Perhaps a better question is how much garlic do you need? If each clove produces a bulb, how many bulbs of garlic do you use in, say a month? I use maybe 1 or at the most 2, so all I need is 18 to 24 plants for next year. That was about a 3' by 3' block in one of my raised beds. I had four bulbs of "seed" garlic. I planted the largest cloves and brought the rest inside for kitchen use. One bulb wasn't even opened.

No such thing as too much garlic. Friends rarely turn it down when I offer and I had really good luck getting rid of as much as I wanted to by advertising on craig's list.

I plant between 350 ad 400 and always wish I had planted more.

Agree - never have too much garlic.

Of course people will take it for free...especially when they are clueless to the work involved...

And if you can sell it, all the better!

I would plant tons of garlic. My problem is lack of sunny space and good soil. Somebody before me put down probably twelve inches of gravel and river rock and several layers of black plastic. Every garden that make has to have dirt/manure hauled in. Plus, I have so many trees. I'm now maxed out on sunny gardens and I'm even using my front yard space. I have one shady garden box to fill but I'm assuming garlic wouldn't like the shade so I'm planning to use that spot for lettuce, radishes, carrots and kale.

I sold it for $6/lb on craig's list four years ago. That was what the nice big heads went for at our farmers market. Nice to get enough cash to cover cost of fertilizer.

And I do not consider garlic to be labor intensive. Quite the opposite, actually. Prep the soil and plant and Mother Nature takes care of watering.

About 25 sq ft for 80 cloves, approximately 1 lb if you only plant the 8 biggest cloves from each bulb. Spacing 5" with rows 10" apart. That's about 3' x 8'.
john

Thanks, John. Exactly what I needed!
I'm assuming garlic won't do anything without full sun? The fact that garlic needs about three growing seasons in AZ makes it more difficult. It means I have to reserve space from my fall, winter and spring garden. By the time garlic is harvested, it's too hot to plant anything until it cools off in the fall, except basil, okra or amaranth.

I have the same problems as you. Limited space, too much shade and sorry soil except in the places I've cultivated for years. I got my seed garlic from a grower in AZ, Forever Yong in Amado, the closest to my zone that I could find. It is Ajo Rojo and Sonoran.
john