Garlic: How to Plant, Grow, and Harvest Garlic Bulbs | The Old Farmers . . . Elephant garlic isn’t a true garlic, but it is grown similarly to hardneck varieties, requiring a long, cool growing season in zones 3 through 9 Most types take about 90 days to harvest once growth starts Despite its size, it has quite a mild flavor, more similar to onion and shallots than traditional garlic