What varieties of garlic and onions do you like to grow?

This is the first time I've tried growing garlic and onions, both as "happy accidents" which sprouted in the kitchen, from grocery store produce.

Interplanted with strawberries and lettuce, the young garlic are doing well, though they are likely softneck types and won't produce scapes.  The rooted onion sets thrived in windowboxes (the only containers I had to put them in, at the time), and yesterday I harvested several small, but well-formed onions.

Now that I know I can do this, I want to include several varieties of each crop in the garden next year.  Rather than order at random, I'd like hear what your favorites are, in terms of hardiness and flavor.

While all input is welcome, I'm especially interested in hardneck garlic varieties and any onions which grow well in New England.

Your thoughts?

GB

Hey Ginger, I do not know what variety my garlic is, it was given to me by a neighbor who has grown it for many years. He told me that it does better if you plant it in the same spot each year, and I can see that seems to hold for me too. I always plant them in October and watch with the amazement of a child each year as it comes back after the sub zero temps of the winter. I know I can never plant enough. This year I am going to plant garlic on the perimeter of every garden I have, it might be a little tough to water everything in the early spring next year due the freezes we experience. I might even think about planting in the Spring so I don't have to water to early.
I too am interested in onions, next year I will go full blast into planting them. I like Vadallia onions, but I am not sure if they grow well here due to the short season. I am interested in the answers you get back from this. I have not grown onions in New Hampster (New Hampshire) so it will be a learning experience, I hope it isn't going to be like my beet experience this year .  Rock

bigdogrock wrote:
I too am interested in onions, next year I will go full blast into planting them. I like Vadallia onions, but I am not sure if they grow well here due to the short season. .  Rock

Vidalia Onions are Yellow Granex Hybrid Onions grown in Vidalia, Ga and surrounding areas.  They are short day and I don't think they will bulb up at the correct time up north.

http://www.vidaliaonion.org/farming/planting_and_growing_vidalia_onions

Agway sells the white garlic called California White I believe. Those are my favorites. But the weird thing is they started off as a soft neck and over couple of years transformed into hard neck. Camprn  had the same issue with them if I remember correctly. Anyway they're the best, store well and they taste great! As for bulb onions, I tried a couple varieties of long day and nothing really came from them except some tiny little bulbs . I wonder if it takes two years? I too will be watching this thread to find out what the heck we can grow here because everything I tried has failed, altho l do very well with scallions, chives, Egyptian walking onions and multipliers, as well as shallots (my shallots were started from a grocery store bought one).

CC

I wanna try a hardneck and a soft neck variety.  When I look for it online, it is like $15 for 8 ounces....what exactly does that mean?  Is that a lot of garlic?  I don't have room for a ton of it...just want a sampler, like 3 or 4 heads.  Any advice?

As the fall approaches it should start showing up in your local nurseries. They'll have the types that grow best in your area. I would go that route. Or farmers markets also sells garlic and you can use those.

OK, I will keep my eyes open.  Such a bummer last year.  They all came up, then....gone.

Here's a resource for a couple of types of garlic (hopefully, there will be more available):

https://www.botanicalinterests.com/products/srch:nematode?utm_source=Weekly+Newsletter&utm_campaign=afa997bc8b-V_N_garlic_available_8_13_16&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_17be3505db-afa997bc8b-59672821

Thanks for the resource, Donna!

Hi Ginger!

I'm in PA rather than New England, but think you're only a little colder. This year I grew three hardneck types. Maiskij, Spanish Roja, and Music. The first two were a few small cloves from a friend - and per the internet (I didn't note where exactly I read this) these varieties purportedly won't store well. The Music garlic I started from large cloves from a CSA. Baker's Creek says Music stores well and is "Well adapted to colder regions." All three grew, but it's not fair of me to compare the results of small cloves planted in dirt with large cloves planted in MM. I haven't tried a side by side taste test yet.

I also planted two unknown types of garlic, one from a neighbor, and one from a farmer's market. I suspect one of the two is German red, which Baker's Creek says "Grows particularly well in colder regions of the country."

Scorpio, re your quantity question the Baker's Creek says on one of the pages "(1/2 Pound Package - about 3 to 4 large bulbs)" I'd guess 5-6 cloves per bulb, but I think it depends on variety.

Wish they offered a sampler!  One bulb of 3 or 4 kinds....

Scorpio,

I've been wishing the same thing.  Either that, or we need to go in with a neighbor or two, splitting costs.

Thanks Beetles.  "Music" is one of the varieties I'm eager to try.

Scorpio and Donnain,

I recently came across a website which sells variety packs of seed garlic. Since I don't have a good winter set up, I'm still on the fence about whether to attempt a fall planting, but autumn or spring I'll probably order from these folks when I'm ready to grow.

Here's the link, if you'd like to check it out:

https://www.getgarlic.com/product/seed-garlic-variety-pack

Ginger Blue wrote:Thanks Beetles.  "Music" is one of the varieties I'm eager to try.

Scorpio and Donnain,

I recently came across a website which sells variety packs of seed garlic. Since I don't have a good winter set up, I'm still on the fence about whether to attempt a fall planting, but autumn or spring I'll probably order from these folks when I'm ready to grow.

Here's the link, if you'd like to check it out:

https://www.getgarlic.com/product/seed-garlic-variety-pack

Thanks, GB!   I will check it out for Sure!  

Donna, I agree!  It is just harder and more expensive to ship....but maybeGonger has found an alternative!

I wanted to attend the local Garlic Festival but just learned that it took place last weekend when we were out of town.

I've been looking online for a source for seed garlic in Canada.  It seems expensive especially when shipping costs are included. Last year I bought it at a local nursery but can't remember the variety. 

There is a farm near my house that grows garlic to raise funds to support persons with developmental disabilities. I think they grew about 40,000 and the work is done by volunteers. Maybe I should just buy my garlic from them rather than growing it myself.

Question: Can I use some of the garlic I grew this year as the seed garlic for a new crop?

trolleydriver wrote:
Question: Can I use some of the garlic I grew this year as the seed garlic for a new crop?

Yes you can.  About 3 years ago I bought three different varieties of garlic online, then I grew it and saved the largest bulbs.  Every year I grow garlic from bulbs I harvest in the summer and store until fall when I plant it again. They have adapted to my climate and two of the varieties get a respectable size.

yolos wrote:

trolleydriver wrote:
Question: Can I use some of the garlic I grew this year as the seed garlic for a new crop?

Yes you can.  About 3 years ago I bought three different varieties of garlic online, then I grew it and saved the largest bulbs.  Every year I grow garlic from bulbs I harvest in the summer and store until fall when I plant it again. They have adapted to my climate and two of the varieties get a respectable size.

Great. I'm going to give that a try. Nothing to lose. I may end up with a few extra empty squares next Spring if they don't grow.

Hi Ginger,
  I planted Korean Red last October and it did great, by the end of July I had several 3.5 inch heads that I harvested and cured. It has a wonderful aroma and is a bit fiery. I also found a new use for an old wine frig I have, I set it to 65 degrees and use it to store my Garlic.  My first post here so I hope this helped.

Regards,
Bill

Bill! So glad you chimed in. The more garlic varieties we can try in New England the better as far as I'm concerned.

Would love to see a photo of your interesting garlic storage unit. Also, feel free to post photos of your garden in the New England by month threads anytime. We love photos!

CC

Welcome Bill, fellow New Hampsterite (New Hampshirite)! I too keep the garlic I grow as my seed for the next year. I also like to try new things, but the previous years garlic seems to always do better.  Some of the new ones I have tried seem to do better each year as well. Where did you buy the Red Korean? I have been looking for that for a few years and have not been able to find any that wasn't over priced. Glad you are on with us, don't forget we like pictures, Rock

 Bill!  Here from Ohio, Midwest!  Glad you chimed in as well, I am trying to figure out if I should grow hard or soft neck varieties, since I had ZERO of mine make it from last October...it was soft neck.

Glad you found us, when you have a minute give us some background!

Hi, Bill. Welcome to the Forum from California! When you get a minute, introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your garden. And pho:D tos. We love photos

billg52 wrote:Hi Ginger,
  I planted Korean Red last October and it did great, by the end of July I had several 3.5 inch heads that I harvested and cured. It has a wonderful aroma and is a bit fiery. I also found a new use for an old wine frig I have, I set it to 65 degrees and use it to store my Garlic.  My first post here so I hope this helped.

Regards,
Bill

Hi Bill!  Welcome "a-board!"  Thank you for the information on Korean Red Garlic; based on your input, I'll add it to my "must try" list for next spring.

Save

Last 3 years or so I've grown all German Red Garlic.  It is a hard neck variety. Quite Hot and spicy raw, very mild and nutty roasted. I also dehydrate and grind some for year round use, it keeps its spiciness.  Also known to have large easy to peel cloves. Bulbs are large, lots of 2-1/2 to  3 inch plus diameter size bulbs.  Darn near close to perfect in my humble opinion.

llama momma wrote:Last 3 years or so I've grown all German Red Garlic.  It is a hard neck variety. Quite Hot and spicy raw, very mild and nutty roasted. I also dehydrate and grind some for year round use, it keeps its spiciness.  Also known to have large easy to peel cloves. Bulbs are large, lots of 2-1/2 to  3 inch plus diameter size bulbs.  Darn near close to perfect in my humble opinion.

Thanks LM, I'll try German Red, too.

For those interested in sample/variety packs, here's another source:

http://www.southernexposure.com/garlic-samplers-mixes-c-25_144.html