The garlic looks great, it's hard to visualize the size, what is the biggest diameter? It sounds like you did all the right things, it may have been the type of garlic you bought. All the cloves look properly formed and the root system looks good. I'd give you an "A"

I grew all my garlic (Sixteen varieties) in pots and planters this last year because we had to move in December and I needed them to be portable. I think I let them dry out too early and forced early maturation which resulted in smaller bulbs for me too. Of course the very large bulbed varieties are still quite large but still suffered some.

Also, if you plant garlic too close together the roots will compete. It's not enough to give the bulb room, you must give the roots room. I've read they need 49 square inches per plant which would be 7x7" on grid. Some recommend 5-6" in-row spacing and 10" row spacing. "The Complete Book of Garlic" is a great resource and I used it frequently. It's EXTREMELY detailed. You can skip all the parts about genetics if you want. :) Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: The Complete Book of Garlic

I agree with braeburn040. Those are some good looking garlic. It's not always about the size, it's about the reward of harvesting something you grew.

How close did you plant them together? How big were the containers? And how often did you fertilize?

Rodney

Nice harvest.
Smaller size could be due to the variety or the growing conditions. All in all very impressive for a first timer.

Growing garlic requires leaning a lot of trick of the trade. Some varieties grow better than others in a given location, some not so good.