GardenPerennial Plant · zones 4–9 · 28 varieties
Garlic
Allium sativum
Amaryllidaceae — the same plant family as onion, leek, scallion, shallot and 1 more here. Relatives share pests and diseases, which is why rotation plans group by family.
Garlic (Allium sativum) is a perennial plant for USDA zones 4–9. It wants full sun and pH 6–7 soil, with about 1 in of water weekly. Watch for thrips and white rot. Below: its full sourced profile from 14 extension sources, plus a planting calendar timed to your frost dates.
Typical dates for zone 6b — set your zone or ZIP for yours. Timing is a guide from the crop's sourced growth stages; confirm with your local frost dates and extension before you sow.
Timing is the whole game with garlic — it goes in the ground in fall, not spring. See when to plant garlic.
What we will not put a number on
We do not give a feeding rate for this crop, and that is deliberate rather than a gap. The figures published by extension services are pounds of nitrogen per acre for a production field — they do not convert safely to a raised bed or a pot without knowing your soil test and your fertilizer's analysis, and guessing errs toward burning roots. It is also why every chart you find online disagrees with the next one.
We give watering as a depth per week rather than gallons per plant, because that is how it is actually measured and how the published figures are written. A gallons-per-plant number depends on your spacing, your soil and whether the plant is in a pot — so it would look more precise than it is.
Site & soil
- Hardiness zones
- 4–9
- Sun
- Full sun
- Soil pH
- 6–7
- Soil texture
- Loam, Sandy, Well drained
- Frost tolerance
- Hardy
No published figure for the temperature frost starts to hurt it, the temperature that would kill it and a heat limit. We looked — where a number is missing here it is missing from the research, not skipped. The crop’s frost and heat tolerance above still applies.
The plant
- Mature height
- 12–18 in
- Mature spread
- 8–12 in
- Growth rate
- Moderateest
- Spacing in row
- 3–6 in
- Between rows
- 12–24 in
- Planting depth
- 2–3 in
- Container size
- 1–3 gal — low end is the minimum, high end is better
- It needs the depth as well as the volume — a wide, shallow bowl will not grow a bulb even if it holds enough soil.
- Container depth
- 4–6 in
- Support
- Self-supportingest
- Grown from
- Cloves
Water & feeding
- Water needs
- Moderate
- Water per week
- 1 in/wk
- Critical water
- Bulbing
- Feeding
- Heavy
Timing & fruiting
- Harvest cues
- Lower leaf yellowing
Planted again for autumn
- South Carolina — Piedmont
- Aug 15 – Oct 15
- South Carolina — Coastal Plain
- Oct 1 – Nov 30
Published by the extension service for its own regions, and quoted here for those regions only — converting them would mean assuming a frost date somewhere else. The chart says when, not whether to sow seed or set out plants, so we do not either. Only South Carolina so far.
Edible parts per source: bulb, leaf, flower.
Compiled from the extensions cited below. Which ones actually show up depends on your region — your extension's local list is the last word.
Interplanted onions confused carrot rust fly in some trials and did nothing in others. Worth a try, not a bet.
Chart canon, both directions.
Old chart pairing; both hold cool-season beds.
On the classic charts — lettuce's own row lists onions.
Chart canon says onions and garlic make good tomato neighbors. No trials to point at, no conflict either.
The most consistent 'no' in companion planting. Unproven, unanimous.
Same flag as beans — every chart agrees.
Companion pairings from university extensions; badge = how strong the evidence is.
Different parts differ — the edible part is the bulb and leaf and flower; the notes below flag other parts or preparations.
PeopleContact dermatitis
Petsdogs, cats, horses
Recorded exactly as the source states it — not medical or veterinary advice. If a person or animal may have eaten a toxic part, call Poison Control (1-800-222-1222) or your vet / the ASPCA line (888-426-4435).
Open one and add it to your garden — it lights up here. The rest of the 28 are in the full list below.
| Variety | Type | Days | Color | What it is known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bogatyr | Marbled Purple Stripe | — | Purple, Striped | Gourmet Garlic Gardens describes this askeeps a long time after picking |
| California Early | Softneck Artichoke | — | White | |
| California Late | Softneck Artichoke | — | White | Grow Organic (Peaceful Valley Farm & Garden Supply) describes this askeeps a long time after picking |
| Chesnok Red | Hardneck Purple Stripe | — | Purple, Striped | |
| Chet's Italian Red Heirloom | Softneck Artichoke | — | Pink | |
| Chinese Pink Heirloom | Turban | — | Pink | |
| Creole Red | Creole | — | Pink | Filaree Garlic Farm describes this askeeps a long time after picking |
| Duganski | Marbled Purple Stripe | — | Purple, Striped | Gourmet Garlic Gardens describes this askeeps a long time after picking |
| Early Italian Purple Heirloom | Softneck Artichoke | — | Purple, Striped | John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds describes this askeeps a long time after picking |
| Early Red Italian Heirloom | Softneck Artichoke | — | White | |
| Georgian Fire | Hardneck Porcelain | — | Purple, Striped | |
| German Extra Hardy | Hardneck Porcelain | — | White | |
| German Red | Hardneck Rocambole | — | Pink | |
| German White | Hardneck Porcelain | — | White | |
| Inchelium Red Heirloom | Softneck Artichoke | — | White | |
| Lorz Italian Heirloom | Softneck Artichoke | — | ||
| Metechi Heirloom | Marbled Purple Stripe | — | Purple, Striped | Gourmet Garlic Gardens describes this askeeps a long time after picking |
| Music | Hardneck Porcelain | — | White | GroEat Garlic Farm describes this askeeps a long time after picking |
| Nootka Rose Heirloom | Softneck Silverskin | — | Pink | Filaree Garlic Farm describes this askeeps a long time after picking |
| Persian Star | Hardneck Purple Stripe | — | Purple, Striped | |
| Polish White Heirloom | Softneck Artichoke | — | White | Filaree Garlic Farm describes this askeeps a long time after picking |
| Purple Glazer | Hardneck Purple Stripe | — | Purple, Striped | |
| Red Toch Heirloom | Softneck Artichoke | — | Pink | Filaree Garlic Farm describes this askeeps a long time after picking |
| Romanian Red | Hardneck Porcelain | — | Purple, Striped | |
| Russian Red | Hardneck Rocambole | — | Pink | |
| Silver White | Softneck Silverskin | — | White | Keene Garlic describes this askeeps a long time after picking |
| Spanish Roja Heirloom | Hardneck Rocambole | — | Pink | |
| Transylvanian Heirloom | Softneck Artichoke | — |
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center
- Clemson Cooperative Extension, Home & Garden Information Center
- Cornell Cooperative Extension of Schoharie and Otsego Counties
- Michigan State University Extension
- NC State Extension
- Ohio State University Extension (CFAES)
- Penn State Extension
- University of Georgia Extension (CAES)
- University of Maryland Extension
- University of Minnesota Extension
- University of New Hampshire Extension
- Utah State University Extension
We compile bare facts from these university-extension and horticultural sources, never copied prose. 18 of the 20 values on this page carry a citation. The rest are marked est; hover one and it says why — either nobody publishes a figure we could point at, or a person set it and attached no source. Figures vary with climate and seed source; confirm with your local extension before you buy.
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