Raised beds provide loose soil and better drainage for root vegetables like garlic. However, you can grow in them in your backyard or in a container.
Growing garlic is trouble free; with little work you can have endless supply of garlic for your family, year-to-year. But to know how much yield will be sufficient for you, you must certainly know how many garlic bulbs grow from one clove?
As you already knew, garlic bulb consists of 8 to 10 cloves. Obviously, you need to separate each clove and plant one clove in 2 inch deep hole. This takes me back to the question? How many garlic bulbs?
From one clove, you ca n grow one garlic bulb. In other words, you can grow 8 to 10 garlic bulbs from one garlic bulb.
Quality of the garlic may vary depending on the clove you choose while planting. If you’re growing garlic for first time, then I recommend trying more than 2 varieties of garlic. Not just for fun, you’ll know which type best fits your requirement.
Here, I need stop and confess that you can’t grow successful garlic from seeds. Garlic bulbs are grown using its cloves.
So, it is very important to know growing conditions of your plant before digging on to harvest.
Soil, Water and Sunlight
Local climatic conditions, growing medium and watering frequency will have major impact on the yield.
As an edible plant, garlic does well in fertile soil. Just add dry compost to the soil with some perlite and sand. This is to allow easily flow of excess liquid and at the same time to hold the moisture for longer time.
If you’re planning to grow garlic in container, then you must add natural fertilizers derived from bone meal and fish meal. You can get it from online store.
Water your garlic plant, when you see the growing medium is dry up to 1-inch. Make sure to check the water is easily drained through the bottom hole of the container.
Overwatering or underwatering, both will ruin garlic plant growth. Excess water clogged in the pot will rot the garlic and the plant will be killed. Not providing enough water will result in stunted growth and drooping leaves.
Garlic grows in cold temperature. But, to needs sunlight to grow. 6 to 8 hours of sunlight will be enough to get quality yield of garlic. (Source)
Though it needs full sun to grow, garlic requires cool temperature ranging between 32F-50F.
This will take you to the question.
Also Read: How Often to Water Kale?
When to plant garlic?
Plant garlic in autumn or spring, however, most gardeners recommend planting in autumn for quality harvest.
According to this blog, garlic bulbs planted in spring will have smaller or only one clove. This is because; vernalisation process is not done when planted in spring.
Vernalisation process stress garlic bulb to form different cloves.
It can be confusing, but as a general rule of thumb, you can plant garlic after 2 weeks of first frost.
As mentioned, garlic needs a period of cold so that it develops separate bulbs while harvesting.
Also Read: How Long Does it Take for Kale to Grow?
How long does Garlic take to grow from one bulb?
If you planted garlic cloves in Jan, then probably you’ll expect the yield in July.
If you’re planning to grow garlic from cloves in Feb, then you can harvest in August.
When the garlic reaches desirable height, then it the foliage starts widening, till they are ready for harvest.
It takes about 8-9 months to grow garlic bulb from clove. Harvest time may increase or decrease, depending on the cultivar you choose.
How Many Garlic Grow From One Bulb?
If you didn’t skip about lines, then you must know that you can grow 1 garlic bulb from 1 garlic clove. So, this means, with 1 garlic bulb you can grow 8 to 10 garlic bulbs.
Depending on the people live in your home, you must plan to grow garlic. With little effort, you can have surplus supply of garlic yield throughout the year.
Per person you must purchase 2 to 3 garlic bulbs. If you’ve 4 members in your family, then 4×3 is 12 garlic bulbs. You must plant atleast 10 to 12 garlic bulbs to have enough supply.
Planting
While planting, ensure to use only larger cloves. Small cloves don’t produce good yield.
Separate the cloves from bulb, but don’t peel.
Prepare the raised bed or container, by adding loose soil along with compost. If you never tried raised beds, then I recommend you first learn how to grow vegetable in raised beds, here.
- Make a hole of 2 inches deep using a wooden stick. Now, plant the flattened bottom of the clove down and pointing end up.
- Plant another clove, 6 inches apart. This will allow the plant to grow and produce good yield.
- After planting, water gently.
- As the garlic sprouts up, add mulch like dry leaves to halt the weed growth.
- These dry leaves will eventually add nutrients to the soil surface as the time goes.
Note: Don’t plant garlic in the backyard where you planted Alliums family plant like onion, leek and chives at-least for 2 years. This is to ensure the disease isn’t carried.
Also Read: Will Eggplant Survive in Winter?
Important Tips to Grow Garlic
Planning will allow growing good yield of garlic. Below mentioned are important tips that will help you in gardening.
- Soil must be loose, drain well and should have organic matter (fertilizer).
- Garlic plant needs full sun light of about 6 to 8 hours.
- The plant may survive in partial shade, but it will impact of the quality of the yield.
- Watering is crucial for every plant, and in case of vegetables plant it is very important.
- However, overwatering will leave the clove rotted.
- Garlic needs cool temperature to produce good yield. So, plan to grow according, after 2 to 3 weeks of first frost.
When you see the foliage is turning yellow, after the plant reaching desired height. It can be sign that the bulb has reached maturity stage. Don’t water the plant when they are ready to harvest.
Check this out: Best Soil for Sweet Potatoes
How to Store Garlic?
After harvest, dry the garlic bulbs in single layer of sun. Once, you see the foliage attached to bulb is dry, then cut it off and place the garlic bulbs without curing in dry place (41F to 50F) away from sunlight.
Depending on the variety of garlic you choose, you can store the harvested garlic for months. Check more on this plant here.