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When to Plant Garlic (By Zone) and How to Grow It in a Raised Bed

Plant in fall, harvest next July: the easiest high-value crop for a raised bed.

Updated 2026-09-10

The rule

Plant garlic 2–4 weeks before the ground freezes: roots form, shoots do not. Zones 3–5: late September to mid-October. Zones 6–7: October to early November. Zones 8–9: November to December (softneck types). Zone 10: refrigerate cloves 8 weeks first, plant in December.

Hardneck or softneck?

Hardneck (Music, German Extra Hardy, Chesnok Red) for cold zones, bigger cloves, scapes in June, stores 4–6 months. Softneck (Inchelium Red, California Early) for mild zones, braids, stores 8–12 months. Buy seed garlic, not supermarket bulbs (often treated to stop sprouting).

Planting in a raised bed

1. Loosen the top 6 in, mix in 2 in of compost and a handful of balanced organic fertilizer per square foot.
2. Break bulbs into cloves the day you plant. Biggest cloves = biggest bulbs.
3. Plant pointed end up, 2 in deep, 6 in apart in a grid: 4 per square foot.
4. Mulch 3–4 in with straw or leaves. Water once.

Spring and summer

Pull mulch back a little when shoots appear. Feed once in March and once in April. Snap off scapes in June (eat them). Stop watering when the bottom leaves brown. Harvest when about half the leaves have died back, usually late June to July. Cure in a shaded, airy spot for 3 weeks, then store cool and dry.

What I'd buy first

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