The first thing you need to do if you want to grow garlic at home is find the right type of garlic for your area. Both hardneck and softneck garlic grow best in certain climates. Let’s talk more about how these two types of garlic are different.
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All garlic is divided into two main categories – hardneck and softneck. There are 11 main types of garlic below that, and then 100s of different types of garlic below that. So there’s way more options available to you than the one type they sell at the grocery store. That’s one of the many reasons why we recommend growing garlic at home, but I digress….
Because garlic is so hardy—it grows well in all grow zones—it can be grown anywhere. It likes the cold, the heat, drought, and pests.
But the main difference between hardneck and softneck garlic is how cold your winters get. Hardneck garlic needs an extended period of cold to fracture and form cloves. So the colder your zone, the better your hardneck garlic will perform. In contrast, softneck garlic doesn’t have these same requirements and can be grown in downright tropical environments.
Personally, I love this graphic from GroEat Garlic Farm. It shows the different USDA grown zones in comparison to the best garlic for your area. They say that zones 1 through 5 are best for hardneck garlic and zones 8 through 12 are best for softneck garlic. Any zone in between you can grow both types of garlic.
One of the biggest benefits of growing hardneck garlic is that they give you garlic scapes. Scapes are the edible flowerstalk of the garlic plant. They shoot up in early summer, long before your garlic is ready, and feature a delicate garlic flavor. We love to eat them raw, grill them, pickle them, and even make compound butter.
Heads of hardneck garlic usually have just a few cloves, but they’re typically massive. That makes hardneck garlic a little easier to cook with and enjoy because there’s less cloves to peel.
This point is arguable, but we’re firm believers that hardneck garlic tastes better than softneck garlic. There are some of the hottest types of garlic in the world, like Georgian Fire, and some of the most classic garlic flavors, like Music.
The “soft necks” of this garlic type make it the easiest to braid. A braid of garlic hanging on the wall is the best way to give your kitchen that very cottage-style look. Some people say that hardneck garlic can also be braided, but we don’t think it’s worth the extra work and soaking it first. If you wanna braid garlic, grow softneck.
There’s a reason why it’s primarily softneck garlic that’s sold at the grocery store. These types have an incredible shelf life, sometimes storing for a year or more. To make sure we have enough garlic for cooking until early summer, we try to grow a few types with soft necks.
Garlic is a satisfying vegetable to grow for any gardener. The pungent flavor and aroma of homegrown garlic is far superior to grocery store garlic. Plus, harvesting plump, fresh garlic bulbs you grew yourself is very rewarding.
But before planting garlic the most important decision is choosing which variety to grow. There are early mid and late season garlics; hardnecks and softnecks; big bulbs and small bulbs. Colors range from pure white to deep purple. Flavor profiles run the gamut from mild and sweet to spicy bold.
So how do you choose the best garlic bulbs for planting in your garden? The answer often depends on your climate, goals as a grower and the qualities you desire in both the plant and the harvested bulb. But one variety stands out as an all-around champion: Russian Giant marbled purple stripe.
Factors in Choosing Garlic Bulbs for Planting
Here are some key considerations when selecting garlic bulbs for planting:
Your climate and growing season length – Hardneck garlics need cold winters while softnecks grow well where winters are mild. Early season bulbs mature quickly if your season is short.
Flavor and use – Softnecks like Silverskin have milder flavor good for cooking. Hardnecks like Porcelain and Purple Stripe have more pungent, complex flavors ideal for roasting.
Number and size of cloves per bulb – Larger bulbs like Elephant garlic have fewer huge cloves. Smaller bulbs like Rocambole have many smaller cloves.
Ease of growing – Some garlics are more finicky or prone to disease. Beginners may want to start with resilient types like Silverskin.
How you’ll use the scapes – Only hardneck garlics produce the delicious curly scapes you can eat.
Yield per square foot – Smaller bulbed types yield more pounds of garlic per square foot.
Storage life – Softnecks store longer than hardnecks. But hardnecks have more complex flavors.
Why Russian Giant Stands Out as a Top Choice
While every garlic has pros and cons, one variety emerges as an ideal choice for almost any gardener or climate: Russian Giant marbled purple stripe. Here’s why it tops my list:
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Adaptable and resilient – Russian Giant thrives across diverse climates as a cold-tolerant hardneck. It’s also less prone to disease than many garlics.
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Good for beginners – Easy to grow and more forgiving than finickier garlics. Russian Giant is a great choice if you’re new to growing garlic.
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High yield – Russian Giant bulbs are on the large size, averaging 6-8 cloves of good size per bulb. Each clove easily produces another full bulb.
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Large, beautiful bulbs – Averages 4-6 inches in diameter with nice large cloves. Skins are a striking marbled white and purple.
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Full hardneck flavor – Russian Giant has the complex, pungent flavor prized in hardneck garlic. Hot when raw; sweet, nutty and buttery when roasted.
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Early harvest – Matures in early-mid summer, avoiding issues with split bulbs later in season.
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Good storage life – Keeps 5-7 months with proper curing and storage. Longer than many hardnecks.
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Bonus scapes – As a hardneck, Russian Giant produces delicious scapes you can harvest and eat in early summer.
Other Top Garlic Varieties to Consider
While Russian Giant is a foolproof choice, here are some other excellent garlic bulbs for planting:
Silverskin – The top softneck with mild flavor perfect for cooking. Adaptable and easy to grow with elongated shape and many smaller cloves per bulb. Stores very well up to a year.
Music – Sweet, mellow hardneck garlic with beautiful large purple-striped bulbs containing 4-6 extra-large easy-to-peel cloves. Stores well for a hardneck variety.
Chesnok Red – Hardneck type with pretty bulbs and tasty flavor. Easy to grow, early harvest. Stores well up to 8 months.
Spanish Roja – Heirloom hardneck with great hot, spicy flavor. Adapted to many climates. Stores up to 6 months.
Inchelium Red – A popular softneck with beautiful bulbs and rich flavor. Vigorous grower with excellent storage life.
Elephant Garlic – Extremely large bulbs with 4-6 huge cloves and mild flavor. Technically a leek, not a true garlic. Stores up to a year.
Choosing the Best Bulbs for Replanting
The quickest way to a successful garlic harvest is to plant top-quality planting stock sourced from a reputable grower. Never plant grocery store garlic, as it may carry diseases.
Look for large, blemish-free bulbs showing no signs of mold, damage or sprouting. Select the largest outer bulbs from a supplier rather than broken apart individual cloves whenever possible.
If planting from your own prior crop, save your largest, healthiest, best-shaped bulbs for replanting.
Start Your Best Garlic Crop With the Right Variety
While most garlic varieties will grow well for the average gardener, choosing the best type for your climate, goals and taste preferences gives your crop the best start. And for most growers, it’s hard to beat Russian Giant purple stripe as the ultimate garlic for reliable harvests of big, beautiful bulbs brimming with rich, robust flavor. With the right garlic planted this fall, you’ll be enjoying the “stinking rose” at its finest next summer.
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Watch This Before You Plant Garlic
FAQ
Which garlic is best to plant?
What month do you plant garlic bulbs?
What is the most flavorful garlic?
Should I grow softneck or hardneck garlic?
How far apart should garlic bulbs be planted?
Dig holes in the ground that are around 2 to 3 inches deep to plant your garlic cloves. Space holes 4 to 6 inches apart. If planting in rows, space each row 2 inches apart. If you’re tight on space, you can plant the cloves and rows closer together, but know that your bulbs will inevitably be smaller.
How do you plant garlic?
Plant the garlic cloves. Divide the bulb into individual cloves, keeping the papery skin intact. Plant the cloves 4 inches apart and about 2 inches deep. Make sure that the flat root side is pointing down and the tapered side is pointing up – otherwise the garlic will grow in the wrong direction.
Is garlic easy to plant?
Thankfully, garlic is fairly easy to plant, but there are some hard and fast rules that you’ll want to be sure to follow. First, make sure that the garden bed that you’re planning on planting garlic in is open. Remove any remaining plants, plant debris, and weeds.
How do you grow a garlic bulb?
Choose a site with full sun and moist, well-drained, loose, and sandy conditions. Loose soil lets the bulbs grow easily without rotting from heavier and wetter soil or damaging the papery skin that protects the garlic bulb from rot.
Can you grow garlic from a white bulb?
by Bethany Hayes When you buy garlic in the store, you simply grab the white bulb off the shelf and head home. The decision is simple, but when you grow garlic, you realize there are so many different varieties of garlic to grow in your garden.
What kind of garlic should I grow?
Try softneck varieties like California Early White (mild and versatile), Silver White (moderate flavor and keeps well in storage), or Lorz Italian (strong, zesty flavors). Choose large, clean garlic bulbs since they’ll have the best chances of growing.