Seed Garlic - Susanville
This lovely garlic has so much going for it! With mild - but true - garlic flavor & very large cloves (producing 9-20 to a head) it’s among the very best for roasting. A Northern California softneck variety, this mid-season garlic thrives in both cold & mild winter climates. Maturing while most varieties are still in the ground, it’s ready for harvest when 3 to 4 green leaves remain. Plant 4-6” apart in rich, well-draining, well-composted soil. Keep soil slightly moist & fertilize semi-monthly with a high-nitrogen fertilizer for optimal results. (Ease off of watering as harvest approaches to prevent molding.) ‘Susanville’ can be enjoyed fresh from the earth, or bundled or braided & dried in a cool, dark, well-ventilated location. After 2 weeks, it can be hung & stored for 6-9 months.
The best time to plant garlic is in the fall. The second best time to plant is NOW!
4 seeds per bag
Hardneck varieties (var. ophioscorodon) usually grow a woody flower stalk or scape out of the centre of the bulb. They do best in cold, damp climates. Typically a bulb develops four to ten large cloves. Flavours are strong and often spicy and complex. Most hardneck garlic does not store well and is best used fresh. Hardneck varieties come in three different types: Rocamboles, which have thin parchment-like skins, and are easy to peel, Porcelains which have thick tough skin and do store well, and Purple Striped, named for their distinctive colouring.
Softneck garlic (var, sativum) evolved from hard-neck varieties and grows best in warmer climates. Bulbs keep well and typically contain multiple cloves. They don’t produce flower stalks unless they are stressed. Softneck varieties come in two different types: Silverskin and Artichoke. Silverskins have soft pliable necks that lend themselves to braiding, lots of small cloves and spicy flavours. Artichoke garlic has larger but fewer cloves and a milder flavour. Most of the commercially grown garlics found in the grocery store are soft neck varieties.