There’s something beyond special about harvesting an actual garlic bulb you grew with your own hands. From tucking the cloves into the soil late fall, to pulling up those fragrant bulbs in early summer, garlic is one of the most rewarding crops I have grown here in my Zone 8 garden. Just a few years ago I thought to myself, If I could grow garlic I would feel like I totally made it as a gardener. And here I am today, sharing my full journey of garlic harvest, along with every step you need to know to grow your own successfully. Now I may not be a master gardener but growing garlic sure makes me feel pretty close!
Why Grow Garlic at Home?
Garlic is one of the easiest crops to grow, yet so rewarding:
- Stores well for months.
- Adds unbeatable flavor to every dish.
- Can be grown in small spaces, even tucked between other plants.
- Naturally pest-resistant, helping deter some garden pests.
If you’ve ever been intimidated to try growing it, let me assure you—garlic practically does the work for you. You just need to get the timing and planting right and that’s why I am here to help!
When to Plant Garlic in Zone 8
In Zone 8, garlic is typically planted in the mid-late fall. The cool weather allows roots to establish before winter, and the plants then spend spring bulking up into full bulbs.
- Best time to plant: Late October through early December.
- Goal: Give cloves 4–6 weeks of root growth before the ground gets too cold.
👉 If you’re late planting, don’t worry—garlic is forgiving, but earlier planting usually leads to larger bulbs.
Choosing the Right Garlic Variety
Garlic comes in two main types:
- Softneck Garlic:
- Stores longer (up to 9–12 months).
- More cloves per bulb.
- Great for braiding.
- Best suited for warmer climates like Zone 8.
- Hardneck Garlic:
- Produces a central scape (edible flower stalk).
- Richer, complex flavors.
- Stores for 3–6 months.
- Tends to do better in cooler climates, but some varieties can still thrive in warmer.
👉 In my Zone 8 garden, I grow primarily softneck garlic. I do this because I want to store and use for the remainder of the year and into the next growing season.
How to Plant Garlic Cloves
- Prepare the Soil
- Garlic loves loose, well-drained soil.
- Add compost before planting for nutrients.
- Raised beds or well-amended rows work best.
- Break the Bulbs Apart
- Separate into individual cloves.
- Plant only the largest, healthiest cloves.
- Planting Depth & Spacing
- Plant cloves 2 inches deep, pointy side up.
- Space cloves 4–6 inches apart in rows about 12 inches apart.
- Mulch
- Cover with 2–4 inches of straw, leaves, or pine needles.
- Mulch keeps soil insulated, retains moisture, and suppresses weeds.
Garlic Care Through the Seasons
- Winter: Garlic goes dormant but continues root growth. Just keep mulch in place. I honestly never watered throughout the winter, just allowed it to get whatever rain we had.
- Spring: Shoots emerge as the weather warms. Water deeply once a week if rainfall is low.
- Fertilizing: Side-dress with compost or a nitrogen-rich fertilizer (like blood meal or fish emulsion) in early spring when shoots are 4–6 inches tall.
- Weeding: Garlic hates competition—keep beds weeded.
👉 If you’re growing hardneck varieties, snap off garlic scapes once they curl. This encourages the bulb to size up. (Bonus: scapes are delicious sautéed or made into pesto!)
When to Harvest Garlic
The trickiest part of growing garlic is knowing when to harvest—but it’s simple once you know what to look for:
- Watch the leaves:
- When the bottom 3–4 leaves have turned brown and the top leaves are still green, it’s harvest time.
- Don’t wait until all leaves are brown—garlic left too long can split and not store as well.
👉 In Zone 8, harvest usually happens in late May to June.
Harvesting & Curing Garlic
- Loosen Soil Gently
- Use a garden fork to lift bulbs—don’t pull by the stem.
- Handle with Care
- Fresh garlic is fragile. Avoid bruising the bulbs.
- Curing Garlic
- Hang bulbs in a shady, dry, well-ventilated spot for 2–4 weeks. (I ended up drying them in our enclosed garage. It was still very hot and humid so I hung them upside down with a fan constantly blowing on them.)
- Keep them out of direct sun.
- Once outer skins are papery, trim roots and cut stems (or braid softneck varieties).
Storing Garlic
- Store cured garlic in a cool, dark, dry place.
- Softneck garlic: up to 9–12 months.
- Hardneck garlic: 3–6 months.
- Never refrigerate raw bulbs—it shortens storage life.
- Storing in a closet or pantry is ideal.
- You can place them in an open brown paper bag for easy storage.
Final Thoughts: Why Garlic Belongs in Every Garden
Garlic is one of those crops that pays you back again and again. One clove becomes a whole bulb. A few bulbs saved can plant your next season’s crop. It’s the perfect garden cycle—simple, satisfying, and endlessly flavorful.
If you’ve never grown garlic before, I hope my journey from clove to harvest inspires you to give it a try this fall. Zone 8 is a perfect climate for garlic success—and I promise, once you taste homegrown garlic, you’ll never go back to store-bought.
Watch the Full Journey on YouTube
Want to see the entire process—from planting cloves to pulling bulbs? Watch my full garlic growing video here:
You can also shop some of my favorite garden must haves here on LTK: https://liketk.it/5p6u7
