Garlic planting dates in Korea split by type: southern (warm) garlic from mid-September to early October, northern (cold) garlic from mid-October to early November. Seed clove size, 5–7 cm depth, clove treatment, mulching, the Hongsan variety, and October 2, 2026 KAMIS wholesale prices.
With garlic, which type you plant and where matters more than the exact day. Plant southern-type garlic late in central Korea and it enters winter without enough roots. Plant northern-type garlic too early and seed cloves rot in warm soil. So the right date in October depends on region and type.
Bottom line: Southern (warm-region) garlic goes in from mid-September to early October in the south and along the coast; northern (cold-region) garlic goes in from mid-October to early November inland in central Korea. Use 4–5 g cloves for northern types and 5–7 g for southern types, treat them the day before planting, dry them in shade, and cover with 5–7 cm of soil. Hongsan, released by the Rural Development Administration in 2014, grows in both climates. On October 2, 2026, top-grade peeled Daeseo garlic sold for KRW 164,000 per 20 kg in Seoul, 12% above a year earlier.
1. Planting windows
| Type | Main regions | Planting window |
|---|---|---|
| Southern type (Daeseo, Namdo) | Jeju, south coast, south | Mid-September to early October |
| Northern type (Uiseong etc.) | Inland central Korea | Mid-October to early November |
| Hongsan | Nationwide | Follow the local type’s window |
These dates combine guidance from the Chungbuk Agricultural Research and Extension Services and Taean County. Chungbuk sets late November as the latest workable date. Too early and cloves rot in the heat; too late and roots are weak going into winter, raising freeze and drying damage.
2. Seed cloves and treatment
| Item | Guide |
|---|---|
| Clove size | Northern 4–5 g, southern 5–7 g |
| Oversized cloves | More split (“secondary growth”) bulbs |
| Seed per 10 a | Northern 70–80 jeop, southern 60–70 jeop (210–260 kg) |
| Treatment | Day before planting, under 1 hour in a registered dip |
| Drying | Dry in shade before planting |
3. Depth and spacing
Cover cloves with 5–7 cm of soil (two to three times the clove length), with 20 cm between rows and 10 cm between plants (7–8 cm for dense planting). Shallow planting leads to heaving and split bulbs. Many growers use 0.015 mm black perforated mulch film, which sets the spacing automatically.
4. Mulching and winter care
Southern types are mulched in early October or right after planting and overwinter with visible leaves. Northern types are mulched late, from mid-to-late November to early December, so shoots do not push up before winter; when shoots reach 10–15 cm, pull them through holes in the film. Where film is not used in central and northern areas, straw or rice hulls reduce freeze damage. Top-dress two or three times from March to late April and remove film around mid-April.
5. What is Hongsan garlic?
Hongsan is a six-clove variety developed by the Rural Development Administration in 2014. Its main feature is that it grows in both cold and warm regions. RDA describes it as having large cloves, good storage life, and roots that separate easily at harvest. Its bulbils, planted in spring, produce single-clove bulbs in about three months, which some growers use to multiply seed stock.
6. Garlic prices now
KAMIS wholesale (intermediate wholesaler) prices on October 2, 2026:
| Item (top grade) | Seoul | Year earlier | Other cities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peeled Daeseo, 20 kg | KRW 164,000 | KRW 146,000 | Gwangju 175,000, Busan 163,000 |
| Whole southern, 10 kg | KRW 50,000 | KRW 47,000 | Daegu 68,500, Gwangju 49,000 |
| Whole northern, 10 kg | KRW 110,000 | KRW 110,000 | Daegu 120,000 (97,000 a year earlier) |
Peeled garlic is 12% above last year and 24% above the 2018–2025 October average (KRW 132,520). Next year’s new-crop price is not set yet: the gap between October and the following July ranged from −30% (2018) to +37% (2019). Daily prices are on the garlic price page.
7. Checklist
- South or coast: southern type. Inland central: northern type. Hongsan works anywhere.
- Southern type mid-September to early October; northern type mid-October to early November; no later than late November.
- Choose 4–5 g (northern) or 5–7 g (southern) cloves and discard damaged ones.
- Treat the day before planting for under an hour, then dry in shade.
- Cover with 5–7 cm of soil at 20 x 10 cm spacing.
- Mulch southern types early and northern types late.
References
- Chungcheongbuk-do Agricultural Research and Extension Services, Garlic Research Institute: garlic cultivation techniques.
- Taean County: Taean six-clove garlic cultivation techniques.
- Rural Development Administration Nongsaro: garlic seed clove treatment and planting.
- Korea Agriculture and Fisheries Newspaper; Nongmin Shinmun (February 2026): Hongsan garlic and bulbil planting.
- aT KAMIS daily intermediate wholesale prices and monthly averages via data.go.kr, through October 2, 2026.
- Actual planting dates and prices vary by variety, local climate, weather, and market.