Grow Your Own Organic Garlic: Fall Planting Guide

Vampires beware and garlic lovers rejoice, it’s time to get planting! Fall is the ideal season to plant garlic for a bountiful harvest next summer. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or a first-time grower, cultivating it is simple. But if you want to produce large, healthy bulbs, there are a few tips that can make all the difference.

Why Plant Garlic in the Fall?

Garlic grows best when planted in the fall, typically between September and November, before the ground freezes. Planting in autumn allows the cloves to establish strong roots over winter, ensuring robust, full-sized bulbs by summer. Fall planting also helps resist pests and disease, giving you a healthier, more productive harvest.

How to Grow Garlic Successfully

Growing garlic at home is straightforward, but following these tips will help you maximize your yield.

Separate the cloves and plant them about 2 inches deep in well-drained soil. To ensure large and healthy bulbs, consider these growing tips:

  • Planting location: Needs full sun and rich, well-drained soil.
  • Spacing: Keep 6 inches between cloves to allow room for growth.
  • Fertilization: Add organic compost or fertilizer to enhance growth.
  • Mulching: Apply a thick layer of mulch to protect from harsh winter conditions.

For more detailed growing instructions, click here to download our Garlic Growing Tips.

The Best Varieties of Garlic

Hunters Garden Centre offers a wide selection of organic garlic varieties. Here’s a snapshot of some of the most popular varieties:

  • Regular White – Common type of white garlic, has a mild flavour.
  • Elephant – Has large cloves but very mild flavour
  • Bogatyr – A Hardneck variety known for its hot, strong taste. Excellent for roasting
  • Chesnok Red – Rich, robust flavour.
  • Duganski – Fiery flavour that mellows when cooked. Stores well.
  • Mexican Purple – This variety has a hot flavour when raw, but becomes milder when baked
  • Music – Music is large beautiful and well-formed porcelain garlic. Its flavour is very rich and musky, strong and robust and sticks around for a while.
  • Russian Red – A rocambole hardneck with a rich, musky flavour and is very hot when eaten raw. Grows great in the northwest.

For a complete list of varieties, click here.

Ready To Get Growing?

Don’t miss your chance to grow your own garlic this fall! Visit Hunters Garden Centre in Surrey and Vancouver to find the perfect variety for your garden and start planting. Our organic varieties come from Rootdown Organic Farm in Pemberton, BC. Download our complete guide here to ensure a successful harvest next season.