How Many Garlic Cloves Per Square Foot? Spacing, Depth and a 4x8 Bed Count

You split three heads of garlic on the kitchen counter, and now there's a pile of cloves and a 4 × 8 ft raised bed waiting outside. At 5 inches apart in every direction, the spacing University of Illinois Extension gives for a garlic stand, a square foot holds about 5 to 6 cloves and a 4 × 8 bed holds about 171. Plant them 1 to 2 inches deep, pointed tip up, 4 to 6 weeks before the ground freezes, per Illinois Extension.

Quick pick: a 5-inch grid, cloves 1 to 2 inches deep with the papery skins left on, and a long-handle bulb planter with a depth scale, so every hole matches without kneeling.

Free calculator: filling the bed first? Get the soil in cubic feet and bags with our free raised bed calculator. No sign-up.

Garlic cloves per square foot by spacing

Per sq ft = 144 ÷ (spacing in inches)². Bed counts are on a grid, rounded down.

4 in grid — 9 per sq ft; 4 × 4 bed: 144; 4 × 8 bed: 288

5 in grid — about 5.8 per sq ft; 4 × 4 bed: 81; 4 × 8 bed: 171

6 in grid — 4 per sq ft; 4 × 4 bed: 64; 4 × 8 bed: 128

Rows — Illinois Extension says 4 to 5 in apart in rows 15 to 18 in apart. Three 8 ft rows in a 4 ft bed: 57 to 72 cloves. A 10 ft row: 24 to 30.

Closer than 5 inches? Illinois Extension says you can, then pull the extras in spring as green garlic to open up 5-inch spacing.

Not a fit: spring planting straight from the store. Illinois Extension says spring cloves need about 8 weeks in the fridge first to form bulbs.

Tulips, daffodils and crocus per square foot

Iowa State Extension says to plant spring bulbs 3 to 4 times as deep as the bulb is wide:

Tulips and daffodils — 6 to 8 in deep, 6 in apart: 4 per sq ft, 128 in a 4 × 8 bed

Crocus and grape hyacinth — 3 to 4 in deep, 3 in apart: 16 per sq ft, 512 in a 4 × 8 bed

Garlic — 1 to 2 in deep (Illinois Extension), much shallower than tulips.

For bed depth, see how deep a raised bed should be.

How to count your bed and your garlic

Across: bed width in inches ÷ spacing, rounded down. 48 ÷ 5 = 9.6, so 9.

Along: bed length in inches ÷ spacing, rounded down. 96 ÷ 5 = 19.2, so 19.

Cloves: 9 × 19 = 171.

Heads to buy: break one head and count the cloves you'd plant. Say it gives 8: 171 ÷ 8 = 21.4, so buy 22 heads.

Timing: Illinois Extension says to separate cloves right before planting and not to peel them.

After planting

Mulch. Illinois Extension says to mulch garlic with straw to prevent frost heaving; it also holds moisture and keeps weeds down.

Feed the soil. Illinois Extension says to plant into well-drained soil amended with compost. See how much compost you need.

Winter beds. See how to winterize raised beds and winter mulch for perennials.

Bulb and garlic planting tools (#ad)

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Haliaeetus Long Handle Bulb Planter, 37 in Stainless Steel — step and twist while standing, with a 1 to 4 inch depth scale on the back, per the maker. Good for garlic and crocus depths; check tulip holes with a ruler. See it on Amazon

Garlic spacing FAQ

How many garlic cloves per square foot? About 5 to 6 at 5 inches apart, 9 at 4 inches, 4 at 6 inches.

How deep do you plant garlic? 1 to 2 inches deep with the narrow tip up, per Illinois Extension.

How many garlic cloves fit in a 4x8 raised bed? About 171 on a 5-inch grid, or 57 to 72 in three rows.

How many tulip bulbs per square foot? 4 at the 6-inch spacing Iowa State Extension gives. Crocus at 3 inches: 16.

When should I plant garlic? In fall, 4 to 6 weeks before the ground freezes, per Illinois Extension.

Free calculator: get soil and compost for any bed in the free raised bed calculator.

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Sources: University of Illinois Extension, Planting and Growing Garlic, updated September 2020; Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, How deep should I plant tulips?, updated December 3, 2024.