How to plant fall garlic

If you use a lot of garlic in your cooking, planting and harvesting your own bulbs will save you money. It is often one of the first crops to emerge in the spring when the gardens are just waking up from a long winter’s nap. Growing garlic is not only easy, but with practice, it can also be extremely rewarding at harvest time. In today’s blog post, we walk you through the steps you can take now to create your very own fall garlic bed. These tips will set you on the path to having an abundant harvest next year.

Why plant garlic in the fall?

Although garlic can be planted in the spring, many gardeners prefer to plant their garlic in the fall. Legend has it that planting garlic in the fall produces a stronger flavour, bigger bulbs, and allows for better long-term storage. Much like our fall planted onions, this certainly seems to be the case here at Bluenose Blooms. Another advantage of planting your garlic in the fall is that it will generate the necessary energy over the fall and winter that it needs to grow into a healthy summer harvest next season.

When is the best time to plant garlic in the fall?

The best time to plant your garlic in the fall is after the fall equinox. Depending on your location, this could be the end of September or into October. You don’t want to plant your garlic too early. If planted too early, the long days of summer will cause it to prematurely begin to sprout. It could also put on too much growth going into the fall and winter.

If you are growing in a northern climate, the best time to get your garlic planted is two weeks before your first scheduled frost date in the fall. Aim to plant before the ground freezes. If you are growing in a more southerly growing zone, you can safely plant your garlic in October, November, December, and sometimes, into January.

Hardneck vs. softneck: Choosing the right variety for your growing zone

Hardneck varieties of garlic are best suited for growing in colder, northern climates. They grow with a long flowering stem called a scape. Scapes should be removed in early summer. This allows the garlic to continue to use its energy to produce beautiful bulbs underground.

Although best suited for growing in colder climates, the storage life of hardneck garlic will be shorter than its softneck cousins. Typical storage time for hardneck garlic will be between 4-6 months from harvest. Hardneck garlic does have fewer cloves per bulb, but the individual cloves are often bigger. Some would say, also more flavourful than softneck garlic.

By contrast, softneck varieties are best suited for gardeners in warmer, more southerly growing zones. They are not generally as cold hardy as their hardneck counterparts. Softneck garlic prefers warmer growing conditions. Softneck garlic stores very well. It will be a favourite of gardeners looking to have garlic on hand for many of their prized recipes. Each bulb will have many cloves. Their ‘soft’ necks make them easy to braid together to dry out and store.

Both hardneck and softneck garlic come in different varieties. Each variety has different characteristics and flavour profiles. Whether it’s hardneck or softneck garlic, try planting at least three different varieties. This way, if one crop doesn’t do so well, you will have a solid back up plan.

How to plant garlic in the fall: A step-by-step guide

Once you have decided on the varieties of garlic that you want to plant in your garden, now comes the heavy lifting. The first step will be to separate out the garlic cloves from the main bulb. To avoid them drying out, do not separate them until you are ready. Aim for no more than 48 hours before you are going to plant your garlic. You want to leave the peels intact on the individual cloves. Once you have the cloves prepared, place them pointy side up at a depth of about 2-4 inches. Leave 6-8 inches between each clove.

For those in colder climates, planting closer to 4 inches deep will help to provide added protection over winter. You can also use straw as a mulch. The mulch will help keep the weeds down and give your garlic the head start that it needs to put on growth in the spring. As the ground starts to thaw in the spring, you will see tiny shoots emerging from the mulch. You will know that your harvest is on its way soon in late summer.

Final thoughts how to grow garlic

Having a successful harvest of garlic just takes a bit of elbow grease and some time and care. If you’re new to growing garlic, the fall is the perfect time to get started. If you’ve always wanted to plant some and didn’t know how, the tips in today’s blog post will set you well on your way to having a bountiful summer harvest next year.

Until next time gardening friends, give growing garlic a try in your own garden this year. You might be surprised at how easy it is to grow and how successful you will be at harvesting your own garlic right at home! For more helpful tips on planting garlic, be sure to check out our fall garlic growing guide on our Facebook and Instagram pages.