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When to plant garlic in Rockford: 28 September – 25 November

In Rockford, garlic: plant from 28 September to about 25 November. For planting stock, the places nearby include Walmart Garden Center (garden centre, 7 km) and Rockvalley 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 Rockford: soil, season and weather

Garlic goes into the ground in Rockford from 28 September to about 25 November; the window opens a month before the first autumn frost. Nights then average below 0 °C in December–March; the coldest, January, averages -8.9 °C.

Planting28 September – 25 November
First autumn frost28 October
Coldest nightsJanuary, -8.9 °C
Soil back at 5 °C in spring13 March
Harvest (card)about 8 months after planting: June
Daylight11:55 on 28 September
Daylight at the winter solstice9:05

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

Garlic in Rockford: care after planting

Planted on 28 September: in the first weeks water every 7 days.

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

  • 28 September — feed: nitrogen
  • 26 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 Rockford, Cedar Rapids is 3 days earlier and Chicago 9 days later.

CityDistanceDateDifference
Madison94 km27 September – 20 November1 day earlier
Chicago125 km7 October – 3 December9 days later
Milwaukee128 km2 October – 25 November4 days later
Davenport149 km30 September – 30 November2 days later
Peoria180 km1 October – 9 December3 days later
Cedar Rapids219 km25 September – 25 November3 days earlier

Where to buy garlic for planting in Rockford

Planting stock goes into the ground from 28 September to about 25 November; buy it before that. Within 15 km of Rockford OpenStreetMap lists 10 garden centres (collected 28 October 2026).

Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Questions

When to plant garlic in Rockford?

In Rockford, garlic: plant from 28 September to about 25 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 Rockford?

Last spring frost around 26 April, first autumn frost around 28 October.

Other crops in Rockford, with their dates