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When to plant garlic

Onion family, Allium sativum

Spacing
6″ apart
Per sq ft
4
To harvest
240–270 days
Frost
Hardy

Companion plants for garlic

What to grow next to garlic, what to keep away, and what is only tradition. Every pairing says how strong the evidence is.

Grow together 3

Helps, or shares the bed well.

  • Beet Practical Both are compact and slow; they share a bed without crowding.

    Beet guide

  • Lettuce Practical Slim onion foliage casts little shade, so low crops grow between the rows.

    Lettuce guide

  • Carrot Practical Slim onion foliage casts little shade, so low crops grow between the rows.

    Carrot guide

Tradition only 6

On many charts, with little or no evidence.

  • Tomato Tradition Said to help Often said to repel pests by smell. Field research has not shown aromatic plants repel garden pests; they simply fit in the gaps.

    Source: Gardening with Companion Plants (EM128E), Linda Chalker-Scott, Washington State University Extension, 2023. Tomato guide

  • Cherry tomato Tradition Said to help Often said to repel pests by smell. Field research has not shown aromatic plants repel garden pests; they simply fit in the gaps.

    Source: Gardening with Companion Plants (EM128E), Linda Chalker-Scott, Washington State University Extension, 2023. Cherry tomato guide

  • Strawberry Tradition Said to help Said to protect strawberries from pests. No good evidence.

    Strawberry guide

  • Bush bean Tradition Said to harm Onions and garlic are widely said to stunt beans. No study we know of shows this; it may be worth a trial in your own garden.

    Bush bean guide

  • Pole bean Tradition Said to harm Onions and garlic are widely said to stunt beans. No study we know of shows this; it may be worth a trial in your own garden.

    Pole bean guide

  • Pea Tradition Said to harm Said to stunt peas. Little evidence.

    Pea guide

Studied Field or lab research shows an effect, at least under some conditions.
Mixed Some studies find an effect, others don’t, or it only works in a narrow way.
Practical Explained by light, space, timing, support or a shared pest or disease.
Tradition Widely repeated, but with little or no evidence behind it.

See every pairing side by side in the companion planting chart, or try them in a bed with the garden planner.

When to plant garlic by city

Plant garlic cloves up to 4 weeks before your first fall frost. Here is what that means for 2027 in cities across the US, using each city’s average frost dates (NOAA 1991–2020). Pick the city with the climate most like yours, or enter your ZIP code above.

City Last frost Plant
Seattle, WA (9a) Mar 13 Oct 20 – Nov 17
Portland, OR (8b) Feb 25 Nov 3 – Dec 1
Sacramento, CA (9b) Jan 12 Nov 18 – Dec 16
Phoenix, AZ (10a) Jan 5 Dec 6 – Jan 3
Salt Lake City, UT (7b) Mar 31 Oct 11 – Nov 8
Denver, CO (6a) Apr 30 Sep 14 – Oct 12
Dallas, TX (8b) Mar 2 Nov 1–29
Minneapolis, MN (5a) Apr 23 Sep 18 – Oct 16
Kansas City, MO (6b) Apr 4 Oct 5 – Nov 2
Chicago, IL (6b) Apr 10 Oct 8 – Nov 5
Columbus, OH (6b) Apr 20 Sep 26 – Oct 24
Nashville, TN (7b) Apr 1 Oct 3–31
Atlanta, GA (8a) Mar 24 Oct 11 – Nov 8
Raleigh, NC (8a) Mar 28 Oct 11 – Nov 8
Philadelphia, PA (7b) Mar 30 Oct 20 – Nov 17
Boston, MA (7a) Apr 4 Oct 12 – Nov 9

In frost-free parts of Florida, southern California and the Gulf Coast, timing is about heat instead: grow garlic from fall through winter.

Garlic spacing

In a square-foot bed, plant 4 per square foot. In traditional rows, space plants about 6 inches apart with 12 inches between rows.

Plant cloves in fall around your first frost; harvest the next summer.

One square foot planted with garlic, as drawn in the planner.

How to grow garlic

Garlic is planted in fall and harvested the following summer, so it occupies a bed for most of a year but needs little attention. It is very cold hardy and one of the easiest crops to grow well, especially for northern gardeners.

Sun and soil

Full sun and loose, well-drained soil rich in organic matter, pH about 6.0–7.0. Heavy, wet soil causes rot over winter; use a raised bed if drainage is poor.

Planting

  1. Buy seed garlic from a garden supplier rather than grocery garlic, which may not suit your climate.
  2. Plant in mid-fall, in the weeks leading up to your first frost, so roots grow before the ground freezes. Soil should be 40°F or warmer.
  3. Break bulbs into cloves just before planting. Set the largest cloves pointed end up, about 2 inches deep (up to 3 inches in cold-winter areas).
  4. Space cloves 6 inches apart in rows 12 inches apart.

Care

  • After the ground cools in late fall, mulch with 4–6 inches of straw to protect cloves over winter.
  • Side-dress with nitrogen in early spring as growth resumes. Keep the bed weeded, especially in spring.
  • On hardneck types, cut off the curling flower stalks (scapes) in early summer so the plant puts energy into the bulb. Scapes are edible.
  • Water in spring if dry, then stop watering when leaves begin to yellow.

Harvest

Harvest in early to midsummer when the lower leaves have browned but several upper leaves are still green. Dig with a fork rather than pulling. Cure bulbs in a warm, shaded, airy place for 2–3 weeks, then trim and store cool and dry. Save the biggest bulbs for replanting.

Common problems

  • Bulb rot: Soft, decaying bulbs in wet soil. Plant in well-drained ground, rotate alliums, and plant only firm, healthy cloves.
  • Small bulbs: From late planting, weed competition, small cloves or leaving scapes on. Plant on time and keep beds weeded.
  • Thrips and onion maggot: Silvery leaves or maggots in bulbs. Rotate alliums yearly and spray thrips off with water.

Varieties to try

  • 'Music' — hardneck porcelain, large cloves, very cold hardy
  • 'German Extra Hardy' — hardneck, strong flavor, good for the North
  • 'Inchelium Red' — softneck, mild, stores well and braids easily

Crop rotation

Garlic belong to the onion family (Amaryllidaceae). Onion maggot and white rot persist. Rotate for 3–4 years. Relatives that count as the same family for rotation: onion, leek, chives, green onion.

Frequently asked questions

When should I plant garlic?
Plant garlic cloves up to 4 weeks before your first fall frost. Type your ZIP code above for exact dates, or see the city table.
What grows well with garlic?
Good neighbors for garlic include beet, lettuce and carrot. Each one is listed above with the reason and how strong the evidence is.
How far apart should I plant garlic?
In rows, space garlic about 6 inches apart with rows 12 inches apart. In a square-foot bed, plant 4 per square foot.
How long do garlic take to grow?
About 240–270 days from sowing to first harvest, depending on the variety and the weather.
Can garlic handle frost?
Yes. Garlic handle frost well and are planted before the last frost in spring and again for a fall harvest.

Sources

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