How to Plant Garlic in the Fall and Harvest in Spring

Garlic is a versatile plant that is used in many different types of dishes.  Not only is it delicious, it is also easy to grow, and is one of the first things to poke up green shoots after the long winter months.  I love to grow garlic and this article will share how to plant garlic in the fall, and it’s even beneficial to grow between other plants as a companion plant.

How to Plant Garlic in the Fall

Plant garlic in mid-fall when you would plant other flower bulbs.  We plant in mid October here in Upstate NY.  Select good quality bulbs that have not been treated.  Break the bulb into individual cloves – each of these cloves will become it’s own head of garlic. 

Choose a site for your garlic that has good sun (6+ hours in the spring and early summer).  Since you are planting these in the fall for a spring harvest, you will want to consider your entire plan for your backyard vegetable garden.

Plant the garlic cloves 6-8 inches apart with the tip of the clove about 2 inches below the surface of the soil.  Once small shoots form cover them with a straw mulch for the winter.

In the spring, clear off the mulch.  If the spring is dry you should water to keep the garlic from drying out.  You will start to see small shoot pop up in early spring.  The shoots will continue to grow throughout the spring and hard neck garlic will produce a garlic scape in late spring and be ready for harvest soon after.

Types of Garlic

There are many different varieties of garlic but they are generally divided into two different categories: soft neck and hard neck.  Soft necks have a soft floppy stem that die completely back, while hard neck garlic has a long hard stem that end in a scape with a flower.  In general soft neck garlic grows best in warmer climates and hard neck garlic thrives where there is a cold winter.  We’ve only grown hard garlic and love the strong garlic taste and large sized bulbs.

Garlic Scapes

 One of the best things about growing hard neck garlic is the garlic scapes that are produced in the late spring/early summer.  The scapes are the the stem and the flower that comes out of the garlic and curls .  Before the flower blooms, cut off the garlic scape.  This keeps the energy going towards the garlic and the scapes can be used on their own as flavoring.  Cut the scapes when they are around 5 inches long and still tender.  You can use scapes in the ways you typically use garlic (they have a slightly more mild flavor).  Try grilling them, sautéing them, adding them to soups, or my favorite: making pesto.

Garlic Scape Pesto

 I like to think of pesto as a basic, variable recipe.  You can increase or decrease the amounts of different ingredients depending on your own taste.  Typical pesto is made with basil, but garlic scape pesto uses a small amount of basil and is a great addition to pasta, as a spread on bread and more.  I’ve also made this without any basil and just the garlic scapes and used it to mix into other recipes.

Here are the basic amounts I use:

• 4 garlic scapes 
• 1/2 cup of Parmesan
• 1 large bunch of basil
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1/4 cup pine nuts (or walnuts)

Put all the ingredients in a food processor and chop it well.  

Harvesting Garlic

Deciding when to harvest garlic is tricky since you can’t see what’s happening down where the bulbs are growing.  Instead, use the leaves as an indicator of the state of the garlic bulb.  You want to harvest hard neck garlic when several of the lower leaves have died, but the upper leaves are still green.  This ensures that the bulbs aren’t overripe and split, while still maintaining some wrappers on the head.  The number of green leaves indicates the number of layers on the garlic.  I usually pull up a few bulbs to assess their size.

You can harvest soft neck garlic when it starts to die and fall over.

To harvest the garlic, dig down near the garlic and loosen the soil with a shovel or rake.  Try not to damage the bulb or pull it up without loosening the soil.  It is easiest to do this if it’s been dry for a while.  Lay the garlic out to cure as is for 4-8 weeks in a well circulated, shady location.  Once it is cured, cut off the stalk and the roots, brush off the dirt, and store in a cool, dark area with some circulation (such as in a mesh bag).

Using this method we’ve easily kept garlic for up to a year although it will be softer and you should occasionally look through your garlic for soft or sprouting garlic.  Make sure you save a few bulbs to replant next year’s harvest.  With a little planning you should be able to start with a few garlic bulbs and grow your own garlic for years.

Learn more about how to plant garlic in the fall: