Essential kitchen staple planted in fall and harvested the following summer. Hardneck varieties produce flavorful scapes as a bonus crop. Low maintenance once planted.
Planting calendar
Fall planting
6 weeks before your first fall frost.
Plant individual cloves in fall for summer harvest; mulch heavily after planting
Spacing & harvest
Plant spacing: 4-6 inches
Row spacing: 12-18 inches
Days to harvest: 240-270 days
Ready when: Lower 3-4 leaves have browned while upper leaves remain green; lift one test bulb to check wrapper development
Lawn Guardian turns this guidance into a schedule timed to your USDA zone and this week's actual weather — and adapts every time you log what you've done.