Garden Tempo

Garlic planting guide

When to plant garlic

Choose a local fall plan instead of one U.S.-wide month. Minnesota Extension uses 1–2 weeks after the first killing frost; Illinois Extension uses 4–6 weeks before the ground freezes. Those are different climate cues, so use an Extension source that covers your state before picking a day.

Start with your local cold milestone Use a state guide for a date range, then check that the bed is workable.

Plant around a local cold milestone

Minnesota example
1–2 weeks after the first killing frostUMN Extension’s timing rule for its region.
Illinois example
4–6 weeks before the ground freezesIllinois Extension’s timing rule for its region.

Why there is no single national date

The official examples use different weather and soil milestones. Do not average them into a date that appears precise for every state.

Choose your local route

These state pages give a local starting point. They are not substitutes for an Extension source in a state Garden Tempo does not yet support.

Georgia garlic guideUse the Georgia planting plan and its local-condition check. Texas garlic guideUse the Texas planting plan and regional context. Ohio garlic guideUse the Ohio late-fall and workable-ground check.

Plant individual cloves

Garlic is planted from cloves, not as an intact bulb. Separate the cloves when you are ready to plant, keep the variety label, and follow the depth and spacing instructions in the local Extension guide you selected.

If the fall window has passed

Do not turn this national guide into a promise that every garden has the same spring option. Keep the planting stock label, then compare current state Extension advice with the conditions in your bed before changing the plan.

Quick questions

Same date everywhere?
NoExtension sources use different local cold and soil milestones.
Whole bulb?
NoPlant individual cloves according to your selected local guide.