Complete Guide to Growing Garlic in the South

Q: I'd like advice on growing garlic. What kind of soil do I need?

Felder Rushing, eighth-generation Southern garlic gardener and author of Tough Plants for Tough Places, recommends planting garlic in fall for a long growing season to develop large bulbs. Garlic needs full sun and loose, well-drained soil—compacted soil yields small, misshapen bulbs.

Planting: Separate cloves (sometimes called "toes") from a bulb. Plant individual cloves 2 inches deep and 4 inches apart in rows 1 foot apart. Keep pointed ends up for straight necks. Water well during dry spells.

Growth & Harvest: Garlic bulbs when days lengthen in May–June. Larger plants then mean larger bulbs, so maintain healthy growth. If a flower stalk (scape) appears, snip it off to redirect energy to the bulb. Harvest when most leaves yellow, usually early summer. Dry garlic stores better than onions. Save the best bulbs for next season's planting.

See Growing Garlic in Georgia for more details.