Onions & Garlic in Arizona

Onions and garlic are two of the most rewarding crops in the Phoenix fall and winter garden — and they're far easier than most people expect. You plant them, barely think about them for months, and then pull up a full harvest in spring. Few crops are more satisfying.

Garlic

Garlic is planted in November in Phoenix and harvested in May or June — a long season, but nearly hands-off. Each clove you plant becomes a full head of garlic. Plant a few dozen cloves and you'll have enough garlic to cook with all summer and save some for replanting.

Choosing Your Garlic

There are two main types: softneck and hardneck. For Phoenix, softneck varieties are recommended — they're better adapted to mild climates (hardneck varieties need a longer cold period than Phoenix provides).

• Silverskin — The most common softneck. Long shelf life, mild flavor, what you see in most grocery stores. Very reliable.
• Artichoke — Larger cloves, slightly stronger flavor, excellent for cooking. Good Phoenix performer.
• Inchelium Red — Award-winning flavor, large heads. Worth seeking out from a specialty seed company.

Buy seed garlic from a local nursery or seed company rather than grocery store garlic — grocery garlic may be treated to prevent sprouting.

Planting Garlic

Break heads into individual cloves. Plant pointy-end up, 2 inches deep, 4–6 inches apart. In Phoenix, plant in November — this gives cloves time to establish roots before winter while the soil is still warm enough for root growth.

Water well after planting, then water once a week through winter as needed. Garlic is very drought-tolerant once established.

Harvesting Garlic

Garlic is ready to harvest when the lower 3–4 leaves turn brown (each leaf corresponds to a wrapper layer on the head). In Phoenix this usually happens in May or June. Pull a test plant first — if the cloves are well-formed and the wrappers are papery, you're ready. If cloves are still small, give it another week.

Cure harvested garlic in a cool, shaded, airy spot for 3–4 weeks before storing. This dries the wrappers and significantly extends shelf life.

Onions

Phoenix is excellent onion country — our cool winters and long spring days produce great bulbs. The key is understanding "day length" requirements.

Short-Day vs. Long-Day Onions

This is the most important concept for Phoenix onion growing. Onions form bulbs in response to day length. Phoenix is a short-day climate (our longest days in spring reach about 14 hours). You must plant short-day onion varieties — long-day varieties won't bulb properly in our climate.

• Texas 1015Y "Super Sweet" — Very sweet, large, excellent for Phoenix. A top pick.
• Granex (Vidalia-type) — The variety used for famous Vidalia onions. Very sweet, large bulbs, excellent in our climate.
• Red Creole — Red onion, excellent flavor, very well-adapted to warm climates. Great for storage.
• White Bermuda — Mild, large white onion, excellent for Phoenix. Classic short-day variety.

Planting Onions

Plant onion sets or transplants in January through February. Sets (small bulbs) are easiest for beginners. Plant 1 inch deep, 4–6 inches apart. Water regularly — onions have shallow roots and need consistent moisture to form good bulbs.

Harvesting Onions

Onions are ready when the tops fall over naturally. Once about half your onion tops have fallen, bend the rest over by hand and wait a week, then harvest. Cure in a shaded, airy spot for 2–3 weeks before storing. Well-cured onions last months in a cool, dry location.