When to plant garlic in Missoula
Garlic is cold-hardy, so every date keys off Missoula's frost dates of May 15.
Step 1 · Sow
Direct sow outdoors
Sep 6 – Sep 27
Sow straight into warm, workable soil.
Step 2 · Harvest
Harvest window
May 4 – May 4
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Window
Days to maturity
240 d
Missoula's 138-day season leaves this much room.
Garlic on Missoula's growing year
Frost-bounded season with crops mapped onto the 12-month axis.
Frost risk Growing Harvest
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
FROST
FROST
MAY 15
OCT 4
Common questions
When can I sow garlic outdoors in Missoula?
Direct-sow around early September (Sep 6–Sep 27) in Missoula, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 83%.
When will garlic be ready to harvest in Missoula?
Expect to harvest from around early May (May 4–May 4) in Missoula, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 75%.
How long is the growing season in Missoula?
Missoula has roughly 138 frost-free days, which is marginal time to grow garlic to maturity outdoors.
The rule of thumb
Sow garlic as soon as the soil is workable — it tolerates cool weather and light frost. Every date on this page is derived from that rule and Missoula's frost dates.
Confidence 83/100 · Curated · based on NOAA GHCN-Daily 1991–2020 normal · frost dates are probabilities, not guarantees.