Garlic Bulbs Growing Above Ground . Saturday, august 25, 2018 we will finish the garlic chronicles with our 8th installment. While there’s no standard number of leaves that garlic should have, a reliable harvest indicator is when half the leaves have died off, and half are still green. How Does Garlic Grow? Mike's Backyard Nursery from mikesbackyardnursery.com Plant depth of garlic depending on winter climates. You can plant them straight in the ground at least 15cm (6in) apart, with rows about 30cm (12in) apart. If you expect a mild winter, an inch is deep enough;