I want to try garlic for the first time this fall. Not sure when to get it in the ground, and whether store-bought cloves will actually grow or if I need to order seed garlic. Anyone done this?
Great timing on the question — fall garlic is one of those crops that rewards you big come summer, and it’s pretty forgiving for a first-timer.
When to plant
The general rule is 4–6 weeks before your ground freezes hard. You want the cloves to put down roots before winter but not send up much top growth. For most of the country that’s somewhere in October or early November, but it varies quite a bit. If you let me know your general region or hardiness zone I can give you a tighter window.
On the grocery store cloves
You can get them to grow, and plenty of people have. The two real concerns are:
- Treated to suppress sprouting. A lot of commercial garlic is treated so it stays shelf-stable longer. It may sprout anyway, but germination can be spotty.
- Variety unknown. Grocery store garlic is usually softneck, bred for long shelf life rather than flavor or cold hardiness. That’s fine if it matches your climate, but you’re guessing.
For a first year, if you want to experiment with a few store cloves alongside some seed garlic, go for it — good way to compare. But I’d suggest ordering at least a small amount of seed garlic from a reputable supplier so you have a reliable baseline. Seed garlic is disease-screened and variety-labeled, which takes a lot of the guesswork out.
A few planting basics to get you started
- Break the bulb apart the day you plant, not weeks ahead
- Plant pointed end up, about 2 inches deep, 6 inches apart
- Mulch well after the ground starts to cool — straw works great
- Feed with a balanced fertilizer in early spring when the tops emerge
It’s a satisfying crop to grow. You put it in, mostly forget about it all winter, and dig beautiful bulbs in July. Hard to beat that.
What part of the country are you in? That’ll help me nail down the timing for you.