I live in Gadsden. I planted my garlic 5 weeks ago. The green shoots are up and over a foot. I like to use the green shoots...they have very nice and mild flavor. I dig up the garlic heads in June.
I grow mine in flower beds and I space them about 2" apart. You can add coffee gronds and compost, it will help them. Good luck.

I've planted garlic as early as the end of August with good success and as late as February with marginal success. The bulbs in February weren't huge but edible and since I also cook with the green tops and I just wanted a bit more that I already had planted, why not?
If you are worried about rot, try to help your garlic along by giving it a bit of compost. Compost fights disease in a big way. Compost tea helps too. The more biologically diverse your soil is (ie, the more worms, beneficial nematodes and beneficial microbes the soil has) the better disease control you get. Which is why I don't till, why I don't spray anything but compost tea (or my own hot pepper and garlic pest-be-gone mixture) and why I have a great heaping bunch of garlic every year no matter what :)

Here is a link that might be useful: Why biological diversity is important in gardens!

My trusty ol' Hastings Planting Guide says plant garlic between Sept. 1 through March 15.