Where to Buy (and not to buy) Seed Garlic for Planting

You know you want to grow garlic in your garden. You’ve heard it’s one of the easiest crops you can grow (and you heard right!). You’ve also learned that garlic is almost always best planted in the fall.

But where can you find garlic to plant? Should you plant garlic that you buy at the grocery store, or is there a special type of garlic to plant in your garden?

Risks of Planting Garlic from the Grocery Store

Of course, the easiest way to plant garlic in your garden would be to buy a bulb of garlic at your grocery store, separate the cloves, and plant.

But there are three reasons why this isn’t the best idea under most circumstances.

Garlic at the grocery store isn’t certified disease-free.

When you buy seed garlic from a seed supplier (more on this below), you’re purchasing garlic that has been tested to be sure that the seed will not transmit diseases to your soil.

These are not diseases that will make YOU sick; they are diseases that could contaminate your soil for years to come. Even if this risk is low, it is a risk.

Garlic at the grocery store may have been sprayed.

Many times, crops like garlic and potatoes are sprayed with a sprout-inhibitor to preserve their shelf-life. Because you DO want your garlic to sprout quickly when you plant it, you obviously don’t want your garlic to have been sprayed in this way.

Garlic at the grocery store may not grow well in your climate.

The garlic you purchase at the grocery store is usually a softneck type of garlic that grows best in warmer regions. While areas with colder winters can sometimes grow softneck garlic, often the results won’t be as good as with hardneck. (Learn the difference between softneck and hardneck garlic here.)

If you live in a climate with warmer winters, you may have more success with grocery store garlic, but still may not find your harvest as robust as you would when you start with seed garlic.

Most garlic sold in US grocery stores was grown in China or California, under specific conditions. This may not translate well to your climate. Here are other reasons why grocery store garlic may not be the best to plant.

Bottom line: I would only grow garlic from the grocery store under these conditions:

• if I have a strict budget (seed garlic is more expensive)
• if I’m willing to accept a smaller harvest
• if I live in an area with mild winters (roughly zone 7 and above)
• if I chose organic garlic to perhaps avoid the sprout-inhibitor spray
• if I grow in containers (so if the garlic carries disease, I could discard the soil and not ruin my garden soil)

What to Know Before You Purchase Seed Garlic

The biggest challenge in growing your own garlic is in finding seed garlic to plant. If you choose not to plant garlic from your grocery store, what are your options?

Thankfully, there are many reputable companies who sell seed garlic! But here are a few things you need to know before you place your order.

Know What Kind to Buy

It may seem overwhelming at first, but the main question you need to ask is whether to grow softneck or hardneck garlic. Again, this article describes the difference (along with other variations in options you may find helpful), but here’s the main thing you need to know.

Hardneck is best for those with cold winters; softneck is best for those with mild winters.

Some of us can grow both, but we may find more success with one over the other. In Arkansas, zone 8a, I grow both, but softneck always provides a bigger harvest.

Place Your Order Early

Many garlic companies begin allowing pre-orders in July. You can usually start ordering in August through October.

However, don’t wait too long. For many companies, garlic sells out quickly, and the most popular varieties sell out first.

It really doesn’t matter whether the company waits to ship your order or ships right away. If you get your order early, just open it and keep it in a cool, dark place until you’re ready to plant.

Be prepared for sticker shock

For a fairly inexpensive item at the grocery store, you may wonder why you’d want to pay the prices you’ll see when you go to order seed garlic. But I encourage you to think beyond this first season.

When you harvest your garlic next season, you’ll keep back your strongest bulbs to re-plant the following year. It is entirely possible to place one order this year and not have to order more seed garlic again, unless you want to try new varieties.

I’ve been planting and growing the same kind of garlic — Inchelium red — for more years than I can count (maybe 7 or 8?). The only time I buy new seed garlic is if I want to try a new variety for fun.

Speaking of varieties, that’s another reason why it’s fun to buy seed garlic. You can experiment with different flavors that you’d never find at your grocery store.

Where to Buy Seed Garlic

Below I will provide a list of companies either I or others I’ve personally spoken to have bought from. Some you’ll find have a small selection of the most common varieties, while others have a huge selection (mostly of the hardneck varieties).

(Some of these links are affiliate links, but most of them I have no affiliation with.)

Epic Gardening. The fall of 2023 was their first year selling garlic, and the garlic I got from them did fantastic! If they sell again, my code JOURNEYWITHJILL should get you 5% off your order.

MIGardener. What I loved about buying from MIGardener is that you can buy just one bulb, which is a lot cheaper than buying by the pound. So, if you’re wanting to dip your toe into growing garlic, this is a great option.

Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. As a southern gardener, I enjoyed their slightly larger selection of softneck varieties, and the hardneck varieties they carry have done well for me in Arkansas.

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. I always have good experience with anything I buy from Baker Creek, including garlic.

Territorial Seed Company. While I haven’t bought garlic from them, Territorial is one of my favorite all-around seed suppliers.

Johnny’s Selected Seeds. Same as with Territorial Seeds, I’ve had great success with everything I’ve bought from them. Being based in Maine, they have more selection of hardneck than shortneck.

Gurneys. Very good selection of both hardneck and softneck, and I appreciate their quick growing guide as well.

Hudson Valley Seed. If you’re looking for certified organic garlic seed, you’ll of course pay a little more, but this is a good source for it.

Filaree Farm. This is another organic option, and they have a great selection.

Sow True Seed. I’ve heard good things about this company, and I’m sure their garlic is no exception.

If you’ve purchased from a garlic supplier with good results, please share in the comments!

How to Plant and Grow Garlic

Now that you have an idea where to get your seed garlic, where do you go from here?

1. Download my free Garlic Planting Cheat Sheet to give you a step-by-step guide to planting your own garlic.
2. Learn more about growing garlic with these articles.
3. Get even more step-by-step, in-depth instruction in my on-demand Garlic Workshop.