Greenly Garden
Get the app
EN

When to plant garlic in Madison: 27 September – 20 November

In Madison, garlic: plant from 27 September to about 20 November. For planting stock, the places nearby include Jung Garden Center (garden centre, 8 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 Madison: soil, season and weather

Garlic goes into the ground in Madison from 27 September to about 20 November; the window opens a month before the first autumn frost. Nights then average below 0 °C in December–March; the coldest, January, averages -9.8 °C.

Planting27 September – 20 November
First autumn frost27 October
Coldest nightsJanuary, -9.8 °C
Soil back at 5 °C in spring23 March
Harvest (card)about 8 months after planting: June
Daylight11:58 on 27 September
Daylight at the winter solstice9:00

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

Garlic in Madison: care after planting

Planted on 27 September: in the first weeks water every 7 days.

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

  • 27 September — feed: nitrogen
  • 25 October — 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 Madison, Cedar Rapids is 2 days earlier and Chicago 10 days later.

CityDistanceDateDifference
Rockford94 km28 September – 25 November1 day later
Milwaukee121 km2 October – 25 November5 days later
Davenport195 km30 September – 30 November3 days later
Green Bay196 km30 September – 17 November3 days later
Chicago196 km7 October – 3 December10 days later
Cedar Rapids224 km25 September – 25 November2 days earlier

Where to buy garlic for planting in Madison

Planting stock goes into the ground from 27 September to about 20 November; buy it before that. Within 15 km of Madison OpenStreetMap lists 8 garden centres, 1 farm-supply shop, 3 plant nurseries, 19 markets and 1 farm shop (collected 20 October 2026).

Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Questions

When to plant garlic in Madison?

In Madison, garlic: plant from 27 September to about 20 November. 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.

When is the last spring frost in Madison?

Last spring frost around 27 April, first autumn frost around 27 October.

Other crops in Madison, with their dates