When to plant garlic in Indianapolis: 7 October – 23 December

In Indianapolis, garlic: plant from 7 October to about 23 December. For planting stock, the places nearby include Botanical Bar (garden centre, 2 km) and Snakeroot Botanicals (garden centre, 3 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 date is about two weeks before the average daily temperature here falls below 0 °C (ten years of weather): an estimate, not the day the ground freezes, and a cold spell can freeze it earlier. Sources: UVM Extension, UNH Extension, RHS, how the ground freezes (NRC Canada, CBD-26).

Garlic in Indianapolis: soil, season and weather

Garlic goes into the ground in Indianapolis from 7 October to about 23 December; the window opens a month before the first autumn frost. Nights then average below 0 °C in December–February; the coldest, January, averages -5 °C.

Planting	7 October – 23 December
First autumn frost	6 November
Coldest nights	January, -5 °C
Soil back at 5 °C in spring	27 February
Harvest (card)	about 8 months after planting: June
Daylight	11:33 on 7 October
Daylight at the winter solstice	9:21

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

Garlic in Indianapolis: care after planting

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

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

7 October — feed: nitrogen
4 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 Indianapolis, Fort Wayne is 4 days earlier and Louisville 5 days later.

City	Distance	Date	Difference
Cincinnati	159 km	10 October – end of December	3 days later
Dayton	168 km	10 October – 26 December	3 days later
Fort Wayne	169 km	3 October – 10 December	4 days earlier
Louisville	173 km	12 October – end of December	5 days later
Frankfort	207 km	4 October – end of December	3 days earlier
Evansville	233 km	11 October – end of December	4 days later

Where to buy garlic for planting in Indianapolis

Planting stock goes into the ground from 7 October to about 23 December; buy it before that. Within 15 km of Indianapolis OpenStreetMap lists 9 garden centres, 1 farm-supply shop, 2 plant nurseries and 4 markets (collected 20 October 2026).

Snakeroot Botanicals — garden centre
Virginia Avenue 1052, 46203 Indianapolis · Mon–Sun 11:00–19:00 · 3 km
Backyard Blessings Garden Center — garden centre
East 30th Street 8005, 46226 Indianapolis · 12 km · indygardencenter.com
DIGS — garden centre
Columbia Avenue 1302, 46201 Indianapolis · 3 km
Botanical Bar — garden centre
North College Avenue 1103, 46202 Indianapolis · 2 km

Questions