How Much Seed Garlic Do You Actually Need?

We’ve been fielding this question for years: “How much seed garlic do I actually need?” And it’s a good one! Gardeners want to make sure they’re planting correctly. They want to ensure they’re not ordering too much, but are getting just enough to fill their planting space or meet their family’s garlic needs for the year. Most people sell garlic in pounds or half-pounds. Figuring out how that translates to the garden can be tricky! 

We asked 516 gardeners how much seed garlic they need. Two thirds of them weren’t sure! This revealed a hole in our gardener education. This blog post is us filling it in. 

The Short Answer

On average, one pound of seed garlic will plant 20 to 25 row feet when planted six inches apart. Because hardneck and softneck garlic have different sizes and amounts of cloves, it differs slightly based on which you are planting. 

Each pound of hardneck seed garlic will yield approximately a four to seven pound total harvest. For softneck, this harvest is slightly larger at six to ten pounds. 

Where to Begin

If you want to nail down your seed garlic order, you’ll want to start with how much garlic you actually eat. Are you a garlic fanatic eating a bulb a day, or a week or a month? Do your children snack on garlic cloves? Do you cook everything with garlic? Approximately how many bulbs of garlic does your household use in a week? From here, we can work backwards. 

Scenario One: 

I’m a light garlic eater. We go through maybe one bulb a month in my house. That means I need 12 bulbs a year. This is roughly ¼ to ½ of seed garlic and only six planted row feet. 

Scenario Two: 

We’re cooking with garlic on the regular! We typically go through one bulb a week. We need about 52 bulbs which is one and a half pounds of hardneck seed garlic. It’s about three quarters to one pound of softneck seed garlic and about 26 planted row feet. 

Scenario Three: 

We’re eating garlic constantly! At least two bulbs a week. We’re wanting to grow at least 100 bulbs a year which requires two to three pounds of hardneck or one and a half to two pounds of softneck seed garlic and about 50 planted row feet. 

Optional additional garlic: 

I want to save my own garlic seed! I need to plant enough garlic to eat as well as store for planting the following year. If I’m growing 100 bulbs to eat, I need to grow an additional half pound or so of garlic just for planting. When I harvest, I’ll be storing the largest, least damaged bulbs and cloves for replanting in a few months. 

What Type You Buy Dictates How Much You Grow

The first step to growing garlic is to understand what type of garlic you plan to grow. In the survey we conducted, we found that 34.4% of respondents didn’t know the types of garlic or the differences between them. 

We separate garlic into two categories: Hardneck and softneck. Hardneck garlic is a type of garlic that is particularly cold hardy and produces two crops; a garlic bulb as well as an edible scape that is harvested in spring. Softneck varieties are best for growers in mild to warm climates, especially those that struggle to grow garlic because the climate is too hot. They may find success with softneck varieties. Softneck garlic is known for its braidable foliage and long storage quality. Hardneck varieties tend to have larger cloves, but fewer cloves. Softneck varieties have more cloves that tend to be smaller. This is why a pound of each planted in the same bed will yield different results.

How Much Space Do You Need? 

We’ve been talking about row feet - but how does this translate to your actual garden? Garlic can be planted just about anywhere - raised beds, containers, in-ground rows, anywhere! The typical home gardener isn’t typically planting in large, long rows. They’re mostly planting in beds! So, how does row feet translate to your beds? 

Learn Something New? You’re Not Alone!

Ready to get planting? Hopefully by now you’ve sorted out how much seed garlic you need to purchase for your garden. The survey we conducted uncovered that 65.3% of respondents couldn’t confidently say how much seed garlic they needed. And that includes 50% of respondents that had already grown garlic more than once! This shows that the confusion is a lapse in education and explanation on our part, not on yours. 

Tips for Ordering Seed Garlic

It’s time to place your order! Follow these simple tips for getting it right every year.

• Check out our How to Grow Garlic blog post and get started. 

• While we offer a wide array of varieties, for beginners we recommend focusing on figuring out if hardneck or softneck is right for you. From there, you can branch out into variety specifications! 

• Once you calculate how much garlic you need for your garden, write it down in your garden planner! This way, this time next year, you’ll be all ready to go. 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is seed garlic, and how is it different from regular garlic?

Seed garlic is sold specifically for planting, rather than eating, though it can also be eaten! It is selected for size and storage ability, and is disease-free. Grocery store garlic, sold for eating, is often treated to suppress sprouting and is not tested for diseases. 

2. How much seed garlic do I need for my garden?

The answer to this question depends on your garden’s size or how much garlic you use in a growing season. For a household that requires two bulbs of garlic a week for general cooking, they need 104 bulbs a year. This will require two to three pounds of hardneck seed garlic or one to two pounds of softneck seed garlic. It also requires about 50 feet of planting row to produce. 

3. How many cloves are in a pound of seed garlic?

Hardneck garlic has about 30 to 50 cloves per pound of seed garlic and softneck has 50 to 70 cloves per pound of seed garlic. Each clove produces one bulb of garlic. 

4. Can you plant garlic from the grocery store?

While, yes, you can plant garlic from the grocery store, it is not recommended. Grocery store garlic is often treated to suppress sprouting, which makes it hard or impossible to grow. It also is not guaranteed to be disease free. This means that one planting of grocery store garlic could result in years of consequences and the inability to grow garlic in your garden in coming years. 

5. Why is seed garlic more expensive than grocery garlic?

Seed garlic is grown, selected, tested and cured for planting rather than eating. There is a wider range of varieties to choose from that are all produced in smaller quantities than grocery store garlic. 

6. How far apart should I plant my garlic cloves?

Garlic cloves should be planted six inches apart in rows that are ten to 12 inches apart. 

7. Can I save my own seed garlic to replant next year?

Absolutely! And you should. Garlic saved from your own garden can become adapted and perform better in your specific space. Take note, however, that mixing in some new seed stock every couple of years can strengthen genetics and performance! 

	Article Written by: Hannah Gibbons
	About the Author: Hannah Gibbons, an employee at Sow True Seed since 2020, has nearly a decade of experience in the agricultural industry. Their passion for environmental education and regenerative agriculture has been the cornerstone of their work, aimed at making gardening accessible to all.