Learn how to grow garlic in a backyard garden. Garlic is the set-it-and-forget-it plant of veggie gardens. It’s super simple to grow, and the results are rewarding and delicious. These step-by-step instructions will walk you through planting, caring for, harvesting, and storing your homegrown garlic.

One of the dreams I have for my daughter is for her to enjoy a simple life at home and have memories of walking out to her family garden and harvesting the food we eat for dinner.

We don’t live on a homestead or have acreage for an enormous garden. We live smack dab in the middle of the suburbs on 1/8 acre of land, including our house’s footprint.

But that hasn’t stopped us from growing our own food, especially low-maintenance, easy-to-store veggies like homegrown garlic.

Now, in full disclosure, I am writing this post when it’s a little late for some growing zones to plant garlic.

But over the weekend, here in southeastern North Carolina (zone 8), we planted our fall garlic crop, and it inspired me to share this with you.

After planting garlic with my three-year-old this weekend, I realized that the rewards and tradition of growing garlic at home are too sweet not to share.

These step-by-step instructions seem long. But remember, all of this happens over 8-10 months, and much of that time, the garlic is dormant. So just go one step at a time.

And once you grow garlic plants the first time, you’ll be a pro. It’s so simple.

Gardening tools and freshly harvest garlic

Why You’ll Love Growing Your Own Garlic

Homegrown Garlic Is Delicious

Like most foods grown at home, homegrown garlic is so much better than store-bought. I love to use it in the base for a fall harvest pizza or minced in homemade herb butter.

Garlic Is Super Easy to Grow

Garlic is one of the absolute easiest crops to grow.

There is an 8-10 month wait until the garlic is ready to harvest. But in that stretch of time, it is almost completely hands-off.

You plant it, water, it, and ignore it for months. It’s the set-it-and-forget-it plant of veggie gardens.

Garlic Can Grow in Various Types of Gardens

You can grow garlic in the ground, in raised beds, and in containers. So it’s accessible for just about any type of garden.

Just make sure you give the garlic enough space and sun to grow (get more of my top growing tips below).

Garlic Is Easy to Store

Not only is garlic incredibly easy to grow, but you don’t have to worry about preserving it. Once it cures, if stored properly, it can last 6-12 months.

You don’t need a homestead pantry or cellar. For example, I store mine in a basket in my kitchen pantry. So easy!

Growing Garlic Is an Heirloom Skill

Learning how to grow garlic is an heirloom skill that can be enjoyed and shared with the whole family. It can deepen your relationship with your family, home, cooking, and nature.

About the Photos

I felt inspired to write this post months after harvesting my garlic, so I don’t have any photos of my homegrown garlic.

The photos of harvested garlic are stock images that I will replace with my own when I pull mine next year (2025). The remainder are all my original images.

Types of Garlic to Plant

What type of garlic to plant in your backyard garden depends on your hardiness zone. So before you buy garlic to plant, make sure you know which varieties of garlic grow best in your area.

Here is a quick rundown of the three main types of garlic:

Hardneck Garlic

Now, in full disclosure, I have never grown hardneck garlic because I don’t live in the right hardiness zone. But if you live in a cooler climate, this is the right garlic for you!

Hardneck Garlic Characteristics & Varieties

Hardiness Zones: Hardneck garlic is ideal for zones 2-6.
Hard stems: As its name implies, hardneck garlic has a hard stem. This type of garlic can be braided, but it is more difficult than other varities.
Bulbs: Hardneck garlic usually produces a single layer of large cloves.
Flavor: Usually, hardneck garlic has a more robust flavor than softneck.
Delicious garlic scapes: Garlic scapes are a flower stalk that grows from hardneck garlic. Pruning them helps encourage a larger bulb, and garlic scapes are delicious fried in a little butter.

Hardneck varieties: Chesnok Red, German Extra Hardy, Romanian Red, Vietnamese Red, Spanish Roja, Georgia Crystal, Purple Stripe

Note: These are popular hardneck varieties, but there are many more to choose from.

Softneck Garlic

Softneck garlic is ideal for areas with temperate climates. Here in southeastern North Carolina, this is mostly what I grow.

Almost all grocery store garlic is softneck. So, if you are used to cooking with store-bought garlic, you are well acquainted with softneck garlic.

Softneck Garlic Characteristics & Varieties

Hardiness Zones: Softneck garlic is ideal for warmer climates, zones 8-12. If you are in zone 8 or above, check to make sure you are planting heat-tolerant softneck garlic.
Soft stems: As its name implies, softneck garlic has a soft stem that can be braided for a lovely farmhouse touch in any kitchen.
Bulbs: The bulbs tend to have large cloves on the outside with small cloves in the center.
Flavor: Softneck garlic has a mild taste compared to hardneck garlic.
No garlic scapes: Softneck garlic does not produce scapes, so you don’t have to worry about pruning them.

Softneck varieties: California White, Silverwhite, Inchelium Red, Early Italian, Nootka, Kettle River, and Red Toch.

Note: These are popular softneck varieties, but there are many more to choose from.

Elephant Garlic

Fun fact: Elephant garlic isn’t true garlic. Though it looks, smells, and tastes like garlic, it’s actually a member of the leek family.

Still, you can grow elephant garlic like any other garlic plant.

Elephant Garlic Characteristics & Varieties

Hardiness Zones: Elephant garlic is ideal for zones 3-9, so it has a wider tolerance for temperature.
Hard stems: Similar to hardneck garlic, elephant garlic has a hard stem.
Bulbs: Elephant garlic produces very large bulbs with 5-7 cloves.
Flavor: Elephant garlic has a mild garlic flavor.
Biennial: Technically, elephant garlic needs two growing seasons to complete its growing cycle. However, you can still cook with elephant garlic after one growing season.
Delicious garlic scapes: Elephant garlic produces scapes, a flower stalk that grows from hardneck garlic. Pruning them encourages a larger bulb. Pruned scapes make great pesto!

Elephant garlic varieties: Elephant garlic comes in only one variety.

The Best Time To Plant Garlic

Box store garden centers often sell garlic for planting in spring. However, this can cause confusion because the best time to plant garlic is usually in the fall.

In my location, the saying is, “Plant garlic on Halloween and harvest it on the Fourth of July.”

Now, that might not be totally accurate in all locations. But the gist of that saying is to plant it in the fall and harvest it in early summer or later.

In Northern climates: Plant your garlic in September or October.
In Southern climates: Plant in October-December.

Ideally, get your garlic in the ground 6-8 weeks before the first frost date. After planting, most varieties need at least 1-2 months of chill time below 40° F to encourage root growth.

Gardening tools and garlic bulbs in Rebecca's greenhouse

Tools You Will Need

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Garlic cloves: Plant garlic from a reputable supplier. Poor-quality garlic can introduce unwanted bacteria, pests, and diseases. I had a great experience with Keene Garlic. I do not recommend using store-bought garlic because it is not ideal for growing.
Trowel: I use the handle of a garden trowel to dig the holes. I just twist it into the ground to the right depth, and it’s the perfect size for a garlic clove.
Gardening gloves: Sometimes, I like to get my hands right in the dirt, and other times, I prefer to use gloves. I always recommend having a pair on hand.
A measuring tool: You will need something to help measure and space out the garlic. I used a 2″x6″ to approximate the measurements and mark a grid in the dirt (see pictures below).

Shop My Garden Shed

These are some my must-have tools for backyard gardening:

Tips for Successfully Growing Garlic

Choose well-draining soil: Garlic prefers well-draining soil with plenty of organic matter. If your soil has a lot of clay, consider growing it in a raised bed or containers.
Plant in a sunny spot: Garlic needs full sun or 6-8 hours of sun per day.
Give them space: Garlic needs room to grow, so don’t pack the cloves tightly. Also, pull any weeds in the garden bed.

How To Plant Garlic

Prepare and amend your soil with compost or manure.

In a spot that gets 6-8 hours of sun, mark where to plant the garlic with a measuring tape or tool.

I used a 2″x6″ to imprint vertical rows in the soil 6 inches apart.

Note: Check the spacing recommendation for your garlic variety. Most garlic varieties need 6″-12″ between plants and 12″ between rows for large bulb growth. Elephant garlic will need more.

Then, I used the 2″x6″ to mark horizontal rows 12 inches apart.

Where the lines intersect, dig a small hole about 2 inches deep.

Place one clove (not the whole bulb) pointy-side up in the hole.

Cover with dirt. Water thoroughly and cover the garden bed with 3-6 inches of mulch.

Watering Instructions

Garlic, especially overwintering, is very low-maintenance. That’s one of the reasons I love growing it.

Even though it doesn’t need a ton of TLC, you will need to make sure it gets the right amount of water, especially in fall and spring.

How To Water Homegrown Garlic

After planting: Make sure your newly planted garlic gets about an inch of water per week.
Overwinter: As winter approaches, there isn’t much need to water your garlic because it goes dormant.
Springtime: When the temps begin to warm up, resume your regular weekly watering.
Summer: Reduce the watering around June and harvest the garlic when the soil is completely dry. Harvesting wet garlic can cause the garlic to rot when curing.

Fertilizing Instructions

Garlic is a heavy feeder, so make sure you provide it with plenty of nutrients.

How To Fertilize Homegrown Garlic

Planting: Fertilize the soil when planting.
Spring: In the early spring, when the garlic sprouts, reapply fertilizer according to the packaging instructions.
Before Harvesting: Stop fertilizing the garlic 6 weeks before harvesting.

Best fertilizers for garlic: manure, bloodmeal, bonemeal, compost, balanced fertilizer (10-10-10)

How To Harvest Garlic

Harvesting garlic is simple! Just follow these tips at harvest time:

Harvesting Instructions

Look for brown leaves: Garlic is ready to harvest when the bottom two or three sets of leaves are brown and dry. This is usually in July, but it depends on your location and growing conditions.
Let the soil dry: Make sure the soil is dry before harvesting. Harvesting wet garlic can lead to mold during the curing process.
Dig the garlic: Dig, don’t pull! Loosen the soil with a towel or garden fork and lift the garlic out.
Brush the dirt off: Gently brush off as much dirt as possible. But don’t worry about getting it totally clean. Do not wash your garlic!

How To Dry Homegrown Garlic

You can eat garlic right out of the garden. But to store it for 6-12 months, it needs to be properly cured.

This part of the process seems intimidating, but it’s really easy and hands-off.

Drying Instructions

Clean up: Pull the lowest green leaf off of the bulb. This creates a nice clean bulb for curing.
Store: Find a cool, dry place to store your garlic. I cured mine on the bottom shelf of my pantry.
Ventilate: Make sure it has plenty of ventilation. It doesn’t necessarily have to be in a single layer. I plopped mine in a basket with plenty of holes for ventilation.
Wait: Let the garlic do its thing for 3 weeks or so until there is little or no green inside the stem.

How To Store Homegrown Garlic

Homegrown garlic can last up to a year if properly stored, which is why I love growing it.

Anything that lasts long and doesn’t need to be processed for long-term storage is welcome in my garden!

Storing Instructions

Tidy up: Trim off any excess leaves, stems, and roots.
Store: Place garlic in a ventilated container or basket. Even a brown paper bag will work.
Temperature: Keep your garlic in a cool or climate-controlled space with plenty of ventilation.
Air Flow: Try to store your garlic where it doesn’t get too much airflow (like under an air-conditioning vent).

How To Grow Garlic in Containers

Growing garlic in containers is a great option for a small yard or a patio garden. In fact, last year, I grew my garlic in a raised container on my back patio, and it worked great.

The planting, watering, and fertilizing instructions are the same when growing garlic in containers.

Just make sure you are using containers large enough to grow garlic in. They need to be at least 6 inches deep and plenty of holes for good drainage. The width will depend on how many cloves you want to plant.

Do not use potting soil to grow garlic in containers. It holds too much moisture and may yield rotten garlic, which would be a total bum!

Pests & Diseases

Garlic is a great repellent for many garden pests. However, a few obnoxious critters prey on garlic: bulb mites, leafminers, garlic bloat nematodes, onion maggots, and thrips.

The best way to treat garlic for pest pressure is to rotate your crops (don’t plant in the same place two years in a row), mulch your garden beds, and ensure that your soil is well-draining.

Video – My Backyard Fall Garden

Check out my Fall 2024 garden update on YouTube! I’m sharing my gardening mistakes, tips, and more!

Don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel. New videos come out weekly!

FAQs

Can you plant store-bought garlic?

No, store-bought garlic is not bred for gardening and may introduce unwanted bacteria and disease to your garden.

How long does homegrown garlic take to grow?

Garlic has a long growing season. It takes 8-10 months to grow, but most of that time is totally hands-off.

What is the biggest mistake when growing garlic?

The biggest mistake many gardeners make when growing garlic is planting too closely. Garlic bulbs need room to grow.

Most garlic varieties need 6″-12″ between plants and 12″ between rows for large bulb growth. Elephant garlic will need more.

Last year, I grew my garlic closer than the recommendations. And though all of my plants bulbed, some were small.

Should I peel the garlic before planting it?

There are mixed opinions about peeling garlic before planting. But generally, it isn’t necessary. I do not peel my garlic before planting, and it’s worked totally fine!

Can garlic be planted too deep?

Planting your garlic too deep can cause it to waste energy trying to sprout above the surface. Also, since garlic bulbs grow down, they need space below the surface. So, try to stick with planting 2″-3″ deep.

How much homegrown garlic can you get from one bulb?

Each clove of garlic produces one bulb. So if you break apart one bulb with 12 individual cloves that you plant, you will end up with 12 new garlic bulbs when harvesting.

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How To Grow Garlic

Yield: 1 garlic harvest

Planting Time: 1 hour

Growing Time: 8 months

Curing Time: 21 days

Total Time: 8 months 21 days 1 hour

Difficulty: Beginner

Learn how to grow garlic in a backyard garden. Garlic is one of the easiest crops to grow at home. These step-by-step instructions will walk you through planting, caring for, harvesting, and storing your homegrown garlic.

Tools

Garlic cloves (from a garden supplier, not-store bought garlic)
Trowel
Gardening gloves
Measuring tool (anything that can help you visually space where to plant)

Instructions

Planting Instructions

Prepare and amend your soil with compost or manure.

In a spot that gets 6-8 hours of sun, mark where to plant the garlic with a measuring tape or tool. Check the spacing recommendation for your garlic variety. Most garlic varieties need 6"-12" between plants and 12" between rows for large bulb growth. Elephant garlic will need more.

I used a 2"x6" to imprint vertical rows in the soil 6" apart.

Then, I used the 2"x6" to mark horizontal rows 12" apart.

Where the lines intersect, dig a small hole about 2" deep.

Place one clove (not the whole bulb) pointy-side up in the hole.

Watering Instructions

After planting: Make sure your newly planted garlic gets about an inch of water per week.
Overwinter: As winter approaches, there isn't much need to water your garlic because it goes dormant.
Springtime: When the temps begin to warm up, resume your regular weekly watering.
Summer: Reduce the watering around June and harvest the garlic when the soil is completely dry. Harvesting wet garlic can cause the garlic to rot when curing.

Fertilizing Instructions

Planting: Fertilize the soil when planting.
Spring: In the spring, when the garlic sprouts, reapply fertilizer according to the packaging instructions.
Before Harvesting: Stop fertilizing the garlic 6 weeks before harvesting.