Garlic (Allium sativum) is one of the oldest cultivated crops globally, a pungent staple in kitchens everywhere. For gardeners, understanding the mechanics of its growth is important for predicting the harvest. The most straightforward answer to how many bulbs you get per plant is one.
The Fundamental Yield
A single planted unit, which is an individual garlic clove, will mature and expand to form exactly one cohesive bulb. Unlike some root vegetables that divide or multiply, the garlic clove functions as a vegetative seed, growing larger around a central axis to form a new, complete bulb. This new bulb contains many individual cloves, which serve as the next generation of planting material.
The goal of cultivation is not to increase the number of bulbs, since that number is fixed at one, but to maximize the size and quality of that single resulting bulb. The size of the bulb directly influences the size and number of the cloves it contains. Starting with a large, healthy clove for planting significantly increases the probability of harvesting a large, mature bulb.
Hardneck Versus Softneck Varieties
The type of garlic chosen directly influences the characteristics of the single bulb harvested. The two main categories are hardneck (Allium sativum ssp. ophioscorodon) and softneck (Allium sativum ssp. sativum). Hardneck varieties are characterized by a stiff, central flowering stem, known as a scape, and thrive in colder climates.
Hardneck bulbs typically produce fewer cloves, ranging from 4 to 12, but these individual cloves are larger and easier to peel than softneck counterparts. Softneck varieties do not produce a stiff scape and are better suited for warmer regions, often being the type found in grocery stores. Softneck bulbs often contain many more cloves (sometimes 10 to 30), which are arranged in multiple layers and tend to be smaller.
Essential Cultivation Practices for Maximum Yield
Since the yield is fixed at one bulb per planted clove, efforts must focus on achieving the maximum possible bulb diameter and weight. Proper spacing is a primary factor, as competition for resources results in smaller bulbs. Planting cloves a minimum of six inches apart provides sufficient room for the bulb to swell without crowding and allows for better air circulation.
Garlic is a heavy feeder, demanding high levels of nutrients throughout its long growing period. Soil should be loose, rich in organic matter, and well-draining, ideally with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0. Nitrogen is important early in the spring to promote strong leaf growth, as the leaves gather the energy needed for bulb development. Later in the season, as bulbing begins, a shift toward potassium and phosphorus supports the enlargement and quality of the bulb.
Consistent moisture is necessary, especially when the bulb is actively swelling in late spring and early summer. Dry soil conditions during this phase can restrict the final size of the bulb. For hardneck varieties, removing the developing flower stalk (the scape) is an important practice for maximizing yield. Cutting the scape redirects the plant’s energy, which would have been used for seed production, directly into the underground bulb, increasing its final size.