Kitchen Garden Forum

Anyone planting garlic this autumn (or already done so perhaps?).

Hardneck or softneck?

Any varieties you would recommend? I've just planted 'Czechmate' (a hardneck variety) in pots.

Anyone start their garlic cell modules first for later transplanting?

I've planted three types ,elephant garlic, Carcassonne from the isle of white ,the third is Lauren white in total around 65 ,I normally note everything I plant and the date on my phone I forgot to list the garlic this year now amended

Softneck varieties for me, especially Mersley Wight, Provence Wight and Solent Wight. Hardnecks seem to have larger cloves but I prefer the long keeping softnecks. We usually still have perfectly good garlic left when next year's harvest is just starting to mature.

I never know what is hardneck or softneck!
All mine were planted on 23rd September. I replant some of my own and usually buy one other besides, perhaps a new variety or a replacement for one that has got a bit small.
This year 15 Marco (saved), 20 Messindrome (saved, fresh last year did really well), 13 Germidor (saved), 12 Germidor (fresh), been growing Germidor for years as it is usually very reliable. The fresh Germidor are up already.

I plant mine, hard neck saved and replanted for the past 15 or so years, in December or January in 5 inch pots and keep them in the cold frame until it's fit to put them out in the garden. I bought the originals from Marshalls but can't remember their name. They are still a good size and have a purplish tinge to the skin and a good flavour. I've saved a few of the elephant garlic cloves to replant too and will do the same with them. I've got used to their mild flavour and just put more in the cooking than I would proper garlic.

I planted elephant garlic and Pink Gwrmidour three eeks ago and some shoots are already showing through. Lord knows whether the latter are hard neck or soft neck but they were the last tqompackets in my local nursery so I snaffled them up.

I don,t really know why i,m growing elephant garlic again this year except I had a lot of bulbs left over from summer as it's really too mild for my preference. .I really like a feisty garlic which gives you a flavour run for your money if anybody can recommend one.

The photo on the packet rwther looked as if they had faint purple streaks.

Pink germidour is a softneck garlic sold by most suppliers

So as a softneck (I've always been confused about the differences too!) it should store better and have more cloves - both plusses in my book as long as the cloves aren't those tiny fiddly little things that are difficult to peel and work with.

In my book Mrs S committed the biggest of all cardinal sins at the Malvern Autumn Show.

She purchased from one of the stands 3 x loose garlic bulbs but against all my previous years of tutelage failed to make a note of the name GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.

Yesterday I planted 24 cloves, 8 from each of those 3 bulbs. Marked in my log book as 'unknown variety'

It's Sod's law Pa that yiu will probably get the best results from the unknown variety and will be permanently irritated that you never know what it is........like those unnamed apple trees to be found in many peoples' gardens !

Primrose wrote:It's Sod's law Pa that yiu will probably get the best results from the unknown variety and will be permanently irritated that you never know what it is........like those unnamed apple trees to be found in many peoples' gardens !

How right you are

I've planted Marco - got confused by it all so just bought the biggest and it split into enough to practically fill my little raised bed. . It's supposed to be strong and long lasting.