Hardneck Garlic Varieties and Harvest Tips

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Most people know garlic as garlic. It was the same for me, until I discovered there are two types of garlic, softneck garlic and hardneck garlic. Now, planting the hardneck diversity in my home garden is one of my favorite fall activities.

I adopt planting hard neck garlic for several reasons, one beingness this variety offers an added bonus – garlic scapes. Today I'm sharing in more than detail what garlic scapes are, how to plant and grow hardneck garlic and why this is the garlic y'all should constitute.

Hardneck Garlic

What is Hardneck Garlic?

There are two types of garlic: softneck garlic and hardneck garlic. The latter is more than popular to grow in climates with a hard winter. Hardneck garlic has a thick stem in the middle of the seedling. It also forms garlic scapes in the summer, which can be harvested and eaten.

Garlic scapes are long sparse stalks produced by the garlic plant once information technology begins to flower. The scapes are removed and frequently sold at farmer's markets. They can be used to make pestos, dips, soup and used in stir fry, among other recipes.

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Hardneck Garlic Varieties

Hardneck vs Softneck Garlic

Basically the garlic scapes are a milder version of a garlic clove, and incredibly tasty and versatile. I also freeze some then they can exist used throughout the year. What'southward swell nigh hardneck garlic is you become to not merely relish the garlic harvest itself but likewise the scapes. To me, it's similar getting two harvests for the cost of one.

Like many new gardeners I didn't know there were dissimilar types of garlic. The first twelvemonth I grew garlic in my garden I grew softneck garlic. This was around 2022 or so. Softneck garlic is planted in the spring, harvested the same season and does non produce garlic scapes.

I purchased this garlic at a local garden center in the bound. It is actually readily available to purchase where I live and it'due south fine to grow during the warm season. If you want to stagger your harvest or just want to grow a lot of garlic, growing both varieties is a good idea.

The garlic tasted fine simply I felt like for the cost I paid for the cloves  (you constitute garlic cloves from the bulb every bit "seeds) I might as well purchase hardneck garlic and receive the added bonus of garlic scapes! I also learned around this time that information technology'south very difficult to find and purchase hardneck garlic at the local garden centers in my region.

When to Harvest Scapes

Why Establish Hardneck Garlic?

I am in Cleveland, Ohio. Beneath are photos of the garlic scapes in one case they are harvested from the hardneck garlic. This unremarkably occurs in June in Northern Ohio. In the second photo you can run across what happens if you wait too long to harvest, the scape will thicken and harden to a more woody stem. The seed pod too forms and volition go on to get larger if not picked.

Ever since that revelation, I have been a hardcore garlic planter and connoisseur. Planting hardneck variety garlic is a role of my fall gardening routine. I'chiliad offering a few reasons below why I found this type, besides the wonderful garlic scapes that grow on the constitute.

Buying Hardneck Garlic

Regardless of which variety of garlic you make up one's mind to purchase, I highly recommend buying garlic from Botanical Interests. Not only is their garlic organic, but it's incredibly affordable. Bustle though, if you lot are buying for this year, right now is the perfect fourth dimension to order your autumn garlic and some varieties are already selling out.

Added Annotation: I accept found it extremely difficult to detect hardneck garlic locally. It's really only easier for me to order it online now that I know what varieties I like.

The year 2022 proved to exist fifty-fifty more than challenging. Many people have taken upwardly the hobby of dwelling house gardening. Usually I order my hardneck garlic online in September or October. I found out recently that other gardeners began pre-ordering hardneck garlic every bit early on as June when looking for hardneck garlic bulbs for sale.

In 2022 I was able to club my hardneck garlic online in late Baronial. All the same, ane of my favorite suppliers had already sold out of their garlic around Baronial 7. At that time they had rumored to might get some other supply this yr merely information technology was still unknown.

Garlic Types and Growing Tips

Where to Buy Hardneck Garlic

In the past I ordered two garlic bulbs from Botanical Interests when looking for hardneck garlic for sale. I'm not certain how much you spend on garlic at the shop but this pocket-sized investment yield me huge returns each year. Each clove yields ane garlic institute. In fact one summertime I had then much garlic I gave it away to several friends.

The remaining garlic I go along stores well for a yr or more than in our canning closet. You could also store the garlic in a dwelling house pantry or any other cool place. In 2022 I planted 20 garlic cloves, then following July I harvested 20 garlic bulbs. They have a not bad record when it comes to production.

Ordinarily I harvest on or effectually July 4. In addition to Botanical Interests, in that location are other companies where you tin purchase hardneck garlic. Some additional ideas if y'all are looking for hardneck garlic seed for auction include:

• Local Greenhouses and Establish Nurseries (nosotros accept Petitti Garden Centers)
• Gurney's Seeds
• Burpee Seeds
• Hudson Valley Seed (where I ordered from in 2020)
• Keene Garlic
• Farmer'due south Market place (if yous can find i in your surface area, buy large bulbs, pause them apart and establish the cloves)
• Your garlic harvest from this year, save your largest bulbs for planting
• Friends, family unit or other gardeners who will share some of their harvest

When to Harvest Hardneck Garlic?

My bones timeline for planting hardneck garlic is that I order the garlic each yr in late summertime or early fall. I typically plant the garlic in October, which is the same month I commonly put my garden to bed. In 2015, I was experiencing the beginning stages of labor pains and do y'all know what I did? Ran exterior to plant my garlic bulbs earlier having my babe!

The cloves overwinter and the garlic scapes typically appear in June. I harvest the scapes, preferably, before they go too woody (in the garlic scapes photograph above, they were also woody).

The scapes should be curly, commonly one to two curls, when they are harvested. Then the garlic bulbs themselves are harvested once the leaves on the plants begin to brown and dry. Depending on the weather, this ordinarily happens mid- to belatedly-summer.

Planting Fall Garlic

1) Diverseness of Flavors: Typically, hardneck garlic offers distinct, interesting flavors. There are many cultivars of this garlic type from sweet and strong, to mild and mellow.

two) Reduce Spring Workload: By planting garlic in the autumn, I accept one less plant to worry nearly planting in the spring. Let's be honest, springtime is actually decorated for gardening! Plus it's fun to have something to look forrad to showing some color in the bound – even if it's only a little chip of green garlic leaves.

three) Climate: Softneck garlic is traditionally grown in warmer climates. Here in Northeast Ohio we are in zone 5, which experiences a hard frost and long winter. Hardneck garlic is frost-hardy and volition survive (and even enjoy) the winter! I recommend adding a little grass or leaf clippings over the beds in late fall to add a little chip of protection to your garlic.

4) Garlic Scapes: As mentioned above, when you plant this multifariousness of garlic yous receive the wonderful added bonus of garlic scapes. Wondering when to harvest garlic scapes? These tin be harvested in early summer and used in cooking to add together season to meals – or frozen for use during the winter.

5) Deer Resistance: Deer will swallow near everything in my garden, only they accept never touched my garlic. Deer do not like strong or bitter tastes. When I plant my fall garlic, I plant it around the borders of my garden as a natural deer deterrent.

Hardneck Garlic Scapes Garlic

In Summary

If you are interested in the exact multifariousness of hardneck garlic I purchased in 2019, caput on over to Botanical Interests and check out the Regal Glazer variety.

Each bulb offers viii to 10 cloves and will yield the same number of garlic plants! Botanical Interests is likewise my go-to source for high-quality heirloom and organic seeds.

What questions do y'all have on growing this constitute?

*This post was originally published in 2022 and has been updated and republished for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

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Source: https://blog.hollyhammersmith.com/hardneck-garlic/