The 6 Garlic Growing Stages You Should Know So You Never Harvest Too Early (2025)

The 6 Garlic Growing Stages You Should Know So You Never Harvest Too Early (1)

Garlic is a bulb with joined segments (called cloves) that make up a head. Each clove is actually a miniature bulb that stores energy to sprout and create a new plant. Garlic is almost always planted as individual cloves.

Key to growing large heads of garlic is planting at the right time to develop a strong root system. Here are the six stages of growing garlic so you can recognize where you are in the process and how best to support your plant in each step.

The 6 Stages of Growing Garlic

Growing garlic is a continuous process, starting with the best of the year's crop being kept and stored for planting the following year. Hardneck varieties need eight to nine months to mature; softneck varieties can be ready in four to five months, but heads are smaller with fewer cloves. Here's what you need to know to keep your garlic patch going.

Stage 1: Root Development

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Garlic cloves start putting down roots three to seven days after planting and continue to develop until ground freezes. Cloves are set from late September into early October and should be in the ground six to eight weeks before first frost. Root development occurs when temperatures remain below 40°F. Bigger, more established root systems produce bigger garlic heads with more cloves.

Timing varies according to your USDA hardiness zone as well as type of garlic. Climates with long, cold springs can successfully raise a spring planted crop. Soft neck varieties can also reach maturity when planted in early spring.

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Stage 2: Sprouting

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Once temperatures remain above 40°F, cloves start putting out green shoots over a period of four to eight weeks: This is the sprouting stage.

Warm Autumns

When autumn temperatures remain warm, cloves may sprout early. They die back after frost, but regrow in spring when temperatures warm up.

Stage 3: Green Growth

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At 50°F to 60°F, green leaves put on greatest growth for three to four weeks. Cloves have not developed and hardneck garlic has not put up a stiff central stem. When plants are pencil size, they can be harvested as fresh garlic; at this stage, small, mild-flavored bulbs should be used quickly.

Stage 4: Scapes

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Scapes only develop on hardneck varieties. These stiff flower buds form at the ends of central stems for three to four weeks in late spring and early summer when main stems start to curl with a single scape at the tip. Scapes can be eaten cooked or raw and have mild flavor similar to scallions.

Stage 5: Bulbing

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Once scapes appear, bulbs develop over the next three weeks. Removing scapes encourages larger garlic heads. If left on plants, stems eventually uncurl to stand straight and scapes open to flowers.

Stage 6: Flowering

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Flowering marks the end of the garlic growth cycle with blooms opening eight to ten months after planting. Flowers only appear on hardneck varieties.

Each flower head is made up of dozens of small bulbils, each a miniature version of a garlic clove. Bulbils are edible, but seldom planted as each produces just one garlic clove and does not form a head.

Types of Garlic to Grow

As mentioned, there are two main types of garlic: hardneck and softneck. Here are the differences between the two so you can pick which one is best for you.

Hardneck Garlic

Hardneck garlic is planted in autumn and better adapted to cold climates. It produces a stiff central stalk topped by a garlic scape which eventually opens into a flower. Varieties average eight to nine months from planting to harvest and have a shorter storage life than softneck varieties. Flavor profiles are complex with many types featuring a sharp, biting taste.

Softneck Garlic

Softneck garlic grows best in warmer climates and can be harvested in four to five months. Varieties produce large heads with multiple cloves and soft stems suitable for braiding. They last up to 12 months when stored properly. Softneck garlic is milder and sweeter than hardneck varieties.

Don't Use Commercially Sold Garlic

Garlic sold in stores may have been treated with pesticides and chemicals to discourage sprouting. It may have been stored for an extended time and lost vigor needed to grow a new plant. The variety may not be suited to your climate.

Garlic Growing Tips

To set garlic, separate cloves from the head and plant each clove with the pointed end facing up, about 2 to 4 inches deep and 4 to 8 inches apart.
Autumn-planted garlic is prone to frost heave. Make sure to plant deeply enough and mulch to prevent heaving and retain moisture.
When planting garlic leave the papery coverings on the clove.
Give garlic an inch of water during peak growth, but stop watering two weeks before harvest to discourage bulb rot.
Choose softneck varieties to grow garlic indoors. Use well-draining soil and place pots in a sunny window.

FAQ

How long does garlic take to fully grow?

Time to harvest depends on climate and garlic types: Hardneck takes eight to ten months to mature, while softneck can reach maturity in four to five months in warm climates.
How do I know when garlic is ready to harvest?

Harvest hardneck garlic varieties when central stems to straighten, about three weeks after scapes first appear. For softneck types, harvest when lower leaves turn brown and dry up.
How can I make garlic come back next year?

The most efficient way to grow garlic every year is to save the biggest, healthiest bulbs from the harvest, separate and then plant the cloves in autumn.