods, companion planting, or softneck versus hardneck varieties to master how to plant garlic?