Garlic Types and Varieties
AuthorOverview of different types, groups and varieties of garlics
There are various types and varieties of garlic seed available for planting and for use in the kitchen. They vary in size and taste, as well as cold hardiness and growing requirements. Your choice of garlic type and variety intended for planting should therefore depend on your climate zone, soil type and also on your preferences.
Growers recognize 3 main types of garlic:
1. Hardneck garlic
Hardneck garlic is the most commonly grown type of garlic in colder climates, as it’s more cold-hardy. Hardnecks tend to have larger heads with larger cloves, and they’re more aromatic compared to softnecks, with greater flavor variation across varieties, though they have a shorter shelf-life (5-8 months). Unlike softneck garlic, these varieties produce a flower stalk (scape) and have a tougher stem.
2. Softneck garlic
This type of garlic is the one most often found on supermarket shelves. It is intended for growing in warmer climates with milder winters, and has a milder, less aromatic flavor. When compared to hardnecks, these varieties produce more, smaller cloves per head, and these heads can be stored for a longer time (6-12 months). It does not produce a hard stem or flower stalk.
3. Elephant garlic
Unlike the previous two types of Allium sativum, elephant garlic isn’t a true garlic. It is more closely related to leeks and is also known as broadleaf wild leek (Allium ampeloprasum). However, the shape of the head and cloves resembles garlic and it is therefore often classified as a type of garlic. Compared to regular garlic, elephant garlic is larger (one head can be more than 10 cm), has fewer cloves and has a milder, leek-like flavor and aroma.
Garlic types
There are several subtypes of garlic recognized based on DNA, appearance and taste
a) Hardneck garlic types:
1. Porcelain group: is considered one of the most flavorful and intense garlic types. Porcelain garlics are cold hardy and produce largest cloves (4 – 8 per bulb). This type of garlic has thick white (sometimes with purple stripes), parchment-like bulb-wrappings and purple to brown clove-skin. Porcelain garlic is easy to peal and can be stored longer than most other hardnecks. Porcelain garlic group is therefore great option for small growers in majority of climate zones (USDA 3 – 8).
Selected porcelain garlic varieties: German white, Music, Kazakistan, Georgian fire, Romanian red, Armenian, Calabria, Kyjev, Italian red, Korean red, Majestic
2. Purple stripe group: is known for its vivid purple stripes on the bulb wrappings and for elongated clove tips. The taste tends to be rich and sweet, but not so hot. Purple stripe garlics grow well in most climates and produce 8 – 12 cloves per bulb with medium storage life.
There are two sub-groups of standard purple stripe type: Glazed purple stripe group and Marbled purple stripe group with beautiful purple-marbled bulb skin, hence their name. Both have thicker bulb skin and mostly stronger, raw taste when compared to standard purple stripe. Marbled Purple Stripes have also fewer cloves per bulb (4-8).
Purple stripe garlic varieties: Chesnok Red, Persian star, Vilnius
Marbled purple stripe varieties: Russian giant, Metechi, Siberian, Nordic, Crème de la rasa, Red russian
Glazed purple stripe varieties: Purple glazer, Celeste, Red rezan, Vekan
3. Rocambole group: is famous for its rich and strong taste. This garlic type has round-shaped bulbs with lots of purple-brownish striping on its thin skin. Rocamboles have usually 8-10 cloves per bulb nicely ordered around a central wood stem in circular fashion. They prefer colder climates and are among the shortest storing garlics.
Selected rocambole garlic varieties: Calabria, German Red, Spanish roja, Amish, Killarney Red, Carpathian, Trznice
4. Creole garlic group: can be easily eaten raw as it is sweet and rich in taste but not so hot. Creoles have usually 8-12 cloves per bulb and white bulb-skin with dark purple cloves. Creole hardnecks prefer warmer climates (USDA 7 - 10) and can be stored for long (7 – 8 months).
Creole garlic varieties: Creole red, Burgundy, Rose de Lautrec, Ajo rojo, Pescadero, Spanish benitee, Rojo de Castro
5. Turban garlic group: is known for its hot taste and turban shaped bulbs with large cloves (5-8 per bulb). Turbans are mostly colorful with vivid, purple stripes on the bulb-wrappings. They have short shelf life (up to 5 months) and most varieties ripe earlier than other garlic types. Turban garlics prefer warmer climates and can be stored for 6 months.
Turban garlic varieties: Tuscan, Maiskij, Filipino, China rose, Tangsiuina, Tashkent violet, Thai large red, Topal, Chinese purple, Chinook, Xian
6. Asiatic garlic group: is known for its big to large bulbs with 9 - 12 large cloves per bulb. Bulb wrappings of asiatics are usually white or dark-purple striped. They are genetically related to glazed purple stripe group and they resemble purple stripe garlics in terms of taste. Asiatic garlics produce biggest umbels with distinctive bulbil capsules. Asiatic garlic varieties prefer warmer climates and are mostly very early maturing.
Asiatic garlic varieties: Asian tempest, Korean Mountain, Korean red, Portuguese, Sakura, Wildfire, Tai cang, Pyongyang
b) Softneck garlic types
1. Artichoke garlic group: is very easy to grow in milder and warmer climates and is known for its long shelf life. Therefore, it is widely grown by large scale growers and you can find this type of garlic on most supermarket shelves. However it is also least flavorfull, although with wide range of taste for different artichoke varieties. They produce large bulbs with lots of smaller cloves (12 – 20 per bulb) and short, soft stem with no scape or umbel.
Artichoke garlic varieties: Oregon blue, Italian late, Red toch, Inchelium, Lorz Italian, Transylvanian, California early, California late, Thermadrone, Kisswany, Germidour
2. Silverskin garlic group: is another softneck garlic group often grown by large scale growers and can be often found on grocery store shelfs. Silverskins are generally known for their very hot but less flavorfull and less complex taste, however there is large variation in tastes between silverskin varieties. Silverskin garlics have smaller bulbs than artichokes and they have the highest number of cloves per bulb arranged in multiple layers. The bulb and clove wrappers are white, often with pinkish tones. Silverskins are generally the longest storing of all garlics (more than one year under good conditions). Silverskin garlics can be grown both in colder and warmer climates (USDA 4 - 10). They tend to be the latest maturing varieties of all garlic types.
Silverskin garlic varieties: Western rose, Nootka rose, Belarus, Silver rose, Tipitilla, Silver white, Silver lady, Turkey #56, Californian select, Italian locate, Localen, Long Sally
Garlic varieties for planting
Depending on the growing season, you’ll want to choose between early-, mid- and late-season garlic, which ripen at different times (early - during July and late - between August and early September). Garlic is also often divided into winter (fall) and spring garlic, which indicates the ideal planting time for maximum yield, but in fact all varieties can be planted in both fall and spring. For spring planting, the late-season varieties are preferable.
Find more about how to plant and grow garlic
1. Early-season garlic varieties
Hardnecks: Extra Early Wight, Arkus, Bjetin, German white, Russian red, Harnas, Unikat, Lumir, Spanish roja, Mystic
Softnecks: Italian red, Red toch, California early, Alan, Anton, Germidour,
2. Mid-season garlic varieties
Hardnecks: Music, Anin, Bavarian purple, Bogatyr, Brown tempest, Burgundy, Blanin, Georgian fire, Dukat, Killarney red, Havel, Havran, Mirka, Ornak, Purple glazer, Slavin, Tantal, Telc, Vekan, Duganski, Creole red
Softnecks: Lukan, Polish, Messidrome, Italian late, Lorz Italian, Mojmir, Inchelium red, Rados, Zahorsky, Oregon blue, Kisswany
3. Late-season garlic varieties
Hardnecks: Jovan, Chesnok red, Kazakistan, French red, Stanik, Valko, German red, Legacy, Metechi, Mexican purple, Siberian, Romanian red
Softnecks: Western rose, Nootka rose, Belarus, Silver rose, Tipitilla, Silver white, Silver lady, Turkey #56, Californian select, Italian locate, Localen, Long Sally, Japo, Matin
What type of garlic to choose for planting
Garlic for planting can be collected from you last year's harvest or purchased from proven seed garlic sellers. The garlic on the supermarket shelves is not suitable for planting, not just because of the variety, but mainly because it contains inhibitors that slow down germination and plant growth. In any case, it is beneficial if garlic for planting is treated with sulfur-based fungicide (in some cases, seed garlic sellers offer garlic seed that has already been treated with fungicide), as this prevents the transmission of a number of diseases and pests.
Buy your garlic seed only from proven sellers who offer healthy cloves free of diseases and pests, because if you bring in garlic infected with nematodes or garlic white rot, you won't be able to get rid of these problems easily.
