Lawn & Garden • Iowa guide • Updated October 28, 2026
When to Plant Garlic in Iowa: Dates, Depth and Winter Care
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Garlic is the one crop Iowa gardeners plant as everything else is winding down. Knowing when to plant garlic in Iowa is simple: put cloves in the ground in October or early November, mulch them in November, and dig fat bulbs the next July. This guide covers Iowa State University Extension’s timing, planting depth and spacing, the best varieties for Iowa, and how to get garlic through winter.
When to plant garlic in Iowa: the short answer
ISU Extension says October to early November is the time to plant garlic in Iowa. A good rule is to plant after the first fall frost and a few weeks before the ground freezes hard, so the cloves can grow roots but not leaves. For most of Iowa that means mid-October to the first week of November. Plant cloves 1 to 1.5 inches deep and 3 to 5 inches apart, then mulch with straw in November.
The Iowa garlic year at a glance
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Before planting | Work compost and 1 to 2 lb of 10-10-10 fertilizer per 100 sq ft into the bed |
| October to early November | Plant cloves 1 to 1.5 in deep, pointed end up |
| November | Cover with 4 to 6 in of weed-free straw |
| Early spring | Pull the straw back between the rows |
| 3 to 4 weeks after shoots appear | Side-dress with fertilizer |
| Mid to late May | Cut hardneck scapes |
| Late July | Stop watering |
| July or August | Harvest when 4 to 5 lower leaves are dry |
Hardneck or softneck garlic for Iowa?
Hardneck garlic is the usual choice for Iowa. It handles cold winters well, has fewer but larger cloves, and sends up a curly flower stalk called a scape in late spring. It does not keep as long as softneck. ISU lists ‘Asian Tempest’, ‘German Red’, ‘Merrifield Rocambole’, ‘Music’ and ‘Spanish Roja Rocambole’ as good hardneck choices for Iowa.
Softneck garlic stores longer and is the type sold in most grocery stores. ISU’s Iowa-suited softneck picks are ‘Inchellium Red’, ‘New York White’ and ‘Susanville’.
Whichever you choose, buy seed garlic from a garden center or mail-order supplier. ISU warns against planting grocery-store garlic, which is usually a softneck grown in warmer regions and not adapted to Iowa’s climate.
How to plant garlic
- Pick a sunny, well-drained spot. Garlic needs full sun and fertile soil high in organic matter. In heavy clay, bulbs come out misshapen, so work in compost or well-rotted manure. A raised bed is ideal because it drains well over winter.
- Feed the bed. ISU says garlic needs more fertilizer than many vegetables: work in 1 to 2 pounds of an all-purpose garden fertilizer such as 10-10-10 per 100 square feet before planting.
- Split the bulbs just before planting. Break bulbs into cloves and plant the largest ones. Big cloves grow big bulbs.
- Plant pointed end up. Set each clove 1 to 1.5 inches deep. Cloves planted upside down tend to make misshapen bulbs.
- Space them out. Leave 3 to 5 inches between cloves and 18 to 24 inches between rows.
- Water once if the soil is dry, so the cloves start rooting.
Mulch and winter care
ISU recommends covering fall-planted garlic in November with a 4 to 6 inch layer of weed-seed-free straw to prevent winter injury. Our guide to winterizing raised beds covers the rest of the fall routine.
Shoots up in February? A warm spell can bring garlic up early. ISU says to add extra mulch once normal cold returns, especially if there is little snow cover. Leaves are likely to be damaged below about 20°F, but the plants usually regrow, with somewhat smaller bulbs.
Spring care and scapes
- Move the straw: in early spring, pull it off the rows and leave it between them, where it keeps weeds down and holds moisture.
- Side-dress: 3 to 4 weeks after the shoots come up, ISU suggests about 1 more pound of fertilizer per 100 feet of row, in a band about 4 inches from the plants.
- Water: about 1 inch a week in dry weather, then stop watering in late July so the tops can die down.
- Cut the scapes: hardneck scapes appear from mid to late May. Cut them once they curl, before the tip straightens and opens, as low as you can without removing leaves. The plant then puts its energy into the bulb, and the scapes are good to eat.
Harvest, curing and storage
In Iowa, garlic is usually ready in July or August. ISU’s sign is a plant with 4 to 5 dry lower leaves and 3 to 4 green upper leaves. Wait too long and the bulb wrappers break down, so the cloves do not store as well.
- Loosen the soil beside each plant and lift the bulb, rather than pulling it by the stem.
- Dry the bulbs in a warm, dry, well-ventilated spot on a raised screen or slotted tray, or braid them and hang them.
- Once the tops are dry, cut them 1 inch above the bulb, trim the roots and brush off loose soil.
- Store in a mesh bag or open crate at 32 to 40°F with 65 to 70 percent humidity. Stored this way, ISU says garlic keeps three to six months.
Save a few of your biggest bulbs to plant again next October.
Tools for planting and growing garlic
Seed garlic itself is best bought from a garden center or a garlic grower, and weed-free straw from a farm store. These tools were listed as sold by Amazon.com at the time of writing.
For planting at the right depth: Fiskars Bulb Transplanter with Depth Markings
Product pick
Fiskars Bulb Transplanter with Depth Markings
Illustrative image (AI-generated), not the exact product.
ISU says to plant cloves 1 to 1.5 inches deep. This steel bulb planter has depth marks on the barrel, so every hole comes out the same, and a spring-loaded handle drops the soil plug back out. It cuts a 2.25 inch hole, which is plenty for a garlic clove, and it makes quick work of a bed with 30 or 40 cloves.
For long planting sessions: Fiskars Garden Kneeling Pad, 11 x 18 in
Product pick
Fiskars Garden Kneeling Pad, 11 x 18 in
Illustrative image (AI-generated), not the exact product.
Garlic goes in on cold, damp October days, one clove at a time. This 3/4 inch foam pad keeps your knees dry and off rough, cold soil, does not soak up water, and has a handle so you can move it down the row.
For cutting scapes in May: Fiskars Micro-Tip Pruning Snips
Product pick
Fiskars Micro-Tip Pruning Snips
Illustrative image (AI-generated), not the exact product.
ISU recommends removing hardneck scapes in mid to late May, cutting as low as possible without taking any leaves. These small snips have narrow tips that reach in between the leaves cleanly, a non-stick coating and a sheath for storage.
For digging and lifting bulbs: Fiskars Ergo Garden Trowel
Product pick
Fiskars Ergo Garden Trowel
Illustrative image (AI-generated), not the exact product.
At harvest in July or August, loosen the soil beside each plant before you lift it, so the stem does not snap off the bulb. A cast-aluminum trowel like this handles firm Iowa soil, and it works for opening planting furrows in fall too.
Conclusion
So, when to plant garlic in Iowa? October to early November, after the first frost and before the ground freezes. Choose a hardneck variety such as ‘German Red’ or ‘Music’, plant large cloves 1 to 1.5 inches deep in rich, well-drained soil, and cover the bed with 4 to 6 inches of straw in November. Cut the scapes in May, stop watering in late July, and dig your bulbs in July or August.
FAQs
When should I plant garlic in Iowa?
ISU Extension says October to early November. A practical rule is to plant after the first fall frost and a few weeks before the ground freezes, which in most of Iowa means mid-October to the first week of November.
How deep do you plant garlic in Iowa?
Plant large cloves 1 to 1.5 inches deep with the pointed end up, 3 to 5 inches apart, in rows 18 to 24 inches apart.
Can I plant grocery store garlic?
ISU advises against it. Grocery garlic is usually a softneck type from warmer regions that is not well adapted to Iowa winters. Buy seed garlic from a garden center or a mail-order supplier.
Should I mulch garlic over winter?
Yes. In November, cover the bed with 4 to 6 inches of weed-free straw. In early spring, pull the straw back between the rows so the shoots can come up.
Is it too late to plant garlic in November?
Early November usually still works if the ground is not frozen. Later plantings have less time to root. ISU also allows spring planting in late March or early April, but the bulbs will be smaller.
When do you harvest garlic in Iowa?
Usually in July or August, when a plant has 4 to 5 dry lower leaves and 3 to 4 green upper leaves.
Sources and review scope
This guide was prepared on October 28, 2026 from the following sources. Homingwell did not perform hands-on testing. Sellers were checked on Amazon.com on the same date.
- Iowa State University Extension – When and where should I plant garlic?
- Iowa State University Extension – Growing garlic in the home garden
- Iowa State University Extension – It’s only February, but my garlic is coming up
- Iowa Public Radio – Plant your garlic in the fall for next summer’s crop
- University of Minnesota Extension – Growing garlic in home gardens
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