When to plant garlic in Nebraska

Nebraska spans USDA hardiness zones 4b-5b. Average last spring frost: 05-05. This calendar gives you the indoor start, transplant, and direct-sow dates for Allium sativum.

Nebraska planting dates for garlic

Why these dates

Garlic is fall-planted. Plant cloves 4-6 weeks before the ground freezes (October-November in most zones). Harvest the following July when the bottom 3-4 leaves brown.

The dates above are anchored to Nebraska's average last spring frost date of 05-05, with offsets standard across university Extension publications. For zone-specific local timing, use the frost date lookup tool with your ZIP code.

More on growing garlic

The full growing guide for garlic - varieties, soil, fertilization, pests, harvest, storage - is here: Garlic growing guide.

More Nebraska planting information

• Full Nebraska planting calendar (all crops + ornamentals)
• Find your exact USDA zone by ZIP
• Look up your average frost dates
• Seed starting timeline calculator

Sources

• USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023)
• NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information - U.S. Climate Normals
• Johnny's Selected Seeds Grower's Library for crop timing standards