If there’s one crop that makes you feel like a gardening wizard, it’s garlic. You tuck a few humble cloves into the soil just as the rest of the garden is calling it quits for winter—and voilà! Come spring, those little bulbs burst to life, growing strong and flavorful under a blanket of mulch.
In Heber-Overgaard’s high-country Zone 6b, the period from mid-October to early November is prime garlic-planting season. So grab your gloves (and maybe a friend who doesn’t mind a little “eau de garlic”)—let’s dig in!
Why Plant Garlic in Fall?
It might feel strange to be planting while frost is nipping at your nose, but garlic loves the cold. Planting before winter gives it time to set roots before the ground freezes. Through the chilly months, the cloves rest and prepare for spring growth. Once the soil warms, they wake up ready to grow into big, beautiful bulbs.
Plant too late, and your garlic might not have enough time to establish those strong roots—it’ll still grow, but you’ll likely end up with smaller heads. Plant too early, and the shoots may sprout too much before winter, risking frost damage. Here in the high country, mid-October to early November hits the sweet spot.
The Science Behind It
Garlic doesn’t just tolerate winter—it needs it. The cold period triggers vernalization, a natural process that tells the plant it’s time to form bulbs later on. Without enough chill (4–6 weeks below ~40 °F), garlic may stay as single, un-divided “rounds.” Fall planting gives the cloves time to develop roots before dormancy and ensures they get their required cold exposure.
Choosing the Right Garlic
There are two main types of garlic: hardneck and softneck.
Hardneck Garlic
- Produces a stiff central stalk and curly flower stems called scapes.
- Excellent flavor—often complex and spicy.
- Very cold-tolerant, ideal for our Zone 6b winters.
- Yields fewer but larger cloves.
- Keeps ~3–5 months after curing.
Softneck Garlic
- Flexible stems perfect for braiding.
- More cloves per bulb, typically smaller.
- Stores longer (up to 12 months).
- Prefers milder climates, but some strains handle cold well—like Chino Valley Silverskin, bred in Arizona’s Central Highlands.
Why Softneck Garlic Struggles in Our High Country
You’ve probably heard that softneck garlic is tougher to grow here—and that’s true. Here’s why:
- Softneck garlic evolved for mild winters.
Softneck types come from warmer Mediterranean climates and aren’t built for long, hard freezes. In our high-country winters—where the ground can freeze solid for weeks—softneck cloves can rot, freeze, or struggle to re-sprout. Even survivors often form smaller or irregular bulbs. - They don’t handle deep chill well.
While garlic needs cold exposure to form bulbs, softneck types can get too much of it. Extended cold below 25 °F slows their metabolism instead of stimulating bulb formation. Hardneck garlic, by contrast, is made for this. - They dislike wide temperature swings.
Up here, we have cold nights and warm days even in spring. That kind of swing stresses softnecks, which prefer steady, moderate growth temperatures. - They can’t keep up with our short growing window.
Hardnecks are perfectly timed for climates with long winters and quick, intense growing seasons. Softnecks need more consistent warmth to fill out bulbs before harvest.
So while softnecks store beautifully, hardneck garlic simply performs better in Heber-Overgaard’s mountain conditions—bigger bulbs, stronger flavor, and fewer heartbreaks.
If you love to experiment, you can still try a cold-tolerant softneck like Inchelium Red or Chino Valley Silverskin, planted a bit deeper (3-4 inches) and mulched heavily. But for reliability, hardneck varieties will be your garden MVPs every time.
Bottom Line
| Garlic Type | Cold-Hardy? | Ideal For | Storage | Works in Heber-Overgaard? |
| Hardneck | Excellent | Cold, high-country climates | 3–5 months | Highly Recommended |
| Softneck | Sensitive | Mild, coastal, or desert areas | 9–12 months | Challenging / Low Yield |
Recommended Varieties & Where to Buy
Locally Proven Softneck
- Nature’s Nursery, here in Heber-Overgaard, usually carries garlic bulbs that will do well in our area. Just stop by and see what they have to offer.
- Christopher’s Garden, in Showlow, Arizona. You’ll want to check early as they sell out quickly.
Cold-Hardy Hardnecks
- Music (Porcelain type) – Large, bold-flavored cloves, extremely hardy.
- German Extra Hardy (Porcelain) – Similar to Music, strong and reliable.
- Chesnok Red (Purple Stripe) – Sweet, rich, excellent for roasting.
Order early!
Popular varieties sell out fast. Most seed suppliers open pre-orders in May–June and begin shipping in September so you’re ready for fall planting.
Recommended vendors: Keene Garlic, Filaree Farm, Johnny’s Selected Seeds.
How to Plant Garlic
- Prep the bed. Garlic likes loose, well-drained soil with plenty of compost or aged manure (pH 6.5–7).
- Break apart bulbs. Do this right before planting; keep papery skins intact.
- Plant pointy side up. 2-4 inches deep, 6 inches apart, rows 10 inches apart.
- Water once. A deep soak settles the soil.
- Mulch generously. Cover with 4–6 inches of straw, leaves, or pine needles to protect from winter freeze and weeds.
Feeding Your Garlic Organically
Garlic isn’t demanding, but a few timely snacks make a big difference:
- At planting: Add bone meal or fish bone meal for phosphorus (root growth).
- Late winter/early spring: Feed with compost tea, worm tea, or diluted fish emulsion.
- Mid-spring: Top-dress with compost or a high-nitrogen organic fertilizer (blood meal, alfalfa meal).
- After scapes appear: Stop fertilizing to help bulbs firm up for harvest.
(Bonus: Homemade worm tea is perfect for this! We sell this at the community garden, or Nature’s Nursery can hook you up with Perma Dave, our garden supplier.)
Overwintering Care
Once planted and mulched, garlic tucks itself in for winter. The mulch keeps soil temperatures stable and prevents frost heaving—those frustrating freeze-thaw cycles that push cloves upward. Come March or April, when green shoots peek through, pull back some mulch and give them a light feeding.
Winter Troubleshooting: When Your Garlic Misbehaves
Garlic popping out of the ground (heaving)?
That’s frost heaving. Gently tuck cloves back in at their original depth and add 4–6 inches of mulch.
No green shoots yet?
Patience! Garlic often waits until late winter to emerge. As long as cloves are firm, they’re fine.
Too much top growth before winter?
Add extra mulch to protect tender leaves. Bulbs may be smaller, but they’ll survive.
Soil soggy all winter?
Garlic hates wet feet—improve drainage with compost or plant in raised beds next year.
Garlic Scapes: Curly, Delicious, and Good for Your Bulbs
Hardneck garlic rewards you with a bonus crop in late spring—scapes, the curly flower stalks.
- When to harvest: Cut when they’ve curled once or twice but are still tender.
- Why remove them: It redirects energy from flowers back into the bulb, often producing larger heads.
- How to use them:
- Sauté like green beans or asparagus
- Blend into pesto or hummus
- Toss in stir-fries or grill whole
- Pickle for a garlicky crunch
Their mild garlic-meets-chive flavor is a chef’s favorite secret.
When & How to Harvest
Garlic planted in fall is usually ready by late June to early July here in Heber-Overgaard, depending on the weather and variety.
Watch the leaves:
When the lower ⅓ to ½ of the leaves turn brown and the upper ones are still green, it’s time to test a bulb. If the wrappers are plump and intact—not splitting—you’re ready to harvest.
Use a garden fork to loosen the soil and gently lift bulbs (don’t pull).
Curing & Storing Garlic
- Cure: Lay bulbs in a single layer or hang in bundles in a shaded, ventilated spot for ~2 weeks until skins are papery.
- Clean & trim: Brush off soil (don’t wash), trim roots, and cut stems down—or leave long for braiding.
- Select seed: Save the biggest, healthiest bulbs to replant in fall.
- Store: Cool (55–60 °F), dry (~45–50% humidity), dark, and well-ventilated. Avoid the fridge to prevent sprouting.
Storage life:
- Hardneck – 3–5 months
- Softneck – up to 12 months (though less reliable to grow here)
Why Every Garden Should Grow Garlic
Garlic isn’t just tasty—it’s a natural pest deterrent, pollinator-friendly when flowering, and one of the easiest crops to save seed from. Each season’s harvest improves the next, and nothing beats cooking with cloves you grew yourself.
Planting garlic in autumn is an act of faith. You tuck those cloves into chilly soil and walk away for months. But come summer, you’ll dig up bulbs bursting with life and flavor—proof that patience pays off in the garden.
So bundle up, grab your trowel and a handful of cloves—it’s garlic-planting season in the high country!