When to Plant

• In northern climates like Minnesota, garlic cloves should be planted four to six weeks before the ground freezes, in late September or October, depending upon more specific locations within the state. The University of Minnesota Extension suggests that garlic should usually be planted within one to two weeks after the first frost. There should be root development and shoots should be emerging from the cloves (but not emerging from the soil) by the first hard freeze (28 degrees Fahrenheit).
  
  

Spring Planting

• Garlic that is planted in the spring will generally produce poorly developed shoots and bulbs. Cold treatment, or keeping the cloves between 32 degrees and 50 degrees Fahrenheit for two months, is an important aspect of bulb development.
  
  

Additional Planting Tips

• Well-dug beds, good drainage, full sun and incorporating organic matter into the soil will aid in garlic growth. The larger the clove that is planted, the larger the bulb that will develop from it. The cloves of a bulb should not be separated until immediately before planting.