Propagation: From seed, either directly sewn or transplanted (preferred).

Edible parts: Leaves, flowers.

Harvest: After 60 days, leaves can be harvested. Harvest 3 to 4 times during the first year, monthly in subsequent years. Be sure to cut the leaves about an inch from the ground to encourage new growth. Plants will flower in late spring or early summer.

Flavour description: Mild onion.

Uses: Can be used anywhere you would use an onion.

Propagation: In late fall, plant single garlic cloves 6″ apart and 2 to 3″ below the soil line. Mulch the bed well to protect your garlic through winter. In the spring remove the majority of the mulch to allow growth and prevent rot. Keep a thin layer to help keep down weeds, and retain moisture.

Edible parts: bulbs and leaves. Garlic scrapes should be removed (and consumed), when they begin to curl. They’re tasty and removing them helps promote bulb formation.

Harvest: When lower leaves begin to turn brown, bulbs are likely ready to harvest. This is usually in late June or early July depending on the variety. Allow dug up plants to cure for about 4 weeks in a warm airy place. After the bulbs have cured, the stalks and roots can be removed.

Avoid using grocery store garlic for plantings. There is a good chance they are a non-native variety that will not do well in Western, NY. “Hardneck” garlic varieties do best in northern climates.

Asiatic Group
Spicy Korean Mountain (5/5 4.95/5)

Creole Group
Hardneck, Tend to be quite spicy. Slightly small bulbs, stores more than 12 months. Ail de Pays du Gers (3.8/5 3.9/5), Ajo Rojo (5/5 5/5), French Agenrose (4.0/5 4.0/5), French Edenrose (3.8/5 3.2/5), Inferno (4.8/5 5/5), Spanish Roja (5/5 4.5/5).

Marbled Purple Stripes Group
Hardneck, grows well in cold climates. Tend to be quite spicy. Creme de la Rasa (4.6/5 4.0/5), Bogatyr (4.6/5 4.8/5), Metechi (4.6/5 4.9/5), Northern Quebec (4.8/5 4.5/5), Russian Red (4.7/5 4.5/5), Siberian (4.9/5 4.6/5)

Porcelain Group
Hardneck, large bulbs, strong spicy flavour, easy to peel, stores 7-10 months. Armenian (4.8/5 4.8/5), Georgian Fyre (4.8/5 4.9/5), German White (4.8/5 4.8/5), Italian Red (4.4/5 4.2/5), Music (4.3/5 4.2/5), Northern White (4.5/5 4.0/5), Redwood (4.8/5 4.8/5), Romanian Red (4.7/5 4.7/5).

Purple Stripe Group (glazed and standard)
Hardneck, Well balanced flavour, stores 5-6 months, ideal for baking. Chesnok Red (4.6/5 4.7/5), Crazy Ugly Betty (4.8/5 4.4/5), Trillium Purple X (4.4/5 4.2/5).

Rocambole Group
Hardneck, large bulbs, well rounded, “true garlic” flavour, often produces double curled scrapes, stores for 5-6 months Amish Rocambole (4.6/5 4.5/5), Carpathian (4.3/5 4.4/5), Chamisal Wild (4.4/5 4.6/5), German Red (4.4/5 4.5/5), Spanish Roja Red (4.7/5 4.2/5).

Turban Group
Hardneck, spicy, Earliest to harvest, may not produce a scrape. Amiah (4.8/5 4.6/5), Chinese Pink (3.5/5 3.0/5), Rose du Var (4.7/5 4.3/5), Spanish Early Violet (4.8/5 4.4/5), Thai Fire (4.5/5 4.6/5)

Elephant Garlic
Elephant garlic is not a true garlic, but a hybrid of a leek and a garlic. Large bulbs with mild garlic flavour. (3.5/5 2.5/5)

(flavour heat)

Propagation: Plant bulb sets in late fall or early spring. Grows from seed, but harvest will be smaller. Bulbs planted in the fall should be well mulched. Remove the majority of the mulch in the spring to allow growth and prevent rot, but keep a thin layer to keep down weeds, discourage animals, and retain moisture.

Edible parts: bulbs, leaves, flowers. Cutting too many leaves will reduce bulb harvest. Flowers are best as a garnish as they tend to be quite dry.

Harvest: When leaves die back, bulbs are ready to harvest. Save a portion of your crop to replant in the fall.

Flavour description: Similar to a sweet, mild onion.

Uses: Can be used anywhere you would use an onion.