10/15/2026
🌱 This Week in the Garden: Your Questions Answered, Week of October 12
Did you know that you still have time to plant garlic? This week we look into some common planting mistakes. Make sure to check out our linked resources for even more help with your garlic!
❓Question:
I’m growing many different kinds of hardneck garlic, but my garlic bulbs just keep getting smaller. What am I doing wrong?
🧄 Answer:
Planting time - You have these last two weeks in October until the 1st of November to plant. You want the garlic to start to grow some roots before going dormant without a bunch of top growth. Make sure you choose a variety of garlic that will grow well in Wisconsin. The varieties grown in California (most commercially produced garlic and garlic from the store) do not adapt well to our climate. Select the largest cloves for planting (and just eat the smaller ones). Check out the article below for a list of varieties that can grow well here.
Depth / Spacing - Plant each clove 2" deep (basal plate down), spacing the cloves about 6-8" apart and space your rows at least 12" apart, however I've seen recommendations for spacing rows 18-30" apart. Overcrowding could certainly lead to more competition and smaller cloves. If they are planted sideways, upside down or too deep, that could lead to smaller or misshapen cloves too.
Mulching - Spread a layer of straw mulch should be about 4-6" deep for winter protection. Leaf litter is okay as long as you're not getting a lot of matted up leaves. When you plant, make sure to label each hole. When growth resumes in spring, the mulch should be raked off of the emerging garlic. It can be left between the rows to help with w**d suppression.
Scapes - In the spring, remove the scapes in the curl stage to help increase bulb size.
Watering - Garlic needs consistent moisture, especially from April to June, and then you can cut back 3-4 weeks before harvest (but don't let them dry out). Water stressed plants will not produce well. If using an overhead sprinkler, they might not be receiving as much water as you think they are getting. Plus, that water has to get through the mulch layer and down to the plants, and the water isn't going directly to each plant. If you want to continue using a sprinkler, check the ground (in multiple areas) after 10-15 minutes and see if it's saturated. You might need to run the sprinkler longer and more often (more than once a week, depending on the weather and your soil). Sprinkler irrigation provides less control, so you might find it better to water the plants manually or invest in drip irrigation.
🔗 Learn more:
Growing Garlic in Wisconsin - https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/garlic-allium-sativum/
Growing Garlic in Wisconsin YouTube Video -
https://youtu.be/S2Oud9LmvRY?si=LZUNLnNRbGpSKSw4
💬 Have a question of your own?
Reach out—we may feature it in an upcoming post!
You can reach Julie, your local horticulture educator by calling 262-741-4958, Text 262-374-4191, email [email protected] or use our online form: go.wisc.edu/PlantQ
📷 Picture of garlic bulb
