California · zones 7a–10b
When to plant garlic in California.
California's window for garlic runs on the fall side of the season. A second, fall sowing fits Nov 13 to Dec 29. Dates below are state medians; your ZIP code shifts them by days to weeks.
The 2026 windows
Garlic dates for a typical California season.
Fall round
Nov 13 to Dec 29
Counted back from the ~Dec 14 first frost.
Harvest
~240 days later
~0.2 lb per plant over ~1 weeks.
California spans more than one climate: Zone 10 is the most common zone, but the state runs 7a to 10b. That's why the planner works from your ZIP code's frost dates, not your zone — mountain and coastal gardens in the same state can be three weeks apart.