Have you ever grown garlic in your vegetable garden? It’s somewhat unique in that the crop is planted in the fall with harvest beginning in mid-May of the following year.
A well-drained soil with a high per cent organic matter provides the best in-ground growing conditions for garlic. I’ve grown garlic in-ground and in raised beds. Weed control is easier in the raised beds, but soil moisture must be maintained at a level that ensures crop protection and growth.
Whether growing garlic in-ground or in a raised-bed environment, fertilizer application is a must. Soil test or media test results provide fertilizer and other recommendations and take the guesswork out of how much fertilizer, etc., should be incorporated prior to planting the garlic cloves. Soil Ph should be between 5.8 – 6.5.
There are two main types of garlic to consider. Each type has advantages.
The two main types of garlic are hardneck and softneck. Softneck types do not produce scapes, can be less winter hardy, and have a longer storage potential than hardneck types.
For more information, see “Garlic for the Tennessee Vegetable Garden’; https://solutions.tennessee.edu/publication/D75/
And the ‘Tasks for November’ in the “Tennessee Home Fruit and Vegetable Garden 2026 Calendar;