Planting winter garlic usually ends the gardening season. It's time to take care of choosing and purchasing planting material, because next year's harvest depends on its quality.
To plant garlic, most often they take the best bulbs from their own garden, exchange them with neighbors, and buy them on occasion. You can purchase real varietal garlic from breeding institutions and seed-growing agricultural companies that create and propagate domestic varieties. Local and foreign varieties are found among reputable amateur collectors.
The quality of winter garlic planting material is easy to determine by its appearance: the bulb should be strong, well-ripened, with dry outer scales and neck, with a whole, undamaged bottom, with clearly defined teeth approximately equal in size, without signs of rot.
Divide the onion into cloves immediately before planting; this will keep the bottom intact and prevent the bottom of the cloves from drying out, where the roots will form.
It is very important to choose the right time to plant garlic. It takes about 40-50 days for cloves to take root at low positive temperatures. In the middle zone, the optimal period for planting is from the end of September to the beginning of October.
To date, there are 80 domestic varieties of winter garlic, which are invariably in demand among our gardeners. They are unpretentious, cold-resistant, and adapted to local growing conditions. We invite you to get acquainted with the best varieties of winter garlic.
Antonnik
Mid-season, bolting, high-yielding variety. The bulb is round and large. The color of dry scales is grayish-white. The variety is resistant to fusarium, has uniform cloves, and is suitable for seed production.
| Taste | Number of teeth | Bulb weight, g | Productivity, kg per 1 sq.m | Keeping quality |
| Peninsular | 4-5 | 56-78 | 1,2 | good |
Features of culture
Winter garlic varieties have several specific features:
- Growing a winter species, compared to its spring counterpart, is more popular among farmers and gardeners due to the fact that it allows harvesting and freeing up planting space by the beginning of the mass sowing period. This is especially valuable for the middle zone with its peculiarities.
- Most of the species are of the bolting type, which makes it easy to obtain new seed material.
- The crop, planted for the winter, produces large and very juicy bulbs, the teeth of which are large in size. Recommended for use in canning and fresh consumption. It is important that the resulting harvest, even its best parts, is not always suitable for long-term storage.
Garlic takes pride of place in the cuisine of different countries.
Dubkovsky
Mid-season, bolting, productive variety for universal use. The bulbs are medium-sized, round-flat with an upward slope. The color of dry scales is creamy-violet, while that of juicy scales is creamy. The variety is valued for its ability to reproduce by aerial bulbs.
| Taste | Number of teeth | Bulb weight, g | Productivity, kg per 1 sq.m | Keeping quality |
| Spicy | 10-12 | 29-32 | 1,3 | good |
Jagged
Mid-season, bolting, high-yielding variety. The bulb is round and large. The color of dry scales is yellowish-white. The variety is resistant to fusarium.
| Taste | Number of teeth | Bulb weight, g | Productivity, kg per 1 sq.m | Keeping quality |
| Peninsular | 4-6 | 54-72 | 1,2 | good |
Types of garlic leek
Garlic belongs to the onion family, so the vegetables overlap by type. The Rocambole variety combines the properties of onions and garlic at the same time, which is why it is called hairstyle. The leaves of the plant are the same as those of leeks: long, wide, dense. The size of the bulb can be classified as a giant species, weighing up to 300 g. There are known cases of cultivation when 1 bulb weighed more than 400 g. In this case, the head is divided into cloves, on average there are 4-6 pieces.
It is worth noting that Rocambole includes 3 more types:
- White elephant,
- Janissary,
- Pearl.
All combine the properties of hair onions and grape onions. The uniqueness of the plant is not only in its mass, but also in the fact that it can be planted both before winter and in spring.
Rockambole
Rockambole White Elephant
Shallots are also a type of garlic leek. Externally, the plant resembles an onion, but with a garlic aftertaste.
Due to its spreading, wide leaves, wild garlic can be classified as leek garlic. Otherwise, the vegetation is called wild onion. The leaves, bulb and stem are edible parts that contain a beneficial complex of vitamins and minerals. Salads are prepared from wild garlic, added to side dishes, dried, pickled, and made into infusions.
Cheremsha
Komsomolets
Mid-season, bolting variety. The bulb is dense, large, rounded and flat. The color of dry scales is dirty white with a purple tint; fleshy scales are colored violet or brownish-violet. The variety is winter-hardy and is slightly affected by bacterial rot.
| Taste | Number of teeth | Bulb weight, g | Productivity, kg per 1 sq. m | Keeping quality |
| Spicy | 7-11 | 30 | 1,3 | good |
Classification of garlic varieties
The crop is classified according to three criteria: planting date, color and purpose. After determining these components, it is worth moving on to choosing a variety.
By planting season
The spicy vegetable is divided into 2 categories – winter and spring. The planting time for winter crops falls between September and November, depending on the growing region. Suitable soil temperature is +6-+8°C . Planting is done 3-4 weeks before the start of frost.
- In the Western and Ural regions, planting occurs on average at the beginning of September.
- In Central Russia - early October.
If you plant the cloves earlier, there is a high probability that they will take root, germinate and begin development in the fall. If you delay, the vegetable will freeze.
When the soil on the site is fertile, then it is allowed to plant using the deep planting method. The method is used to prevent damage to the cloves and accelerate the emergence of spring shoots. The sowing depth is at least 10 cm. If you are not sure that the soil is nutritious for vegetables, then it would not be a bad idea to add additional humus to the planting rows.
Garlic bulbs, that is, seeds of the crop without cloves with developing arrows, are prepared in advance by hardening, regardless of the planting season. To do this, the seeds are left in a room where the air temperature is not higher than +5°C.
Garlic bulb
With the standard method of planting winter garlic, beds are made up to 7 cm deep. It is not necessary to cover the surface of the earth with spunbond or other fabrics. The culture is resistant to cold. But if the winter is expected to be cold and snowless, then mulching with grass or straw will help protect the crop.
Spring garlic is planted in spring, when the ground temperature is above 0°C. In the central part of the country, the sowing time is mid-April. Planting depth – 3 cm. Suitable soil: sandy loam, fertile.
By color
The color of the heads does not affect the taste or development of the crop. Garlic of pink and purple colors is often classified as winter, white - as spring.
In European countries, the classification of culture is different. In France, the vegetable is divided into spring, which can be pink with an arrow or pink without an arrow. And autumn - white or purple. In the USA they are divided into soft-stemmed and hard-stemmed species. In Russia, the plant is divided into 3 types based on color:
- white,
- pink,
- violet.
Garlic of different colors
Culture does not have international standards. But it is worth remembering that the color of the husk is often determined by the planting period.
By purpose
Garlic is divided into 3 categories according to its purpose:
- Dining room . The taste of the plant is soft, spicy, with a pleasant pungency. Suitable for fresh consumption. Essential oil content is from 0.3 to 0.5 mg per 100 g of raw product.
- Technical . The taste is sharp, pungent. Used in the food industry on an industrial scale due to its increased bitterness. Can be used in canning, pickling, pickling. It is also used for drying spices and for preparing infusions in the medical field. The content of essential oil per 100 g of raw product is 2 times higher than that of table product - 0.6-0.9 mg per 100 g of fresh raw material.
- Universal . Combines dining and technical purposes. The taste of a spicy vegetable is bitter, but soft.
Some manufacturers indicate the purpose of the vegetable on the packaging. Please note that bolting species contain a higher percentage of essential oil and tolerate frost more easily than non-arrowing species.
Early garlic
Doctor
Early ripening, non-shooting, productive variety. The bulb is round-flat, of medium density, the color of dry scales is white, the color of fleshy scales is light pink or light purple. The variety is winter-hardy, shelf life during 7 months of storage is up to 60%.
| Taste | Number of teeth | Bulb weight, g | Productivity, kg per 1 sq.m | Keeping quality |
| Peninsular | 11-16 | 36-42 (up to 52) | 1,1 | good |
Differences between winter and spring varieties
The table clearly shows the differences between the two types.
| Indicators | Winter | Spring |
| Boarding time | Autumn (before winter) in open ground | Spring |
| Number of cloves | Does not exceed 15 pcs. | Up to 25 cloves |
| Weight of 1 head | up to 200 g | up to 100 g |
| Keeping quality/time of use | Until mid-winter/summer-autumn | Storage throughout the year/autumn-winter |
| Reproduction | Teeth, bulbs | Teeth |
| Shooting | Predominantly bolting varieties | Most non-shooting species |
| Harvest time | Early and mid July | End of July |
In cold regions, winter plants have an advantage, since they germinate faster and have time to reach the required technical ripeness. Spring plantings are done mainly in the southern regions, where summer comes early.
Novosibirsk
Mid-season, non-shooting variety of universal use. The bulb is medium dense, round-flat. The color of the outer scales is pale pinkish. The variety is characterized by high winter hardiness, is weakly affected by fusarium, and the bulbs are equal in size.
| Taste | Number of teeth | Bulb weight, g | Productivity, kg per 1 sq. m | Keeping quality |
| Peninsular | 4-10 | 20-22 | 1,0 | good |
What is the name of garlic with one head without cloves?
Often, gardeners, faced with grown garlic that has one clove, believe that this is a defect. In fact, single clove garlic is not a variety of crop or an abnormality of the fruit. The one-toothed plant is used for propagation and rejuvenation of the plant. There are three methods of reproduction:
- Lobules of mature heads.
- Aerial bulbs, as a result of their cultivation, one-toothed is formed - the first reproduction.
- Single-toothed fruits, which then grow into a full-fledged fruit with segments. This garlic is the second reproduction of the crop.
It is through sowing aerial bulbs and then their fruits (one-toothed) that the valuable qualities of the variety are renewed and the yield is improved. All gardeners who strive to grow large fruits must engage in crop renewal: after about 3-4 years of planting garlic from a head, it loses its original abundance, begins to become smaller, is less susceptible to diseases, etc.
Single clove garlic - an intermediate option
Single clove garlic is easy to recognize by the following characteristics:
- from the name it follows that it consists of one lobe;
- the fruit is smaller than the standard head and has an elongated shape;
- grows from seed material.
Note! Thus, single-clove garlic is necessary primarily for crop renewal. It can also be used as food, since its taste is no different from the usual shrew. The fruit is not defective or a separate variety of the plant.
Petrovsky
Mid-season, bolting variety of universal use. The bulb is flat-round, of medium density. The color of the outer scales is dirty gray, with dark purple streaks. The variety is characterized by high productivity, even bulbs, and is stored until April-May.
| Taste | Number of teeth | Bulb weight, g | Productivity, kg per 1 sq. m | Keeping quality |
| Spicy | 6-8 | 24-31 (up to 40) | 0,6-1,0 | Excellent |
Representatives of bolting winter garlic
Dobrynya
Late-ripening, resistant to fusarium and adverse weather conditions, high-yielding (2-2.5 kg per 1 sq. m.) variety. The plants are tall, the leaves are long, the heads weigh about 60 g. The color of the integumentary scales is dirty gray, with a pale purple tint. The head consists of 10-12 teeth. The pulp of Dobrynya cloves is slightly creamy, juicy, the taste is semi-sharp, the aroma is rich. Can be stored for up to 6 months. Has a universal purpose.
Komsomolets
Belongs to the group of mid-late varieties (110-120 days), winter-hardy and not demanding. The heads are not very large, weighing 35-40 g, with the number of teeth from 6 to 13. The color of the integumentary scales is purple veins on a dirty gray background. The taste of the white pulp of Komsomolets is pungent and the smell is rich. Stores well, universal use.
Bogatyr
It fully corresponds to its name, both in the appearance of the plant and in the size of the bulbs (from 85 to 120 g). Stable and unpretentious. The large heads consist of 5-7 large cloves covered with dark purple scales that turn brown during storage. The flesh of Bogatyr's cloves is juicy and crispy. The yield and keeping quality of the variety are excellent.
Sail
Winter-hardy, high-yielding variety, producing flat-round heads, slightly elongated upward. Ripens in 110 days. The color of the bulbs is off-white with purple veins, the inner scales are brownish. The head can contain from 7 to 10 cloves, tightly pressed against each other. The average weight of the bulbs is about 50 g. The pulp of the Parus tastes sharp and aromatic. Disease resistance and keeping quality of the variety are good. Depending on growing conditions, it gives a yield of 1 to 2 kg.
Azure
A shooting variety of medium-late ripening. The bulbs are medium-sized, weighing 60-70 g, consist of 5-6 cloves, round-flat in shape. The color of the covering scales is lilac-violet, streaked, the teeth are brownish. The flesh of the Azure is white, has a sharp taste, and is universally used. The leaves are large, green with a bloom, up to 55 cm long. Retains marketability for at least six months. The average yield is 0.7-0.8 kg per 1 sq. m.
Gribovsky
Has two varieties:
- Gribovsky Jubilee mid-season (85-120 days), semi-sharp variety. Unpretentious and resistant to diseases, drought and low temperatures. The bulbs are purple in color with dark veins, contain from 5 to 10 cloves and weigh from 25 to 45 g. Provides a yield of 1.5-1.7 kg per 1 sq. m. Stored satisfactorily.
- Gibovsky - 60, an early ripening variety (85-95 days), resistant to major diseases. With proper care you can get up to 3 kg from 1 sq. m. flat-round bulbs, covered with red-purple scales, weighing 50-70 g, consisting of 7-10 cloves. The taste of garlic is pungent and its purpose is universal.
Alcor
Mid-season, frost-resistant variety. Spicy to taste, universal use. The heads weigh about 40 g, covered with pink-violet scales. Contains 4-5 large cloves. The Alcor variety is productive, but prone to viral diseases.
Lyubasha
The variety of Ukrainian selection is widespread in the Russian Federation and Belarus. Mid-season, has a powerful vegetative mass. Large heads weighing from 80 to 120 g or more consist of 5-7 cloves. The color of the upper scales is white, the lower ones are pinkish with purple veins. It has good resistance to diseases, low temperatures and drought.
Lyubasha garlic is spicy to taste and contains a large amount of essential oils and microelements. It is used both fresh and for canning. Suitable for drying.
Losevsky
It is valued for its stable, high yield, good frost resistance, excellent presentation of the crop, and fairly high shelf life for 5-6 months. The variety is mid-season (100-110 days), with large leaves, a strong, straight arrow and a large bulb from 60 to 80 g. The teeth are large, few in number (about 5 pieces). The color of the head and cloves of Losevsky garlic is almost white. The consistency of the pulp is crispy, dense, and has a spicy taste. Under favorable conditions, you can get more than 2.5 kg per 1 sq. m. commercial bulbs.
Chechen
It is distinguished by a strong aroma and spicy pungency of dense, juicy pulp. It has an average ripening period (80-90 days) and a universal purpose. Medium sized plant. Leaf length - 35 cm, width - 2-2.5 cm. The leaves are dark, with a bluish coating. The flat-round bulbs consist of 4-8 cloves and reach a weight of 60 to 120 g. Chechen garlic is well stored in ventilated areas.
Stallion
The variety is not listed in the State Register, but is grown among amateurs as a truly popular, favorite variety, which in its characteristics fully corresponds to the name: hardy, patient, strong, productive, conquering any obstacles. The stallion has an average ripening period, produces a head about 10 cm in diameter, weighing more than 100 g, which consists of 5-6 large cloves, weighing up to 20 g. The color of the bulbs is white with faint purple shading. When stored until January, it practically does not lose weight.
Reliable
Mid-season variety, ripens in 100-120 days. The plant is powerful with long green leaves with a faint waxy coating. Produces dense, medium-sized heads, weighing from 50 to 70 g. The number of blunt-ended teeth in the head is from 5 to 7. The outer scales are dirty white with purple patches. The pulp of the cloves is white, juicy, intensely spicy, aromatic.
The variety provides stable yields of up to 2 kg per 1 sq. m. Stored under favorable conditions for up to 11 months. Winter-hardy variety, very resistant to diseases. In a word, reliable.
Rusich
Winter-hardy variety with medium ripening periods. Round, slightly flattened bulbs weighing from 70 to 100 g consist of 5-7 cloves. The outer scales of the bulb are white-yellow, and the inner scales are brownish. The pulp of the cloves is aromatic, juicy, semi-sharp, creamy in color. An unpretentious variety, under favorable conditions it can produce up to 2.5 kg per 1 sq. m.
Sagittarius
The variety is mid-season, unpretentious and resistant to adverse weather conditions and garlic diseases. The heads are lilac-violet, round-flat, not large (65-70 g), consisting of 5-6 cloves. Provides yields of up to 2 kg per 1 sq. m. The taste of garlic is pungent, the flesh is juicy and white.
Caesar
It has an average ripening period, a long shelf life and resistance to fusarium. It has a good, semi-sharp taste and pleasant aroma, used fresh and for processing. Medium-sized heads have 6-8 teeth, sometimes more. The color of the heads is dirty gray with clear purple splashes, the scales of the cloves are dark cherry. Productivity is 0.9-1 kg/sq.m. m.
Podmoskovny
The vegetative period until ripening is 95-110 days. It is valued for its consistently high yield (up to 2 kg per 1 sq. m.), undemandingness to growing conditions, and winter hardiness. Resists diseases well. The heads are medium-sized, weighing 60-70 g, the teeth are large, not numerous (5-7). The color of the bulb is white or light cream with bluish stripes. According to its taste characteristics, it is classified as spicy. Stores well, but no more than 6 months.
Sofievsky
Consistently high-yielding, resistant to fusarium, nematode and other diseases, frost-resistant, mid-season variety. It is distinguished by high commercial qualities: the bulbs are one-dimensional, large (80-120), covered with scales of a pleasant light purple color. The number of cloves is 6-8, the taste is sharp, the pulp is juicy and aromatic. Excellent storage.
Saved
High-yielding, frost-resistant, disease-resistant, mid-season, spicy variety. Large onions weighing 100 grams or more consist of 7-10 cloves. The color of the integumentary scales is gray, with a red tint and dark, purple veins. Excellent storage, suitable for fresh consumption and processing. Widely distributed in the middle zone.
The video presents some varieties of winter garlic.
Sagittarius
Mid-season, bolting, high-yielding variety. The bulb is rounded and flat. The color of dry scales is lilac-violet, leathery scales are brown. The variety is characterized by high winter hardiness.
| Taste | Number of teeth | Bulb weight, g | Productivity, kg per 1 sq. m | Keeping quality |
| Spicy | 5-7 | 65 | 2,0 | good |
Caesar
Mid-season, bolting variety of universal use. The bulb is round-flat, dense. The color of dry scales is dirty gray with longitudinal purple stripes. The variety is characterized by stable yield and resistance to fusarium rot.
| Taste | Number of teeth | Bulb weight, g | Productivity, kg per 1 sq. m | Keeping quality |
| Peninsular | 4-5 | 39-54 | 0,9 | good |
Garlic for northern and southern regions
If you live in the northern regions of Russia, then pay attention to the following varieties :
- Scythian;
- Saved;
- Bashkirsky 85;
- Doctor;
- Permyak;
- Sofievsky;
- Alcor;
- Aleysky.
If you are a resident of the southern regions of Russia and Ukraine, then we recommend you the following varieties :
- Saki;
- Kledor;
- Lyubasha;
- Broadleaf 220;
- Gribovsky anniversary.
Anniversary Gribovsky
Medium-late, bolting variety of universal use. The bulb is round-flat with a downward slope. The color of dry scales is purple with dark purple veins. The teeth are large and aligned. The variety is relatively winter-hardy and drought-resistant, and is almost not affected by diseases and pests.
| Taste | Number of teeth | Bulb weight, g | Productivity | Keeping quality |
| Spicy | 5-8 (up to 11) | 22-44 | 1,2 | Average |
Buy reliable varieties, be attentive to the quality of planting material, choose the right time for planting - this will provide you with an excellent harvest of winter garlic.
Variety of garlic
More than 70 varieties of garlic have been developed. From such a variety, you can choose the appropriate hybrid option for different soils, climatic conditions, and location. The experience of gardeners has proven that it is necessary to grow several varieties in one plot at once in order to choose the best variety of garlic for your region.
You can choose two varieties for cultivation: early-ripening and mid-ripening. Some garlic hybrids ripen in early summer and can be added to dishes or used for canning. The harvest of mid-season and late-ripening hybrids can only be harvested towards the end of the summer season, but they are stored for a long time.
