The Right Way to Feed Garlic for Bigger, Healthier Bulbs

A Lesson From My First Garlic Patch

The first year I planted garlic, I treated it like onions — tossed it in the ground, gave it a little compost, and figured it would take care of itself. Come harvest, I had bulbs the size of marbles, some split open, others soft. That was the year I learned garlic doesn’t forget how you treat it. Feed it right, and it will reward you with tight, full bulbs. Neglect it, and you’ll be eating small cloves all winter.

Garlic’s feeding schedule is unlike anything else in the garden. It’s planted in one season and harvested in another, and what you do — or fail to do — along the way makes all the difference.

Understanding Garlic’s Feeding Cycle

Garlic is a two-season crop. You plant in the fall, give it time to send roots down before winter, and then it sits dormant under the soil until early spring.

In the spring, it shoots up quickly, putting all its energy into leafy growth. By early summer, it shifts gears — energy goes into bulb formation, and feeding needs change. Knowing when these shifts happen lets you match nutrients to the plant’s actual needs.

Pre-Plant Soil Amendments for Strong Roots

Test First, Amend Second

Guessing at what your soil needs is like driving in the dark without headlights. A simple soil test tells you exactly where you stand, especially with phosphorus and potassium, which garlic needs for strong roots and healthy bulbs.

The Fall Foundation Mix

Before planting, work in:

• Compost for overall soil health.

• Aged manure for slow, steady nutrition.

• Bone meal for phosphorus.

• Greensand for potassium and trace minerals.

USDA Zone note:

• In Zones 3–7, amend and plant 4–6 weeks before the ground freezes.

• In Zones 8–10, plant later in fall, once temps cool and risk of sprouting before winter is minimal.

Grandma’s Tip: “Feed your soil before you feed your crop — the roots can’t grab what isn’t there.”

Nitrogen Needs in Early Growth

When garlic wakes up in early spring, it’s in a hurry to grow leaves. Those leaves are the plant’s energy factory — more leaves now mean more bulb growth later. That’s where nitrogen comes in.

Organic sources I like:

• Blood meal — quick boost.

• Alfalfa meal — slower, steady release.

• Fish emulsion — easy to apply with water.

First application goes on after snow melts or when green shoots are just peeking out.

Side-Dressing Through the Growing Season

First Side-Dress

About 3–4 weeks after emergence, feed again with a balanced organic fertilizer.

Second Side-Dress

Just before bulb swelling begins — usually 6 weeks before harvest — feed a second time.

Application methods:

• Scratch in dry fertilizer around plants.

• Apply liquid feed for faster uptake.

Adjusting After Scape Removal

Cutting scapes signals garlic to put energy into the bulb instead of flowers. After scape removal, drop nitrogen and focus on potassium and phosphorus to help bulbs finish strong.

Good sources:

• Kelp meal — boosts bulb size.

• Wood ash — adds potassium, but use sparingly.

Avoiding Late-Season Nitrogen Mistakes

High nitrogen late in the season encourages soft growth and poor storage. When lower leaves start browning from the bottom up, that’s your cue to stop feeding.

Pro Tips & Common Mistakes to Avoid

Pro Tips:

• Feed little and often — garlic doesn’t store excess nitrogen well.

• Keep fertilizer at least 2 inches from the stalk to prevent burn.

Common Mistakes:

• Skipping a soil test and adding nutrients blindly.

• Overwatering right after feeding, washing nutrients away.

• Feeding with high-nitrogen fertilizer too close to harvest.

A Note on Spring-Planted Garlic

Spring-planted garlic doesn’t get the long root-establishment period, so it needs more immediate, quick-release nutrients early on. Use fish emulsion or compost tea weekly for the first month after planting.

Step-by-Step Feeding Schedule (Printable Guide)

1. Fall prep: Test soil, amend, plant.

2. Early spring: First nitrogen boost.

3. Mid-spring: First side-dress.

4. Late spring: Second side-dress (if needed).

5. After scapes: Shift to potassium/phosphorus.

6. Final month: Stop feeding.

(Lead magnet: Download my Garlic Feeding Calendar by USDA Zone.)

Closing Encouragement & Faith Alignment

Garlic is the definition of delayed reward — planted in faith, tended through seasons, and harvested in its time. Galatians 6:9 says, “Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”

If you’ve never fed garlic on a proper schedule before, this is your year to start. Test your soil this week, get your amendments ready, and plant with confidence. Your future self — and your pantry — will thank you.