I have watched too many YouTube videos on this topic...so I am polling the local experts. Is it better to plant single cloves of garlic, or just plant a whole head of garlic? Hoping to hear from folks who have tried both methods in our locale!
If you want a lots of tiny garlic heads and cloves, plant the whole head; but if you want decent-sized garlic, plant the individual cloves. And for the largest garlic heads and cloves, plant the largest cloves available with adequate space between cloves.
A whole head is too jammed together for good clove growth. Plant single cloves (biggest and firmest you can get) upright 4" apart. Minimum 3" apart.
I have grown garlic for over 35 years. Single cloves not the whole bud!! 6-8 inches apart, cover about 1”. I just planted mine yesterday. Nov. 29! Do not plant elephant garlic. It’s fun to look at but has no flavour to me. if doing a lot you can mulch with straw or leaves. Usually comes up end of January early February. multiple rows. 8-10 apart. I recommend a hard stock garlic and the skin has a bit of purple and not from China! Lots of local garlic here! Hope that helps
Thanks for all the wonderful replies! I decided to plant into 6" pots in amended soil, and hold them in a semi sheltered spot in my garden for the winter, will plant out in a sunny location next spring. Since I did not have stock to plant from, I asked two garlic growing local friends for cloves, bought cloves of 4 different varieties, and also planted some beautifully large and plump cloves labelled BC sourced that I found at my local grocer. All were hard neck varieties. The plan is to replant next fall with "the best of the best".
The earlier you plant in the ground, the larger your bulbs will be. Spring planting works; just don't wait until late spring.
I will get the pots planted as early as possible. One problem I have is that the sunniest spots in my yard are flower gardens...I may be planting the garlic as a border around them!
