San Francisco Edible Garden Design Guide: How to Grow Garlic
- rachaelfyrn
- Nov 10, 2025
- 4 min read
Updated: Dec 21, 2025
Growing garlic at home can be one of the most satisfying parts of an edible garden, but maximizing success in San Francisco often comes down to smart design, placement, and ongoing care. At Fyrn Landscapes, we help homeowners create edible gardens that are both beautiful and productive — from garlic and herbs to fruit trees and perennial veggies.
➤ Ready to make your whole yard work for you? Schedule a Free Edible Garden Consultation.
Garlic has a longer growing season than many vegetables. In the Bay Area, November is the ideal month to plant, and bulbs are typically harvested in late summer. After harvesting, garlic needs several weeks to cure before it’s ready to store. By the time you finish curing, planting time rolls around again. For gardeners who enjoy seasonal rhythms, garlic offers a rewarding year-round cycle.
How to Choose and Plant Garlic
Each individual clove is actually a seed. You can buy certified seed garlic from a nursery—great for planting larger beds—or simply pick up a firm, organic head from your local farmer’s market.
Selecting the Right Garlic
To grow the best results:
Choose large heads with big cloves.
Separate cloves but don’t peel them.
Use the largest cloves and compost the smallest ones.
Plant each clove 2–3 inches deep, pointy side up, flat side down (where roots form).
These simple steps set you up for a strong harvest.
If you’re unsure how to arrange garlic alongside other plants or want a layout that maximizes space and harvest, our landscape designer can map it out for you based on your garden's sun exposure, soil, and microclimate.
What to Expect as Garlic Grows
As winter passes, green shoots begin to appear. Below the soil, your single clove is dividing and swelling into a full head of garlic. By late summer, the green stalks dry down and turn brown—your cue that the bulbs are nearly mature. Wait until the tops are almost fully dry before harvesting.
Curing Your Garlic
To cure garlic properly, store freshly pulled bulbs in a dry, airy space for a few weeks. When the outer papers are papery and the stalks are completely dry (no moisture when cut), your garlic is ready to store. Set aside your biggest, best heads to plant again—your own homegrown seed stock!
Storing Garlic at Home
Keep cured garlic in a cool, dry, dark spot. If your garlic produced sturdy stalks, you can even braid them for decorative, functional kitchen storage. Simply pull off a head when you need it.
Why Garlic Is a Foundation Plant in San Francisco Edible Garden Design
Garlic is one of the most reliable crops in San Francisco edible garden design, fitting easily into raised beds, mixed borders, and small urban yards while improving soil health and maximizing seasonal harvests.
In compact yards—especially common in San Francisco—garden space is precious. While full-season garlic is satisfying, it occupies garden real estate for nearly a year. For small gardens focused on San Francisco edible gardening, we often recommend growing garlic primarily for spring garlic—a tender, mild, green-onion-like harvest available only briefly at farmer’s markets.
Not sure how to make the most of your small backyard? We specialize in compact edible garden designs that fit garlic, veggies, herbs, and ornamentals without crowding your space.
Want Your Edible Garden to Thrive?
Garlic is just the beginning. The right design, from raised beds to microclimate zoning, makes your whole garden more productive and easier to maintain.
Our edible garden designs turn busy yards into abundant landscapes homeowners love.
The Benefits of Spring Garlic
Spring garlic is harvested early, when the plants resemble green onions with a mild garlic flavor. It’s a short-season delicacy that appears at farmer’s markets for just a week or two, and it’s surprisingly expensive. When you grow your own, you can harvest fresh spring garlic for weeks.
This approach offers big benefits:
Cloves can be planted more closely.
You free up garden space sooner.
You enjoy a premium culinary ingredient for a fraction of the cost.
Spring garlic is delicious in salads, eggs, soups, stir-fries, and homemade broths. It’s one of the best-kept secrets of San Francisco edible gardening.
Tips for Maximizing Your Garlic Harvest
To ensure a successful garlic harvest, consider the following tips:
Soil Quality: Garlic thrives in well-drained, nutrient-rich soil. Amend your soil with compost to boost its fertility.
Watering: Garlic needs consistent moisture, especially during its growing phase. However, avoid overwatering, as this can lead to rot.
Mulching: Apply a layer of mulch to retain moisture and suppress weeds.
Ready to Grow More Than Garlic?
Growing garlic is a great start, but a well-designed edible garden brings flavor, diversity, and year-round harvests to your San Francisco yard.
At Fyrn Landscapes, we offer:
Custom edible garden & landscape design
Planting plans tailored to your microclimate
Garden maintenance & seasonal care services
Plant selection & installation support
Whether you want a simple pruning schedule or a complete edible garden layout, we’re here to help.
