Garlic Types — Choose the Best Garlic Varieties to Grow

garlic types

Growing fresh garlic could be a profitable business for you. Many cultivators in the United States and Canada are growing garlic. But for growing garlic is not as simple as you may think. You need to choose the suitable types of garlic to grow. 

You may not be much aware of the garlic, but you should choose the best garlic types that give you better products and are easy to grow. To know about different garlic varieties to grow or different kinds of garlic, read our below content.

Hardneck garlic varieties

If you are looking for garlic varieties to grow, find here different types of garlic and choose the best garlic variety for you to cultivate. You must select the varieties with favorite food features because they are easy to sell and give you better rates.

Hardneck garlic varieties are better to choose for growing in your fields. After preparing beds for your garlic cultivation, the next task is to find a suitable garlic variety to grow. I will share with you some hardneck and softneck garlic varieties.

Here are some types of hardneck garlic suitable for planting.

1. Georgian fire garlic

Georgian fire garlic

Here is the best hardneck garlic variety to grow. Georgian fire garlic is the best to choose because it offers more excellent resistance against the disease. The history of that variety of roots from the Republic of Georgia is derived from a group of garlic named porcelain garlic. 

Its porcelain name is due to its bulbs’ soft white warp cover. Sometimes georgian fire garlic inner wrappers appear as brownish, purple, or between these two. Its bulb size is vast that contains 5 or 8 cloves, but its size and weight are heavier than many varieties, and you can get a better yield. Georgian fire garlic also offers resistance against temperature and can quickly cultivate in all types of fields.

2. Germidour garlic

Germidour garlic

If you search for the different types of garlic for cultivation in mid-to late-season, then germidour garlic is the best one to choose. It comes with white outer skin and contains deep purple striped wrappers inside. You can store this garlic variety for years without any damage to taste or features.

Germidour garlic taste is long-lasting and very hot, and you can use that variety in barb queue and other spicy foods. It is easy to maintain and offers better resistance against weather changes. Germidour garlic contains cloves between 4 to 6 packed in purple-streaked wrappers and appears brown and attractive.

3. Romanian red garlic

Romanian red garlic

Romanian red garlic is a trusted and reliable garlic variety that produces large bulbs and contains 5 to 6 cloves on each bulb. Its flavor is very hot, but gradually it mellows. Romanian red garlic covers brownish outer wrappers that make it compatible with storing for a longer time on the shelf.

4. Georgian crystal garlic

Georgian crystal garlic

When we looked for different garlic varieties, we found georgian crystal garlic as the favorite type of garlic to cultivate. It has a better resistance against weather and climate and performs better than other soft and stiff neck garlic varieties

Georgian crystal garlic bulb size is excellent, and it is widely cultivated in different European countries. This variety is originated from Italy and has now become popular to grow in all countries. Georgian crystal garlic contains bigger size cloves between 6 to 7 that may increase yield.

5. Chesnok Red garlic

Chesnok Red garlic

Chesnok Red garlic is a sweet variety of garlic and tastes very sweet when cooked. It is used to add sweet flavor without heat the dishes. Chesnok red garlic is the best garlic that uses in cooking. It has a beautiful smell and feels as it is roasted onion.

Chesnok red garlic also comes from the Republic of Georgia and has a long time for maturity than other varieties. Its bulbs are smaller or medium size and contain 9 to 10 cloves in each bulb. It is the best variety in cooking when you are roasting and give a sweet garlic flavor.

6. Early purple wight garlic

Early purple wight garlic

Early purple wight garlic is one of the best garlic varieties to grow that is spicy, strong, and full-bodied and produces large bulbs. They are also easy to peel and wrapped in fawn-colored skins. It is a widely cultivated variety that is originated from German regions and provides an authentic garlic flavor.

These types of hardneck garlic are suitable to grow in colder regions such as the USA, Russia, and European countries. Early purple wight garlic is best among the types of garlic that comes with red stripes on the outer side, and its bulbs contain 8 to 10 cloves. Early purple wight garlic could be a great choice if you will dehydrate or freeze it. It has a longer lifespan and can easily store for a long time.

7. Thermidrome garlic

Thermidrome garlic

Thermidrome garlic is very famous for cultivation due to its larger bulbs, increase per acre yield, and allow you to earn a handsome profit from cultivation. It is one of the common and most growing types of hardneck garlic. 

Thermidrome garlic is the most commonly cultivated garlic variety in festivals, farms, and agricultural lands at larger scales. It is easy to cultivate and offers more excellent resistance against hot and cold temperatures. Thermidrome garlic is also suitable to grow in different soil conditions. But in too much cold weather, you may see improper growth of its blubs.

8. Russian Red garlic

Chinese purple garlic

Russian red garlic is also one of the best garlic varieties to grow that comes with larger bulbs that cover slightly purple skin. You can quickly grow those types of garlic variety in slightly damp soil. It contains 5 to 6 cloves per bulb and can easily survive in colder regions like Russia and other northern areas. 

Its plant length ranges between 18 to 24 inches and hard stem that makes them stand firmly. You can grow these best garlic varieties in northern areas and can get a good yield and flavor. Farmers prefer to grow russian red garlic because of its better resistance against low temperature and a hot flavor.

9. Rocambole garlic

Rocambole garlic

We picked rocambole garlic from the hardneck types that are better to grow with rotating varieties each year. Its plant efficiently routes in a couple of inches below the soil. You can get better yield from rocambole garlic because it offers a full-bodied taste and is rich with flavor.

Rocambole garlic is easy to peel and offers just one set of cloves around its stem. You can store those types of garlic for six months easily. It is successful in growing in any field where water is available. Its large bulbs contain 6 to 8 large cloves in its bulb. You may need proper mulch when you grow it in snow or cold weather. 

10. Killarney red garlic

Killarney red garlic

Killarney red garlic is milder and sweeter in flavor than that other different kinds of garlic and is suitable for baked foods. These killarney red garlic come with hot features when eating them in raw form, and it is widely popular due to its pink blush.

It is suitable to grow because it gives an excellent yield and can produce 12 to 16 cloves on one bulb. And you can store them quickly for a longer time. The size of killarney red garlic cloves is also better and huge than different garlic varieties.

Softneck garlic varieties

Most garlic varieties around us are hardneck garlic varieties, but you can also grow softneck garlic varieties that may also be a good choice for you. We have chosen some best softneck garlic types for you to succeed.

1. California softneck garlic

California softneck garlic

Here is one of the best softneck garlic varieties that is suitable to grow in autumn. California softneck garlic variety is chosen from French types of garlic and then, with time, adopted by the British. It is reasonable to grow because it produces large bulbs that are white but offer a vibrant garlic flavor.

It will perform best in soil that has free drainage soil and is under the full sun. For getting a better average from california softneck garlic, it is good to add well-rotted manure or compost. When cultivating, 5 cm deep and 15 cm apart holes. California softneck garlic variety cloves are larger and can give you a better yield in hot areas.

2. Silverskin Garlic

Silverskin Garlic

Silverskin garlic is selected from softneck garlic types that can store for more than 12 months without any damage. It is a late-season garlic group, and its bulbs even grow and increase in size when the whole plant lay down on the ground. 

This Silveskin garlic variety has taller plants and matures earlier but can keep in the fields longer without any damage. Its best weather is to grow in the fall, but you can also produce that plant in the spring season. Silveskin garlic can also be planted in the cold season, but you may need mulch or alfalfa with its straw.

What are the differences between hardneck garlic and softneck garlic?

Hardneck and softneck garlic varieties are separated on the base of their neck. Neck means their stalk that grows upward from the bulb of the garlic. 

Hardneck garlic types stem come out from the center of the bulbs, and it becomes more complex when it matures. In contrast, the softneck garlic varieties are made up of leaves but not from the center of the bulbs. Leaves of softneck garlic varieties remain soft even they mature.

Hardneck garlic varieties offer complex flavors than softneck garlic varieties and provide you some change in taste according to the soil in which they grow.

Features of Hardneck garlic types

· Hardneck garlic varieties are best to grow in colder climates where winter is hard. You can easily protect them by applying mulch.

· These varieties of garlic are easy to peel

· Hardneck garlic varieties have less shelf life than softneck, but their yield, taste, and cultivation are more accessible.

· You can easily store hardneck varieties for four to six months.

· Hardneck garlic types of garlic produce large bulbs that also increase your yield and profit.

· Cloves are also size bigger in hardneck garlic varieties than softneck varieties.

· They are best to use for hot dishes such as baked and barb queue

Features of Softneck garlic types

· If you live in warm climates where summer is scorching, then softneck garlic varieties are best for you to choose from. 

· They have more shelf life than hardneck garlic varieties. You can easily store them for 12 months without damaging their flavor.

· size of cloves and bulbs are smaller in softneck garlic varieties

· Softneck garlic varieties do not produce flowering stalks, and they remain soft until mature

· They have good flavor but do not have much hot flavor as the hardneck garlic

· They can store in the freezer without damaging their taste.

What are the better garlic types to grow?

Hardneck and softneck garlic types are suitable from different perspectives. Some of the features make hardneck a better choice, while others make softneck the better choice. It depends on many factors.

If you live in warm areas, it is good for you to cultivate softneck garlic varieties. They offer better resistance against temperature and also have more shelf life.

But if you are in colder regions and want more yields with hot flavor, then hardneck garlic is better for you to choose. They offer better resistance to bear the lowest temperature and even survive in snow or freezing weather. Their bulbs and cloves are also more giants, giving you more yield than softneck garlic varieties.

Conclusion

Garlic is essential for cooking foods and is almost part of every dish. It makes our dishes tasty and spicy. Growing garlic as a crop could be a better option for you. But very few of us know that garlic has different types. Always do research and know the best types of garlic to grow and then grow them. We have also provided you some of the best types of garlic varieties and softneck and hardneck varieties. You can choose any of the above for getting better flavor and yield.