Best Bulbs to Plant in Fall for the Beginner

It’s September, everyone is talking about bulbs to plant in the fall and if you are like me you are overwhelmed with options. But I’ve got the perfect fall bulb that won’t take any special skills or knowledge. Planting this bulb might seem too easy, but I promise you won’t regret it if you take the time to grow it this fall!
So what is this dream bulb? Drum roll please…it’s Garlic! In our home, we go through garlic like it’s going out of style. We use it with almost every meal and even eat it when we are feeling a sickness coming on. Let me teach you how to grow your garlic from cloves.
Softneck vs Hardneck

It doesn’t matter which one you choose, it is mostly preference, but there are some differences. I usually grow the Soft Neck type, only because that is what I started with when I first planted garlic and have just continued since then.
The Hard Neck garlic is a little easier to grow and hardier as far as withstanding low temperatures but does not store as well as the Soft Neck. It also tends to have larger cloves, but fewer number of them. A cool little tidbit about Hard Neck varieties is that they will produce Garlic Scapes. Garlic Scapes are a nice edible treat, they are the flower stalks getting ready to unravel and are great for sauteing.
Soft Neck garlic doesn’t need the cold temperature that Hard Neck varieties do, and it tends to store longer. There will be more cloves per bulb, but they will be a bit smaller than the Hard Neck. Unfortunately, these do not produce the Garlic Scapes mentioned above.

How to Plant Garlic Bulbs:
- Purchase Garlic bulbs
- Remove outer skins and pull apart individual cloves, keeping the skin on the individual cloves*
- Prepare soil and garden beds as needed
- Dig a hole for each clove about 2-3″deep and about 8-10″ apart
- Plant pointy-side up (this is very important! Ask me how I know)
- Cover with dirt, then water
- Cover planting area with a small layer of straw to insulate and keep moist, watering as needed for the first couple of weeks
- Let those garlic cloves have a nice sleep for the next 2 seasons!
Notes:
- *We want to use the largest and healthiest-looking cloves, keep the small ones for your next meal
- I plant my garlic in mid-October each Fall
- You can sprinkle some wood ash on your garden to help fertilize
When to Harvest Garlic Plants
Garlic will not be ready until sometime between June and July (depending on what type of Spring you had). You will know it’s ready when the bottom 3 leaves have turned a yellow-brown and crunchy. Pull up the whole plant and you will see a whole new head of garlic. Now you can do your happy dance!
The really cool thing about garlic is that once you plant it you can just replant a couple of the bulbs you grew next year. After you get garlic mastered, you can find other bulbs to plant in fall for years to come
Storing Garlic Bulbs
You don’t have to store your garlic bulbs, but you might be hard-pressed to eat it all quickly. Let your freshly pulled garlic bulbs dry out for about a week or two (I do this in my storage room, some people just do it outside under a deck or shade) and then you can brush off the remaining dirt, clip the roots, and either braid together the dried plants, or chop the leave off near the top of the bulb. Keep garlic in a dark dry place until ready to eat.
Take a look at some of our recipes where you can use your homegrown garlic.

How to Plant Garlic Bulbs
What is the easiest bulb to plant and grow? Drum roll please...it's Garlic! In our home, we go through garlic like it's going out of style. Let me teach you how to grow your garlic from cloves.
Materials
- Garlic Bulbs
- Shovel
- Garden Bed
- Watering Can
- Straw
Instructions
- Purchase Garlic bulbs
- Remove outer skins and pull apart individual cloves, keeping the skin on the individual cloves (you can do this a day ahead if needed)
- Prepare soil and garden beds as needed
- Dig a hole for each clove about 2-3"deep and about 8-10" apart
- Plant pointy-side up (this is very important!)
- Cover with dirt, then water
- Cover planting area with a small layer of straw to insulate and keep moist, watering as needed for the first couple of weeks
- Let those garlic cloves have a nice sleep for the next 2 seasons!
Notes
- We want to use the largest and healthiest-looking cloves, keep the small ones for your next meal
- I plant my garlic in mid-October each Fall
- You can sprinkle some wood ash on your garden to help fertilize