How to Grow Garlic from Grocery Store Cloves in 2026 – Step-by-Step Beginner Guide

Savannah
Dec 15, 2025
4 min read

By Savannah Ryan, Cookbook Author & Food Explorer

Imagine harvesting your own fresh, flavorful garlic bulbs — straight from cloves you bought at the grocery store. No fancy seeds, no expensive starts, just simple, sustainable home gardening that saves money and elevates every recipe.

Garlic is one of the easiest and most rewarding crops for beginners. It requires minimal space, low maintenance, and delivers a huge payoff: 10–20 bulbs from every single clove planted. Plus, home-grown garlic tastes bolder, stores longer, and avoids the chemical treatments common in commercial varieties.

As someone who loves using fresh ingredients in global recipes, growing my own garlic has been a game-changer. It’s perfect for MAHA-aligned living — real food you control from soil to plate.

This complete 2026 guide walks you through everything: choosing cloves, planting timing, care tips, harvesting, curing, and storage. Whether you have a backyard, balcony containers, or just a sunny windowsill, you can succeed.

Let’s grow garlic that will make your easy global recipes shine even brighter.

Why Grow Your Own Garlic?

Store-bought garlic often gets sprayed with growth inhibitors to prevent sprouting. Home-grown skips those chemicals and offers superior nutrition — higher allicin (the compound behind garlic’s immune-boosting power) and richer flavor layers.

Benefits include:

Cost savings — One $2 head yields dozens of bulbs.
Variety — Choose hardneck (bold flavor, scapes) or softneck (longer storage).
Sustainability — Reduce food miles and packaging waste.
Therapeutic — Gardening lowers stress and connects you to your food.

Ready to start? Here’s everything you need.

How to Grow Garlic from Grocery Store Cloves in 2026 – Step-by-Step Beginner Guide

Step 1: Choose the Right Grocery Store Cloves

Not all garlic is equal for planting.

Go organic when possible — Less likely treated with sprout inhibitors.
Select large, firm bulbs — Bigger cloves produce bigger harvests.
Avoid soft or moldy cloves — They won’t thrive.
Best varieties from the store: Softneck (Artichoke or Silverskin) store longest; hardneck (Rocambole or Purple Stripe) offer bolder taste.

Break the bulb apart 1–2 days before planting to avoid mold.

Step 2: Timing and Climate Considerations for 2026

Garlic needs cold exposure (vernalization) for bulb formation.

Fall planting (best for most zones): Plant 4–6 weeks before first hard frost (September–November in most U.S. regions). Harvest summer 2026.
Spring planting: For very cold zones (USDA 3 or lower) or if you miss fall — plant as soon as soil is workable (March–April). Harvest will be smaller but still worthwhile.

Check your 2026 frost dates at farmersalmanac.com for precision.

Step 3: Prepare Your Growing Space

Garlic loves sun and well-draining soil.

Options:

In-ground beds — Raised beds ideal.
Containers — 12–18 inch deep pots (5-gallon buckets work great).
Indoors — Sunny south-facing window for green garlic shoots.

Soil prep:

Loose, fertile loam (pH 6.2–7.0).
Mix in aged compost or well-rotted manure.
Avoid fresh manure — it burns roots.

Step 4: Planting Technique

Separate cloves pointy end up (root end down).
Plant 4–6 inches apart, 2–3 inches deep.
Cover with soil and mulch heavily (straw, leaves, or shredded bark) — 4–6 inches for winter protection.
Water gently to settle soil.

That’s it — garlic does the rest.

For more container ideas, see my guide to growing tomatoes upside down in buckets.

Step 5: Care Throughout the Season

Garlic is low-maintenance but appreciates attention.

Watering: 1 inch per week; reduce as harvest nears.
Weeding: Keep competition low.
Fertilizing: Side-dress with compost tea or fish emulsion in spring.
Hardneck bonus: Cut scapes (flower stalks) in early summer — they’re delicious in stir-fries.

Watch for pests (rare) like onion maggots — row covers prevent most issues.

Step 6: Harvesting in 2026

Timing is everything.

When: Leaves turn 50–70% yellow/brown (usually June–July).
How: Loosen soil with a fork and lift gently. Don’t pull by tops.
Signs of readiness: Bulbs feel firm, wrappers papery.

Harvest on a dry day to prevent mold.

Step 7: Curing and Storage

Proper curing ensures months of storage.

Brush off dirt (don’t wash).
Bundle 8–10 bulbs and hang in a dry, airy, shaded spot (garage or barn).
Cure 3–4 weeks until necks tighten and outer skins papery.
Trim roots and tops; store in mesh bags or braids in cool (50–60°F), dark place.

Properly cured garlic lasts 6–12 months.