Softneck garlic
Allium sativum
Cool‑season · frost‑tolerant · plant cloves
90–150 days from planting to harvest
Softneck garlic is a cool-season bulb or stem vegetable and root spice in the amaryllis family that tolerates light frost. The usual start is direct sowing, and harvest is about 90–150 days from sowing (about 13 to 21 weeks).
Primary method: direct sow
Softneck garlic is usually sown outdoors. Calendar dates for your garden are on the when-to-plant page after you choose a place.
- Sow outside. Sow using the usual propagation. Germination days are not listed because this crop is usually not started from seed.
- Grow to harvest. The harvest clock starts when you sow seed. 90–150 days from sowing (about 13 to 21 weeks).
Time to harvest
Ready to harvest about 13 to 21 weeks after planting.
- Plant
- Growing
- Harvest, earliest to latest
Dates for your area: Local dates: not yet available This guide has no calendar dates; they depend on your place.
Other start methods
Starting indoors is not the usual method for this plant.
Care basics
Sun: full sun, at least 6 hours of direct sun.
This plant tolerates light frost.
Softneck garlic is usually spring-planted (with pre-chill when winters are warm), and can also be autumn-planted where winters are mild.
Types and varieties
Other names: Spring garlic, Silverskin garlic, Artichoke garlic. Softneck (including silverskin) suits spring planting and can also be autumn-planted where winters are mild.
Growing facts
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Plant name | Softneck garlic |
| Scientific name | Allium sativum |
| Family | Amaryllidaceae (amaryllis family) |
| Time to harvest | 90–150 days from sowing (about 13 to 21 weeks) |
| Lifecycle | Annual |
| Days to germinate | Not grown from seed |
| Ideal growing temperature | 17 – 23 °C |
| Minimum tolerable temperature | −5 °C |
| Maximum tolerable temperature | 30 °C |
| Start indoors | Not the usual method |
| Direct sow | Yes, usual method |
| Season type | Cool-season, tolerates light frost |
| Typical start method | Plant cloves |
| Light | full sun, 6+ hours direct sun |
Glossary
- Ideal temperature
- The preferred daytime range for good growth.
- Tolerable temperature
- A wider range where the plant can still grow, less optimally.
- Harden off
- Gradually acclimating indoor seedlings to outdoor conditions before transplanting.
- Transplant
- Moving seedlings into the garden.
- Days to harvest
- The usual time to harvest, counted from the start point named beside the number (seed, transplant, or planting).