Lorz Italian
Garlic in the US

Garlic is best planted direct in the fall, before your first hard frost, so the roots can get a good hold. For folks in USDA zones 3 and 4, that means September or October. Zones 5 and 6, same time really. If you're in zone 7, October into November works. For zones 8 and 9, you can go into December, and zone 10 can plant in November and December. Break a healthy bulb into individual cloves, then plant them pointy end up, about an inch deep and 4-6 inches apart. Make sure they're in a spot with good drainage.

Once your garlic is in, there's not much faffing about to do. It'll just sit there over winter, looking a bit like chives, you know. You won't be pricking out or hardening off, because it's already outside in its permanent spot. They're not tender plants, these. Just make sure the soil doesn't get waterlogged. It'll start growing properly, putting on proper foliage, when spring arrives.