What to do now
Mildest step first.
- Push a trowel into the bed. If it goes in and the soil crumbles, plant this week rather than waiting for a better day.
- Set the largest cloves pointed end up, about 2 inches deep.
- Once the ground freezes, cover the bed with 4 to 6 inches of straw or shredded leaves so freezing and thawing don't push the cloves up.
- If the ground is already frozen, keep the bulbs in a cool, dry room and plant as soon as the soil can be worked in spring.
Not sure this is it? Check other garlic problems
How late is too late?
Garlic goes in during fall so the cloves can grow roots before the ground freezes and then sit through the winter cold they need to divide into a full head. Extension guides time it in two ways. Counting from frost, the University of Minnesota and Cornell suggest planting about 1 to 2 weeks after the first killing frost. Counting back from the freeze, Penn State suggests about 3 weeks before the ground freezes, Nebraska 4 to 6 weeks, and Illinois 4 to 8 weeks across its two guides. Iowa State gives a calendar window instead: October to early November. If your first hard frost was recent and you can still dig the soil, you are likely inside, or close to, most of those windows.
What late planting costs
Late cloves still grow, but they have less time to root. Nebraska warns that garlic planted too late makes too little root growth before the soil freezes, which delays growth in spring, and its guide favors early- to mid-October planting there. Cornell notes that freezing and thawing can push garlic to the surface, which is more of a risk for cloves with few roots. A late planting tends to mean somewhat smaller bulbs. Waiting for the weather to cool further doesn't help: the University of Minnesota's vegetable team advised gardeners in a warm, late fall to stick to the usual schedule and plant soon.
If the ground has frozen
If the soil has frozen, don't try to break it open. A mild spell that thaws the bed is still a chance to plant; otherwise, plan on spring. Nebraska and Iowa State both say garlic can be planted very early in spring, as soon as the ground can be worked. Expect a smaller harvest. University of Maryland explains that spring plantings make smaller bulbs because cloves need about two months at 32 to 50°F, and Iowa State notes that late spring planting is one cause of rounds, single bulbs that never divide into cloves. Not every source thinks spring planting is worth it: Wisconsin's grower guide and the University of Georgia advise against it.
Storing cloves until you plant
Sources disagree on how to hold cloves until you plant. Illinois suggests refrigerating cloves for about 8 weeks before a spring planting to meet the chilling requirement. Oregon State advises against refrigerating seed garlic: cloves held cold bulb quickly once planted in spring and make small bulbs. It suggests storing seed garlic at about 50°F and notes that cloves sprout fastest at 40 to 50°F, so they shouldn't sit at that range for long. For a fall planting, a cool, dry room is the safe choice. Chilling in the refrigerator is mostly suggested for spring planting or for warm-winter areas.
Warm-winter areas
Where winters are mild, garlic goes in later, and the question is cold, not frozen ground. The University of Georgia plants from late September through November, NC State from late October into November and possibly December in the warmest areas, and Texas A&M in Austin from mid-October through early December. UC notes that California Early types are planted in November and California Late in December. Softneck garlic generally does better in the South; NC State notes that softnecks don't have the cold requirement of hardnecks. For hardnecks in warm areas, Texas A&M suggests refrigerating the bulbs for a few weeks before planting.
Depth and mulch
Plant single cloves, pointed end up. Depth advice ranges from 1 to 2 inches in Texas to 2 to 3 inches in Minnesota and at Cornell; Penn State suggests at least 2 inches. Where winters are cold, mulch matters more for a late planting. Most northern guides suggest a layer of straw or shredded leaves, often 4 to 6 inches, once the ground has frozen, to keep freezing and thawing from heaving the cloves. Some, like Penn State and Cornell, mulch at planting or a few weeks after. In early spring, move the straw between the rows so the shoots can come through. A few green leaves before winter are usually fine.
Growing it again? When to plant garlic for your ZIP code
- My garlic sprouted in fall. Is that OK?Usually, yes. Garlic that sends up a few inches of green before winter tends to come through fine; the leaves may brown in hard cold, but the clove underground usually regrows in spring. Leave the shoots alone and mulch once the ground freezes.
- Why is my garlic so small?Small garlic most often comes from spring or late planting, small cloves, or leaving scapes on hardneck types. Plant the biggest cloves in fall, a couple of weeks after your first frost.
- How do I know when to harvest garlic?Harvest garlic when roughly the lower third to half of the leaves have turned brown and dried while the upper leaves are still green — by then the bulbs have usually filled out and still have intact wrappers.
- What vegetables can I still plant in fall?Count back from your first fall frost: radishes and arugula need about 6 weeks, lettuce and spinach 7 to 8, roots and fall cabbage-family crops 10 weeks or more. Garlic goes in around the first frost.
- Why are my garlic leaves turning yellow?Yellow lower leaves close to harvest are normal maturity. In spring, pale plants with yellow tips usually need nitrogen or better drainage. Orange spots mean rust; rotten bases or poor roots point to rot, bulb mites or nematodes.
- How do I put the vegetable garden to bed for winter?Pull and throw out plants that had disease or pests, compost the healthy ones, and leave flower stems standing for bees and birds. Then cover bare soil with leaves, straw or a cover crop, take a soil test if it's due, and clean and oil your tools before they go away for winter.