When to plant garlic in Leicester: 20 October – end of December

In Leicester, garlic: plant from 20 October to the end of December. For planting stock, the places nearby include Annes Plants (garden centre, 7 km) and Chamneys Garden Centre (garden centre, 9 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 Leicester: soil, season and weather

Garlic goes into the ground in Leicester from 20 October to the end of December; the window opens a month before the first autumn frost. No month averages below 0 °C at night; the coldest nights, in January, average 1.6 °C.

Planting	20 October – end of December
First autumn frost	19 November
Coldest nights	January, 1.6 °C
Soil back at 5 °C in spring	10 January
Harvest (card)	about 8 months after planting: June
Daylight	10:22 on 20 October
Daylight at the winter solstice	7:38

Garlic in Leicester: care after planting

Planted on 20 October: in the first weeks water every 7 days.

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

20 October — feed: nitrogen
17 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 Leicester, Stoke-on-Trent is 4 days earlier and Nottingham 4 days later.

City	Distance	Date	Difference
Nottingham	34 km	24 October – end of December	4 days later
Coventry	36 km	18 October – end of December	2 days earlier
Derby	39 km	23 October – end of December	3 days later
Birmingham	54 km	20 October – end of December	same day
Lincoln (United Kingdom)	77 km	20 October – end of December	same day
Stoke-on-Trent	83 km	16 October – end of December	4 days earlier

Where to buy garlic for planting in Leicester

Planting stock goes into the ground from 20 October to the end of December; buy it before that. Within 15 km of Leicester OpenStreetMap lists 14 garden centres, 5 plant nurseries, 4 markets and 6 farm shops (collected 20 October 2026).

Thornton Nursery — garden centre
Mon–Fri 09:00–17:00; Sat, Sun 10:00–16:00 · 12 km
Annes Plants — garden centre
Tue–Sat 10:00–17:00; Sun 10:30–16:30 · 7 km
Chamneys Garden Centre — garden centre
Lutterworth Road, LE8 4DP Blaby · 9 km
Leicester Market Food Hall — market
Market Place 33, LE1 5GG Leicester · Mon–Sat 09:00–17:00; Sun closed · 1 km

Questions