How Much Garlic to Plant Per Person: A Comprehensive Guide

Garlic is a flavorful herb that can be used in many dishes. It’s also easy to grow at home, which makes it a popular choice for gardeners. But how much garlic should you plant for each person? That depends on a number of things. This in-depth guide will tell you how much garlic to plant for each person.

Why Grow Your Own Garlic?

There are many great reasons to grow your own garlic

• Save money. Store-bought garlic can be expensive, especially for organic varieties. Growing your own is very cost effective.

• Get the best flavor. Homegrown garlic has a fresher, more pungent flavor than store-bought.

• Grow the varieties you want. You can choose from softneck, hardneck, and elephant garlic.

• Control growing methods. You can be sure no harmful chemicals are used when you grow garlic yourself.

• Grow it organically. It’s easy to grow garlic without the use of synthetic fertilizers or pesticides.

• Preserve and store garlic. You can enjoy homegrown garlic for up to a year after harvest by curing and storing it properly.

• Use the whole plant. Garlic greens, scapes, and cloves can all be eaten. Less waste!

Factors That Determine How Much to Plant

When deciding how much garlic to grow per person, here are some variables to consider:

Your Climate and Growing Conditions

• Garlic needs cool weather but can tolerate some frost. It thrives best in zones 3-9.

• Hardneck varieties tolerate cold better than softneck.

• Garlic will produce smaller bulbs in warm climates. Plant more to compensate.

• Amend poor soil with compost to increase yields.

The Size of Your Household

• For a family of 4, plant 40-60 cloves total.

• For a couple, 20-30 cloves is sufficient.

• If you’ll be sharing with friends/family, increase amounts.

Your Taste Preferences

• If you use garlic daily, plant more than someone who only uses it occasionally.

• Lovers of garlic may want to double typical planting amounts.

• Consider how often you cook with garlic and in what quantities.

The Varieties You Choose

• Hardneck garlic produces fewer, larger cloves (4-12 per bulb).

• Softneck garlic yields more smaller cloves (10-20 per bulb).

• Elephant garlic has very large cloves best used fresh rather than stored.

How Much Space You Have

• Allow 6-8 inches between garlic plants. More for elephant garlic.

• You can plant in beds, containers, raised rows, and more.

• Be sure to rotate where you plant garlic each year.

Recommended Amounts to Plant

10 to 15 cloves per person is a good general rule of thumb for most homes. But use the following planting tips for garlic that are right for your climate and taste:

Cold Climates

If you live in zones 3-5, with cold winters below freezing, plant 5-7 heads per person. The cooler weather means garlic bulbs will be on the smaller side. Stick with hardy hardneck varieties like Music, Russian Red, German Red.

Temperate Climates

For zones 6-8, with warmer winters, plant 7-10 heads per person. Grow a mix of hardneck and softneck varieties. Good choices include Inchelium Red, Georgian Crystal, Lorz Italian.

Hot Climates

In zones 9-10, with mild winters, plant 10-12 heads per person. Focus on softneck varieties like California Early and Glenlarge as they handle heat better. Plant in fall/winter.

Elephant Garlic

For this giant garlic relative, plant just 1-2 heads per person. The bulbs and cloves are very large. Space elephant garlic plants 10 inches apart.

How Many Cloves Per Head?

To determine the total number of cloves to plant, you’ll need to multiply the number of heads by the average number of cloves per head for the variety:

• Hardneck garlic: 4-12 cloves per head

• Softneck garlic: 10-20 cloves per head

• Elephant garlic: 4-6 huge cloves per head

So for example, if planting 10 heads per person of a softneck variety with 15 cloves per head, you would need 150 cloves total.

How Much Garden Space for Garlic?

You’ll need about 4-6 inches of garden space per head of garlic planted. This allows enough room between plants for good bulb development.

Here is the approximate space needed for different amounts:

• 10 heads: 2.5-3 sq ft

• 20 heads: 5-6 sq ft

• 40 heads: 10-12 sq ft

• 60 heads: 15-18 sq ft

Keep in mind elephant garlic needs more spacing, about 10 inches per head.

Tips for Planting and Growing Garlic

Follow these tips for the best harvest:

• Plant in fall 4-6 weeks before first frost.

• Break bulbs into individual cloves. Don’t separate skins.

• Plant cloves 2-3 inches deep and 4-6 inches apart.

• Place cloves root-end down and pointy end up.

• Mulch beds for weed control and moisture retention.

• Water when soil is dry to the touch, about 1″ per week.

• Fertilize monthly with a balanced organic fertilizer.

• Harvest when bottom 1/3 of leaves turn yellow.

• Cure bulbs in dry, well-ventilated area for 1-2 weeks.

• Store cured garlic in cool (65°F), dark place.

Get Started Growing Your Own!

With this handy guide on how much garlic per person, you can confidently plan your garlic patch. Start with a small crop, then expand as you gain experience. Soon you’ll have a steady yearly harvest of this flavorful culinary staple. The tasty homegrown bulbs are well worth the space in your garden.