Garlic Bulb Sizes

Not Sure What Size to Choose?

Jumbo Size

Jumbo bulbs are 2.25”+ in diameter, with most falling around 2.25″ and occasionally reaching 2.75″+. True “super jumbo” bulbs are rare. While we do grow some at that size, we typically reserve those for replanting on our own farm.

If your goal is to start with the largest possible bulbs, Jumbo is the way to go. Just keep in mind that these bulbs are often already near their maximum size, so they may not size up significantly after planting.

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Large Size

Large bulbs are around 2″ in diameter and are considered a great planting size. These bulbs often have the potential to size up into Jumbo bulbs under the right growing conditions.

This is the size we recommend for most gardeners—it offers an excellent balance between bulb size and growth potential. If your main goal is strictly the largest bulbs possible, then you may still prefer Jumbo.

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Culinary Size

Culinary bulbs are small to medium in size, similar to what you’d find at the grocery store. They are best suited for eating but can still be used for planting.

Keep in mind: planting culinary-sized garlic will typically result in small to medium bulbs at harvest. Over time, you can size them up by planting your biggest bulbs!

This size is often preferred by market growers and CSA farms because it provides more plantable cloves per pound, allowing for higher overall production. If your goal is to plant more cloves and harvest a higher quantity—rather than focusing on bulb size—this is a great option.

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A Quick Note on Sizing

Garlic is a natural agricultural product, and bulb size can vary. We do our best to fulfill orders with the exact size selected, but availability can sometimes be limited. In those cases, we may upgrade your order if your chosen size isn’t available.

If you order Jumbo, we assume you specifically want Jumbo bulbs. Because of this, we carefully manage how much we sell to ensure we can meet those orders.

If you have a preference or special request, feel free to leave us a note in the comment section when placing your order—we’re always happy to take that into account.

Understanding Clove Size by Garlic Variety

Not all garlic bulbs are created equal—different varieties produce different numbers and sizes of cloves. Knowing what to expect can help you decide what to plant and how to use each type.

Porcelain Garlic

Porcelains are known for producing large, uniform cloves, often all in the Large to Jumbo range. This makes them a great choice if you want consistently sized planting stock and easy-to-peel cloves.

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Standard Purple Stripe Garlic

Purple Stripes typically produce 10–12 cloves per bulb with a mix of sizes.

• Usually, about 4 cloves are smaller
• These smaller cloves will grow into small or culinary-sized bulbs if planted

The remaining cloves are larger and better suited for producing full-sized bulbs.

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Rocambole Garlic

Rocamboles generally have 9–10 cloves per bulb with a range of sizes.

• Most cloves tend to be large
• Double cloves are common
  

This variety offers a good balance but still includes some variation in clove size.

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Softneck Garlic

Softnecks tend to have the widest range of clove sizes, often including quite a few very small cloves.

• Small cloves can be planted, but will produce smaller bulbs
• Many growers choose to use these for eating instead

A popular option is to plant the smaller cloves as green garlic, harvesting them in the spring and using them like green onions.