As the fall air turns crisp and the days grow shorter, gardeners everywhere begin to prepare their gardens for the coming winter. If you're a garlic lover, this is the perfect time to start thinking about planting your garlic bulbs. But when is the best time to plant garlic? For many seasoned gardeners, the answer is simple: Halloween weekend!

Let's look at why planting garlic during this spooky time of year is ideal, how to prepare your garlic for planting, and a few tips to ensure a bountiful harvest come next summer.

Why Plant Garlic in Late October?

The timing of planting garlic is crucial to ensuring a healthy and productive crop. Garlic is typically planted in the fall, giving it time to establish roots before winter. But why choose late October, and particularly Halloween weekend? Here are some reasons:

1. Perfect Soil Temperature: Garlic bulbs need cool, but not freezing, soil to develop strong roots. By Halloween weekend, soil temperatures have usually dropped to the ideal range of 50°F to 60°F (10°C to 15°C), allowing garlic to root without sprouting too early. If planted too early, garlic might sprout and risk frost damage.
2. Root Development Before Winter: Garlic needs time to grow roots before the ground freezes. Planting in late October gives the bulbs a head start to develop strong roots, which helps the garlic survive winter and ensures vigorous growth in spring. The goal is for the garlic to grow roots but stay dormant through winter until spring's warmth coaxes it out of the ground.
3. Mimicking Garlic’s Natural Cycle: Garlic, a hardy perennial, naturally begins its life cycle in the fall. Planting around Halloween mimics this natural rhythm, aligning with its biological clock and providing the garlic with a head start for the next growing season.
4. Gardener’s Calendar: Halloween weekend is an easy-to-remember milestone for garlic planting. It’s late enough in the season to avoid too much warmth but early enough to avoid frozen ground. Plus, with fall festivities in full swing, it can be a fun activity to add to your weekend plans!

Hardneck GarlicPhoto byRobin Phelps/Sow Many Plants

How to Prepare and Plant Garlic

Now that you know why Halloween weekend is ideal for planting garlic, let’s explore the preparation and planting process.

1. Choose the Right Garlic Variety There are two main types of garlic to choose from: hardneck and softneckhardneck and softneck.

• Hardneck garlic varieties are often better suited for colder climates and tend to produce larger cloves.
• Softneck varieties thrive in milder climates and are typically the ones you see braided in the markets.

2. Prepare Your Soil Garlic prefers well-drained, fertile soil with a neutral pH. Before planting, work in some compost or well-rotted manure to enrich the soil. Garlic likes a sunny spot with good drainage, as it doesn’t do well in soggy soil.

3. Break Apart the Bulbs A few days before planting, break apart your garlic bulbs into individual cloves. Be careful not to damage the cloves, as each one will grow into its own garlic plant. Choose the largest, healthiest cloves for planting—these will give you the best yields.

Planting GarlicPhoto byRobin Phelps/Sow Many Plants

4. Planting

• Plant cloves with the pointy side up and the flat root end down.
• Space the cloves about 6 inches apart, and plant them about 2 to 3 inches deep in the soil.
• Rows should be about 12 inches apart.
• After planting, cover the area with a thick layer of mulch, like straw or shredded leaves, to help regulate soil temperature and protect the garlic through the winter.

5. Watering Garlic doesn’t need a lot of water during the colder months, but it’s essential to keep the soil slightly moist until the ground freezes. Once winter hits, nature will take care of the rest!

Caring for Garlic in the Spring

Once winter has passed and spring temperatures start to rise, you’ll notice your garlic plants sending up green shoots. At this point, remove the mulch to allow sunlight to warm the soil. Keep your garlic watered through the spring and early summer as it continues to grow.

If you planted hardneck garlic, you’ll notice scapes—curly, flower-like shoots—that emerge in late spring. These should be removed to encourage the plant to focus energy on bulb development. Plus, garlic scapes are delicious and can be used in stir-fries, pesto, or salads.

Harvesting Your Garlic

Garlic is typically ready for harvest in mid-summer, around late June to early July, depending on your climate. You’ll know it’s time to harvest when the lower leaves start to yellow and dry out, while the upper leaves remain green.

To harvest, gently loosen the soil around the bulbs and pull them out by the stalk. Allow the garlic to cure in a dry, shaded area with good air circulation for a few weeks before trimming the roots and tops.

Halloween, Garlic, and a Great Harvest

Planting garlic around Halloween weekend is a tried-and-true method for many gardeners. It gives garlic the ideal conditions to establish roots and thrive through the winter, setting the stage for a robust harvest next summer. So, while you're carving pumpkins and enjoying the crisp fall air, why not make it a tradition to plant garlic too? Come summer, you’ll be reaping the rewards of your fall planting efforts with plump, flavorful garlic bulbs ready to be enjoyed in your favorite dishes!

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Happy planting and happy Halloween!

Ron Engeland, Growing Great Garlic, Filaree Productions, 1998