Growing Your Own Garlic: 10 No Fail Planting Tips

Growing garlic is easy. It takes up very little space since it grows vertically, all you need to get started is a head of garlic. I grow my own garlic every year and am always a little sad once it runs out. 

Here is everything I know about growing garlic in zone 10:

1. Grow garlic that is suited for your climate or grow zone. Hard-neck varieties are best suited for cold climates while soft-neck garlic grow best in mild climate areas such as zone 10. Find your Zone by entering your zip code at the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map here. 
2. Plant your garlic cloves in October. Although, I have had abundant harvests from planting as late as January here in zone 10.
3. Choose the biggest garlic bulbs with the biggest cloves to plant. Bigger sure is better when it cometo garlic.
4. Plant in full sun.
5. Plant pointy side up and root side down, 1.5” deep and 6” apart.
6. Garlic grows well next to roses, do not plant near onions or other alliums, as this will stunt plants’ growth.
7. Stop watering when the greens start to brown.
8. Harvest your garlic come July.
9. Cure your garlic; see my post on How to Cure and Braid Garlic.
10. Save the biggest garlic cloves for planting next year’s crop.