I placed my order for garlic today. In the past I purchased garlic from the store and there really wasn’t much selection … if I recall correctly Early Italian and Late Italian were/are the standard varieties sold around here. I decided to buy this year from Seed Savers who has an excellent catalog full of unique seeds of all types. You can request a free catalog at their website and even check out their garlic selection and print out a Garlic Planting Guide. The garlic you order comes with a detailed planting guide and you can decide what date you want your garlic sent to you. They offer a Garlic Sampler you can purchase with 10 different varieties – 6 hardneck and 3 softneck and 1 Elephant garlic. It looks like a great deal but I decided to order less and get a handle on growing garlic before I purchase a whole shipload. So I decided on 2 hardneck – Chrysalis Purple and Shvelisi (Chesnok Red) and 2 softneck – Chet’s Italian Red and Inchelium Red to ship September 22-24. The May/June issue of GRIT magazine has an article “GARLIC – A Plant to Love” and they recommend their favorites. Two I chose to plant are listed Chesnok Red and Chet’s Italian Red, so that’s reassuring. In this article they offer a quick distinction between hardneck and softneck varieties. It states that if you live in a more Southern area, where winter frosts are nonexistent or mild, consider softnecks. If you live in a cold climate, where winters are severe, try a hardneck. The book I have “Growing Great Garlic” goes into much more detail on different varieties. For the coming season I figured I would keep the odds even and try 2 of each type. I will be planting these down south where the winters are much more mild.
On another note … My Dad turns 70 and look at the basket of garden goodies I gathered to give him! He will be so happy … healthy food to keep him healthy! Happy 70th Birthday Dad!
Hey Deb –
You have an awesome site. It is so full of inspirational information and compelling photography. Actually, you have made me positively hungry.
Thanks so much for mentioning GRIT’s article on garlic. I have taken the liberty of posting a direct link here, along with a link to our garlic resources page.
http://www.grit.com/Garden/Garlic.aspx
http://www.grit.com/Garden/Garlic.aspx?page=4
We are always on the lookout for great writers and photographers at GRIT. Don’t be shy about sending me an article query.
Thanks again.
Hank
Oscar H. Will III
Editor, GRIT Magazine
1503 SW 42nd St.
Topeka, KS 66609