Florida is a place where the weather never slows down, and nature is always ready to show something new. The sunshine, ocean breeze, and softness of the earth make a dream for the gardener who wants to grow something new every season.
When planting garlic in Florida, understanding when to plant is necessary because two hidden factors in the same line affect the right planting time for garlic. (here’s how) Let’s explore when to add garlic to a Florida garden and with what wisdom techniques.
Garlic is a cool-season perennial plant that requires chilly periods of frost to develop healthy bulbs. This cold vernalization is most required for hard-neck garlic varieties, while soft-neck can thrive in bit warm situations.
(Here is the importance of growing perennial seeds at the right time)
Hardneck garlic
- Ideal Tempearture: 0 to 10 Celcius
- Minimum tolerance: -35 Celcius
- Maximum tolerance: 24 Celcius
Soft-neck garlic
- Ideal tempearture: 10 to 16 Celcius
- Mimum tolerance: -5 Celcius
- Maximum Tolerance: 30 Celcius
Florida’s Climate and Garlic Varieties
Florida is hot and humid with a long growing season (heaven and challenges for some plants). On the other hand, garlic is a self-special plant, with several varieties, some requiring cold and some producing well in warmer areas.
So, both things together decide when to plant garlic in Florida, but knowing how long garlic takes to grow also matters in determining the best planting time and suitable varieties according to Florida’s growing season.
Hard-neck (Rocambole, Purple stripe, Porcelain)
By the way, hard-neck garlic is recommended to plant in Florida, but in some parts of zone 8b of North Florida, you can manage it if you plant it around October. Otherwise, before planting garlic in central or South Florida, you need to keep its cloves in the refrigerator for 6 to 8 weeks at 3 to 5 Celcius temperature.
Soft-neck (Silver screen Artichoke, California Early)
Soft-neck garlic varieties thrive best in Florida as they do not require vernalization like hard-neck garlic. Experts say to plant soft-neck garlic from late fall to early winter to achieve harvest in May to June, however, you can also plant its cloves a bit later for summer harvest.
Soft-neck garlic can be grown in all parts of Florida, including northern, central, and southern, while hard-neck is only considered suitable for north Florida, where zone 8b is located. Check your zone through the USDA hardiness map.
When to plant Garlic in Florida?
Your local area and your chosen garlic variety slightly change their planting time. Now, you have to consider where you live in Florida (zone 8b, 9, 19, or 11a). After that, you can easily examine the best time to sow garlic cloves.
Zone 8b of North Florida
- Average First frost date: Mid-November
- Average Last frost date: Mid-March
- Cold periods are naturally enough for vernalization
- Plant hard-neck garlic from mid-October to early November
- Plant soft-neck garlic from late October to late November
Zone 8b of north Florida offers a natural vernalization period for hard-neck garlic, meaning that you may not need to do it yourself.
East to Central Florida
- Average First frost date: Early December
- Average last frost date: Late February
- Cold periods are limited: you need to vernalize garlic cloves yourself before planting.
- Pant hard-neck garlic in late December or early January. Keep its cloves in the refrigerator before 6 to 8 weeks of planting.
- Plant soft-neck garlic from mid-November to late December. It is well-suited for zones 9 and 10 of central Florida.
Here is the dedicated garlic growing guide for central Florida: Orlando
South Florida
- Average First Frost date in zone 10a: January
- There are frost-free periods in zones 10b and 11a
- The cold period is very limited, almost equal to nothing, making it challenging for hard-neck garlic.
- Soft-neck garlic would be most suitable, so plant its cloves from early December to mid-January.
How to Grow and Care Garlic in Florida?
After examining the best time and suitable garlic varieties according to Florida’s climate, check out five easy steps to sow garlic cloves.
Do you know? Garlic is perennial genetically. To grow it as perennial, do not cut scapes of hard-neck garlic and let them grow in consistent ideal conditions. Remember, the perennial trend is mostly observed in hard-neck varieties because soft-neck garlic does not produce scapes (stalks)
Hard-neck garlic
You will have to cut scapes of hard-neck garlic, which is mostly produced in spring (depending on the planting time). However, scapes and healthy bulbs are highly affected when proper vernalization does not occur.
Zone 8b of North Florida offers this situation naturally however, if you live in central or south Florida (zone 9, 10, 11a), then you will have to vernalize garlic cloves yourself by keeping them in the refrigerator at 3 to 5 Celcius. Before keeping garlic cloves in the refrigerator, remember to keep them in a sealed bag.
Soft-neck Garlic
Growing soft-neck garlic in Florida is easy. Vernalization is also required (for about 30 to 40 days) for soft-neck garlic but less than hard-neck, which naturally happens in Florida (especially in zones 8 and 9). Compared to hard-neck garlic, soft-neck does not make scapes, but it may be due to environmental stress.
Before sowing, also examine how deep and far to plant garlic cloves!
Care and Maintenance for Garlic in Florida
| Growing Conditions | Hardneck Garlic | Softneck Garlic |
|---|---|---|
| Soil Type & Depth | Well-drained sandy-loam, pH 6.0–7.0 Plant cloves about 4–5 inches deep |
Well-drained loamy or sandy-loam, pH 6.0–7.5 Plant cloves 1–2 inches deep |
| Watering & Irrigation | Moderate: 1–1.5 inches per week, less in winter Daily light misting with mulch in summer |
Moderate: 1 inch per week, deep watering every 4–5 days in summer |
| Sunlight | At least 6–8 hours of direct sunlight daily | 6 hours of sunlight daily; grows well even in partial shade |
| Scape Cutting | Yes: Cut when scape curls into a U-shape (typically in April) to retain energy in bulb | No: Softneck types do not produce scapes |
| Planting Time (Zone 8b) | North FL: Mid-Oct to early Nov Central/South: Refrigerate for 6–8 weeks → plant early Nov |
North FL: Late Oct to late Nov Central/South: Mid-Nov to mid-Dec |
| Vernalization | North FL: Naturally cold enough Central/South: Refrigerate at 3–5°C for 6–8 weeks |
Usually not required (sometimes 30–40 days of cold exposure is enough) |
When to Harvest Garlic in Florida
Hard-neck garlic takes 8 to 9 months, while soft-neck varieties take 6 to 7 months to produce bulbs. Keep in mind that it completely depends on when you have planted in Florida and what growing conditions you are giving.
After 3 to 4 weeks of cutting scapes in the spring, you can harvest hard-neck garlic in the early to late summer. On the other hand, soft-neck garlic mostly matures in late spring to early summer.
Remember, healthy garlic bulbs can be achieved when ideal growing conditions are provided, such as drainage and nutrient-rich soil, proper sunlight, good watering on hot days, and spring fertilizing.
For successful garlic growth, understand your Florida’s climate and choose the best varieties and plants at the right time. Additionally, healthy cloves are also important because they are the foundation for new garlic plants.
