When to plant garlic in Geneva: 18 October – end of December

In Geneva, garlic: plant from 18 October to the end of December. For planting stock, the places nearby include Abel marché (farm shop, 6 km) and Ferme De La Planche (farm shop, 7 km); addresses and opening hours are below.

Garlic is best planted early in the window: cloves planted late make smaller bulbs. Late planting works only while the soil is not frozen. Mulch after planting.

The average daily temperature here stays above 0 °C all winter, and at least two months average 10 °C or less: the cold garlic needs, one to two months at 0–10 °C (RHS). The two-month threshold is our rule of thumb. Sources: UVM Extension, UNH Extension, RHS.

Garlic in Geneva: soil, season and weather

Garlic goes into the ground in Geneva from 18 October to the end of December; the window opens a month before the first autumn frost. Nights then average below 0 °C in December–February; the coldest, January, averages -1.7 °C.

Planting	18 October – end of December
First autumn frost	17 November
Coldest nights	January, -1.7 °C
Soil back at 5 °C in spring	17 February
Harvest (card)	about 8 months after planting: June
Daylight	10:49 on 18 October
Daylight at the winter solstice	8:37

The same dates in Geneva hold for Tulip, Daffodil, Crocus and Hyacinth.

Garlic in Geneva: care after planting

Planted on 18 October: in the first weeks water every 7 days.

Feeding, by the card’s schedule from that day:

18 October — feed: nitrogen
15 November — feed: nitrogen

Pests and diseases of garlic to watch for:

Dates count from the first planting day of the window above; a later planting moves them by as many days.

Garlic in nearby cities

Around Geneva, Aosta is 68 days earlier and Lausanne 3 days later.

City	Distance	Date	Difference
Annecy	32 km	15 October – end of December	3 days earlier
Lausanne	52 km	21 October – end of December	3 days later
Chambéry	72 km	21 October – end of December	3 days later
Sion	94 km	19 September – 19 November	29 days earlier
Fribourg	102 km	7 October – 30 December	11 days earlier
Aosta	105 km	11 August – 22 October	68 days earlier

Where to buy garlic for planting in Geneva

Planting stock goes into the ground from 18 October to the end of December; buy it before that. Within 15 km of Geneva OpenStreetMap lists 16 garden centres, 2 farm-supply shops, 8 markets and 23 farm shops (collected 27 October 2026).

Ferme des Peureuses — farm shop
Wed–Fri, Sun 09:00–12:00; Sat 14:00–19:00 · 13 km · fermedespeureuses.com
Domaine de la Mermière — farm shop
Rue du Faubourg 7, Soral · 10 km
Abel marché — farm shop
Thu, Fri 08:00–13:00; Sat 08:00–14:00 · 6 km
Ferme De La Planche — farm shop
Mon 15:00–18:30 · 7 km

Questions