Plant autumn garlic from mid-October to mid-November, around three to four weeks before the first frost. At the Domači česen iz Gaberja farm, we plant in late October. Position individual cloves with the pointed end up, around 5 cm deep and 12–15 cm apart.
The short answer: the second half of October
The main planting window for autumn garlic is from mid-October to mid-November. In our field in the Pannonian region, we choose late October. We plant every clove individually by hand, so the date is part of a clear annual routine we can repeat, rather than simply a general reference to a month.
Alongside the calendar, we use the guideline of around three to four weeks before the first frost. This allows the garlic to begin developing roots before winter dormancy without already producing vigorous leaf growth. A single fixed date for every location is therefore less useful than combining the planting window with the approach of the first frost.
- Main window: mid-October to mid-November
- Our practice in Gaberje: late October
- Guideline: three to four weeks before the first frost
How planting time fits into the full annual cycle
Planting begins a period of around nine months in the soil. After autumn planting, the garlic lies dormant through winter, resumes growing in spring and is lifted in late June. This calendar explains why we prepare and dispatch seed garlic in late September: there is still enough time to plan the bed before planting.
The work does not end at harvest. We leave the bulbs in the field for two days so the soil on the roots can dry, then cure them under cover for six weeks. Only then do we clean and sort the garlic and select the largest bulbs to keep for the next planting.
- Winter: dormancy
- Spring: growth
- Late June: harvest
- After harvest: two days in the field and six weeks under cover
When to order and prepare seed garlic
We dispatch seed garlic in late September, before the autumn planting window begins. For planting, we select the largest, finest bulbs from our own harvest. The garlic has not been treated with sprout inhibitors and is ready for its intended purpose: separating into cloves and planting.
When it arrives, first decide how long the bed will be and how much garlic you need. One kilogram of seed garlic gives around 60 plants. At a spacing of 12–15 cm, that is approximately 8–10 linear metres of bed. These figures let you plan the quantity before planting day.
- Seed garlic dispatch: late September
- Around 60 plants from 1 kg
- Approximately 8–10 linear metres of bed
A practical check on planting day
Once your chosen date falls within the autumn planting window, separate the bulbs into individual cloves. Plant every clove separately. Place it with the pointed end up, around 5 cm deep, leaving 12–15 cm to the next clove. These are the same basic measurements we provide with our seed garlic.
If you have around 60 cloves, you can use spacing marks prepared in advance to check the layout as you work. There is no need to guess how much space a kilogram will require: start with the estimate of 8–10 linear metres and adjust it to the actual number of cloves from your bulbs.
- Plant every clove separately
- Point the tip upwards
- Plant around 5 cm deep
- Space cloves 12–15 cm apart
What follows autumn planting
Winter dormancy begins after planting, followed by growth in spring. On our farm, we lift the crop in late June. When planning your garden bed, mark late June on the calendar as the next important point after planting in October.
Once lifted, the garlic is not immediately ready for long-term storage. It first remains in the field for two days and then under cover for six weeks. This part of the cycle also matters for future planting, as we only select the largest bulbs for the following October after curing and sorting.
- Plant in autumn
- Dormant in winter
- Growing in spring
- Harvest in late June