Garlic flowchart to work out the best garlic climate zone for different varieties and characteristics GARLIC PICKER Unsure of which garlic type you wish to grow? Our flowchart will help based on your climate zone and other favorable characteristics of your pick. Identification Flowchart The flowchart below is a useful guide to quickly pick a garlic group. Most garlics grow in all NZ's regions, but some are more suited and grow better for certain climate zones. Choose the most desirable characteristics you are after and the char t will help you along the way. What is your winter climate zone? Mild Climate Mild Winter Climate What characteristics are sought? Early Harvesting These garlics are ready to harvest in early November in mild winter climates Long Storing These garlics can keep for 12+ months if stored in a cool and dry place out of sunlight Plentiful Cloves These garlics generally have 8+ cloves per bulb giving a good number for replanting & eating Great Tasting These garlics are known for their great taste for a range of cooking methods Plait/Braiding Plants These softneck garlic stalks, (particularly silverskins) are able to be plaited for storage Cool Climate Cool Winter Climate What characteristics are sought? Long Storing These garlics can keep for 12+ months if stored in a cool and dry place out of sunlight Plentiful Cloves These garlics generally have 8+ cloves per bulb giving a good number for replanting & eating Great Tasting These garlics are known for their great taste for a range of cooking methods Easy Peeling These garlics have thick or papery skins making them easier to peel Plait/Braiding Plants These softneck garlic stalks, (particularly silverskins) are able to be plaited for storage Cold Climate Cold Winter Climate What characteristics are sought? Medium Storing These garlics can keep for 6+ months if stored in a cool and dry place out of sunlight Plentiful Cloves These garlics generally have 8+ cloves per bulb giving a good number for replanting & eating Great Tasting These garlics are known for their great taste for a range of cooking methods Easy Peeling These garlics have thick or papery skins making them easier to peel Harsh Winter Survival These garlics love super cold winters and are known to survive harsh winter extremes

Garlic Growing Guide - Planning GARLIC GROWING GUIDE The ten steps of growing garlic Planning It is important to determine your climate zone before choosing the type of garlic you wish to grow, and thereby knowing when to plant and when harvest. Climate Clim ate Climat e has one of the g reatest influence s on growing garlic. While all ten global garlic groups can be grown in N Z , some grow better in different parts of the countr y than others . In general, garlic grows best in regions with cool to cold winters and hot summers. NZ is in the mid-latitudes (between the tropics and polar), and has a temperate climate with rainfall spread across the entire year. We have mild to warm summers and cool to cold winters compared to other countries. Wild garlic originates from the cold mountains of central Asia. The 10 garlic group s originate from this wild garlic and the chilling of winter is a natural p art of the garlic growing cycle . Sprout and c love formation is quick when cool temperatures are 5-10°C for 1-2 months , otherwise, bulbs and cloves may not properly develop and you will harvest more leek-like garlic with stumpy rounds and no cloves. As a result garlic needs a cold winter period to vernalis e to initiate growth - which in warmer climates garlic bulbs can be tricked by putting them in the fridge at the pre-planting stage . The young cloves can survive -10 °C and new shoots can survive -6°C without cellular damage. It would be rare for a bulb to be affected by cold NZ conditions unless the soil freezes very quickly and deeply. Garlic remains in dormancy with juvenile shoots only having up to four leaves until the temperatures rises above 12 °C and they begin to grow secondary leaves. As a result t here are few places in NZ where people reside in which garlic cannot thrive. Also the colder the climate the hotter the ga rlic tends to taste and bulbs tend to be larger. Climate Zone Map NZ Garlic Climatic Zones MILD WINTER COOL WINTER COLD WINTER Those that live in the more northern coastal parts of our country with mild winters need not be disappointed. There are ways to artificially vernalise garlic in preparation for planting. Also consider planting garlic types like turbans , creole and asisatic garlic groups which grow well in areas with mild winters. Our temperate climate can be divided into three main garlic growing zones of winters that are 'mild', 'cool' and 'cold ' . Unlike most plants, garlic might not be as successful if collected from a local source. It is a fact that acclimatization for garlic is best when garlic bulbs come from a colder climate to a warmer one, and from a higher altitude 300+ to a lower one. The opposite will result in the garlic taking years to acclimatize. Porcelain or rocambole prefer very cold winters . Before choosing a type of garlic consider your garlic- growing climate zone or where best to source garlic from within the country . Types Garlic Diversity Garlic is not just garlic. Between the different garlic groups there is a massive range in planting/harvesting times, storage and flavours. There are ten global garlic grou ps and each have a particular climate zone pr eference. Consider picking a few groups or try all of them so see what works in your zone and your unique home micro-climate. Try our garlic group picker to help decide which garlic to grow. The ten garlic groups are: Mild Climate Garlics MILD CLIMATE GARLICS These five garlics are the best performing for mild winter zones Creole Mid Season | Long Sto ring | 5-10 cloves The Flamb oy ant: this small one is hot, dresses in vibrant rosy clove skins, and is a real c rowd-pleaser Turba n Early Season | Short St oring |6-12 cloves The Earlybird: Likes to arrive early at the garden part y and prefers to be eaten first Asiatic Early Season | Med Storing |5-10 cloves The Oriential: this one enjoys the warm humid clim ate of the north Silverskin Late Season | Long Storing | 10-30 cloves The Keeper: A long storer that loves being braided, produces plentiful cloves, and is easy on the taste buds Artichoke Mid-season | Med Storing |10-20 cloves The Reliable: The best all-rounder, loving most climate zones, is happy in a braid and has a clean taste Cool Climate Garlics COOL CLIMATE GARLICS These five garlics are the best performing for cool winter zones Silverskin Late Season | Long Storing | 10-30 cloves The Keeper: A long storer that loves being braided, produces plentiful cloves, and is easy on the taste buds Artichoke Mid-season | Med Storing |10-20 cloves The Reliable: The best all-rounder, loving most climate zones, is happy in a braid and has a clean taste Standard Purple Stripe Late-season | Med Storing |8-12 cloves The Godfather: The easy-peeling garlic from which all other garlics originate ... best of all: this wild one's the sweetest Marbled Purple Stripe Late-season | Med Storing |4-9 cloves The Baker: An easy-peeler is know for its tastiness when roasted Glazed Purple Stripe Late-season | Med Storing |6-12 cloves The Dazzler - Has an easy-peeling glossy sheen of silver and gold ... it's a real head-turner Cold Climate Garlics COLD CLIMATE GARLICS These five garlics are the best performing for cold winter zones Standard Purple Stripe Late-season | Medium Storing |8-12 cloves The Godfather: The easy-peeling garlic from which all other garlics originate ... best of all: this wild one's the sweetest Marbled Purple Stripe Late-season | Med Storing |4-9 cloves The Baker: An easy-peeler is know for its tastiness when roasted Glazed Purple Stripe Late-season | Med Storing |6-12 cloves The Dazzler - Has an easy-peeling glossy sheen of silver and gold ... it's a real head-turner Porcelain Late-season | Med Storing | 2-6 cloves The Beauty: Large teardrop form, produces a few massive cloves, is at the top of its field Rocambole Late-season | Short Storing |7-14 cloves The Chef: Culinary perfection and renowned as the tastiest with a sweet nutty flavour Seasonal Plan Seasonal Plan Before preparing for, planting or harvesting garlic it is good to have an idea of the various timings needed to grow garlic. Based on your climate and the garlic groups you are planning to grow there will be different timeframes to plan around. Planting garlic in NZ generally occurs from late autumn to winter (March to June) while harvesting takes place in late spring and into summer (November to February). The old saying 'plant on the shortest day and harvest on the longest' is only a rough guide which doesnt account for the type of garlic nor the latitude at which it is planted. Our calendar gives a practical method of determining when to plant each type of garlic and other key tasks .

Gourmet Garlics online shop for buying garlic bulbs, bulbils for planting Shop Due to a crop failure we will not be selling garlic this year (2024). Please consider subscribing for future crops, and use NZ's best garlic growing guide . Gourmet Sampler Our unique to NZ, full bulb range every global garlic group (10 types) each group's distinctive character a gift for garlic-loving gardeners try each for your micro-climate SOLD OUT $75 + freight Mild Climate Pack Half of the garlic groups: all mild winter group (5 types) distinctive character & flavours best for mild winter areas SOLD OUT $40 + freight Cool Climate Pack Half of the garlic groups: all cool winter bulbs (5 types) distinctive character & flavours best for cool winter areas SOLD OUT $40 + freight Cold Climate Pack Half of the garlic groups: all cold winter bulbs (5 types) distinctive character & flavours best for cold winter areas SOLD OUT $40 + freight Marbled Purple Pack Single Type: 5 x Marbled Purple Stripe garlic for cool/cold climates - see map mixed grades SOLD OUT $30 + freight Bulbil Packs Bulbil Packs (one type/pack) Choose a type of garlic bulbils you would like. The bulbil count varies depending on the garlic variety's typical yield (picture as guide ). Order one pack or order several. You choose and let us know what type when ordering. NZ's only supplier of garlic bulbils. economic garlic growing prospect increase stock health & bulb vigour bulbils take different times to grow SOLD OUT $20/pack + freight Sorry, we do not sell individual cloves. Cloves once cracked from the bulb, should be planted on the day or the following day. Once separated from the bulb, hibernation ceases and the clove roots begin to swell in readiness to expand into damp soil. If they are not planted, clove moisture loss will accelerate to the detriment of clove vigour once planted. Subscribe

Garlic identification chart GARLIC GROUP ID Unless garlic is genetically tested it is difficult to look at one aspect of a garlic's characteristic and identify which group it might belong to. However, it is possible to determine a garlic type by several characteristics of its growth and bulb habit over a period of time. Identification Flowchart The flowchart below is a useful guide to quickly identify a garlic group. It might take a year or two to grow a bulb and note the various differences in leaf pattern, clove features and bulbil characteristics. Identification Table The table below is a more thorough method of trying to identify a plant's garlic group.

New Zealand's greatest range of garlic bulbs types for gardeners. Buy NZ garlic seed bulbs and bulbils at our online shop having all the global garlic groups of: 1) Turbans 2) Creole 3) Asiatic 4) Silverskin 5) Artichoke 6) Porcelain 7) Rocambole 8) Standard Purple Stripe 9) Marbled Purple Stripe 10) Glazed Purple Stripe Spray free and cared for by hand, let us help you to choose a garlic type, then visit our shop and use NZ's best garlic growing guide Our Range Gourmet Sampler For those what want to try every global garlic type Mild Climate Pack Garlic that prefers a warmer winter Cool Climate Pack Garlic that prefers a cool winter Cold Climate Pack Garlic that prefers a cold winter Bulbil Packs Curious to try growing garlic's secondary cloves? SHOP Try our ... Garlic Growing Guide

What is garlic seed and what is not garlic true seed GARLIC SEED There is alot of confusion on what constitutes garlic seed. In gardening circles most would consider garlic seed as the bulbs you buy from stores, yet real or 'true' garlic seed is far more rare. If you are after garlic bulbs consider visiting our online store . True garlic seed is neither the bulb, the cloves or bulbils - as these are a clone of the plant and should be considered as 'seed garlic' rather than 'garlic seed'. Most growers purchase or grow their own bulbs and divide the cloves just prior to planting. Few grow from bulbils and in rare cases garlic gurus try to grow for true seed. True garlic seed comes in the form of tiny little black seeds barely larger than sand grains. Our growing garlic seed page has more information on what true seed is and how to grow it. The diagram below best illustrates (roughly to scale between the different images) of the difference in size between garlic bulbs, cloves, bulbils and true garlic seed.

Marbled Purple Stripe garlic type Marbled Purple Stripe Group Late Season| Med ium Storing | 4 -9 cloves The Baker: This easy - peeler is known for its tastiness when roasted Marbled Purple Stripe garlic grows best in cold climates with cold winters. It is known for it s consistently large cloves. This garlic group produces several tan and purple coloured cloves on a purple marbled hue cream bulb wrapper. It grows best in a cool to cold winter climate . The garlic is a strongly-bolting hardneck type meaning it sends up a flower scape with a solid stem which is not braidable. This garlic is considered great for roasting with its sweet, hot flavour. It is more sulphurous than Standard Purple Stripe garlic. Characteristics Clove & Bulb Appearance The bulb of this garlic type normally has a round , squat shape and is generally a cream colour with a purple dappled or marbled wrapper (skin) appearance. The bulbs have a single layer of 4-9 cloves. Generally, all cloves of a standard-sized bulb are of a size suitable for planting. The clove size is normally large and has a wedge like appearance . The clove skin is a dull tan colour with purple blush and is easy peeling. The ir easy-peeling nature makes them ideal in the kitchen and have a hot and sweet taste . They have a medium storage life of around 6-7 months after harvest. Bulbils T his hardneck garlic sends out a scape (flower stalk) particularly in colder climates. They typically produce a moderate amount (20-60) of medium purple to dark purple co loured bulbils . If trying to experiment to grow true garlic seed (not a clone as from cloves or bulbils) then m arbled purple stripe is the garlic most likely to succeed in producing the elusive tiny black seeds. Leaves & Scapes Marbled Purple Stripe garlic has a wide floppy pale green leaf . Scapes normally forms as a 3/4 loop with a wide green-blue umbel with a short purple blush which appears on the base of the immature spathe.

Garlic Growing Guide - Harvesting garlic GARLIC GROWING GUIDE The ten steps of growing garlic Harvesting Harvesting garlic is all about timing. Harvest too early and the bulbs will not be fully developed and will lack flavour, harvest too late and the bulb wrappers will lack layers and the garlic will not keep. It is a tricky task to pick the right time, but a little knowledge makes this task much simpler . When to Harvest When to Harvest Climate and Garlic Type Garlic is generally harvested in NZ between November and February. W hen to harvest garlic depends on the type of garlic, the climate zone , sunlight hours, and any local micr o-climate conditions. Seasonal variations can made a huge difference - one particular garlic group can vary up to three weeks between years depending on the weather conditions prior to harvest. The first step in knowing when to harvest is to determine your climate zone and the type of garlic you are going to grow by following our charts below. NZ Garlic Climatic Zones MILD WINTER COOL WINTER COLD WINTER As a general rule, there is an order in which garlic groups are ready to be harvested. The turban garlic group is normally the first to be harvested followed closely by the asiatic type. Then artichoke then creole and purple garlics. Next is the remaining hardneck garlics of porcelain , rocambole and the purple stripe groups. Finally it is the turn of the silverskins . There is about 2-3 week harvesting gap between the early, mid and late harvesting garlics irrespective of the climate zone. Some hardneck garlics are ready when the scape finishes coiling and begins to straighten up. To further refine when garlic is ready to be harvested is the second step of counting the remaining green leaves left on the plant as the leaves brown off. The stem of plants are elongated in colder conditions and the leaves are a little narrower. The false stem is a good indicator of bulb size. As a general rule by measuring the first leaf near the ground if a stalk is 10mm it should have a 40-60mm bulb, 20mm stalk should have a 60-80m bulb and a 30mm stem should have a 80-100mm bulb. Remaining Green Leaves One of the best ways to determine when a garlic bulb is mature is by counting the number of green leaves remaining on the plant. Once the maximum number of leaves is obtained (10-12 depending on the climate zone), the plant puts its energy into bulbing for between 8-10 weeks. As the bulb grows the lower leaves die off. The last week before harvest the cloves tend to get their colour. Each leaf represents one outer skin on the bulb, if garlic is left too late in the soil there might not be any leaves to protect the cloves during curing and storing. Thus do not wait until all the leaves are browned off. It takes about a week for each leaf to brown off so it is easy to determine the likely harvest week. There are two indicators for counting leaves; one for softneck and the other for hardneck garlic. Softneck garlic (silverskin & artichoke ) is harvested when 6-7 green leaves (we go with 6 fully green leaves) remain on the plant. This will ensure that the bulbs have three bulb skin layers to protect the cloves from drying out during storage. Hardneck garlic is harvested when 4-5 green leaves (we go with 4 fully green leaves) remain on the plant. This will ensure the bulbs have at least three bulb skin layers after cleaning the bulbs to protect the cloves from drying out during storage. There is a good reason behind the difference in harvesting based on green leaves between softneck and hardneck garlic. Softneck garlic have three internal leaves that wrap around the internal bulb between cloves, while hardnecks has one internal leaf for this purpose. These internal leaves also become the final top leaves but do not wrap around the outside of the bulb. Thus it is necessary to have more green leaves on the softneck at harvest in order to get the same amount of wrappers protecting the outside the bulb in curing and storage. Pre-harvest Bulb Inspection It can be difficult to see the number of green leaves remaining if your plants have severe rust. Thus if you are unsure as to whether a bulb is ready for harvest it is possible to gently inspect the bulb. Dig beside bulbs without affecting the roots of a few representative plants. Taking care not to touch the bulb or significantly affect the roots and using only your gloved hand gently remove the topsoil near the bulb. Bulbs should be plump but still should have a few bulb wrappers surrounding the bulb. The diagram above illustrates the different stages of bulb development. If the bulb wrapper (skin) is perished and the cloves are starting to appear the harvest is too late. How to Harvest How to Harvest Harvest during fine weather. A g rower can d elay the harvest if needed, but not to the point which will affect the protective bulb wrapper around the cloves. Wet plants and soils encourage mould and decay and it is more challenging to practically remove and clean the crop before curing. If harvesting in mild-winter areas where the clove was planted shallow and is in light soils then the bulb should pull out easily without digging. In heavy soil or if the cloves were planted deeper for colder-winter areas then it is necessary to insert a garden fork or trowel. Use the tool to dig down into the soil under the bulb to loosen and carefully lift up the bulb taking care not to mark it. Do not put too much pressure on the false stem (pseudostem ) , particularly with the softneck and semi-bolting garlics like turbans , asiatics and creoles , as the bulb may separate from the neck . Once out of the soil hold the bulb in one hand and use your other hand to gently rub the roots to dislodge as much soil as possible. Do not use water as this is likely to encourage disease and drying will take longer. During this process look for defects, disease and any unusual development in the neck, bulb or roots. Whatever approach you take, ensure you take care of the bulb and prevent bruising by not banging or damaging them before transporting them to be dried . Likewise, keep the bulbs out of direct sunlight as it can damage the bulb wrapper. Remarkably, sun damage can occcur after less than an hour's exposure ito direct sunlight.

Garlic Growing Guide - Eating garlic GARLIC GROWING GUIDE The ten steps of growing garlic Eating One of the best things about growing garlic is having year-round home-grown garlic to eat. Historically, garlic growing cultures planted several types of garlic for home consumption not only for year-round use but also for different cooking styles. Separating Separating Garlic bulb and clove skins can be challenging to remove. Some garlic types are easier to peel than others. For example rocambol e has a loose clove skin (it does not store long), and most purple stripes are easier to remove than the tighter skins of some other garlic groups. Garlic Bulbs To break the cloves from the bulbs involves separation. Use your thumbs to pull the bulb apart. This might require some force and if using the entire bulb consider pushing down on the bulb using your heal of your hand. Take care not to tear the clove skins during this process. Garlic Cloves Clove skin separation is even trickier. Place a clove down sideways on a cutting board and press firmly with your hand or the side of a wide bladed knife to break the skin and snap the inner loose. This technique might cause some clove bruising. Otherwise consider pouring boiling water on cloves sitting in cold water which will make it easier to peel. A silicon tube garlic peeler which rolls between your palms with a clove or two inside is a cheap and effective tool that is widely available too. There are also a range of online videos of other techniques to try. We find the easiest cloves to peel by hand are porcelain cloves, closely followed by the strongly bolting hardnecks. Chemistry Garlic Chemistry Garlic has been used as medicine, a flavouring agent as well as a food for sever al millennia. Garlic bulbs are made up of nearly 60% water, 33% carbohydrates, 6% proteins and less than 1% of fats. They contain a small amount of ten types of sugars, as well as amino acids, minerals and vitamins. Garlic's most unique agent is associated with the organic sulphur compound that gives garlic it distinctive smell and taste. Sulphurs are known to be antibacterial and antifungal. I t was not until the 1940's that scientists discovered that the antibacterial properties in crushed garlic is allicin. It is not present in uncrushed garlic. Interestingly, scientists found the amino acid alliin which is present in the natural constituent of fresh garlic, when crushed releases an enzyme called alliinase which then converts alliin into allicin. Cooking and our stomach acids destroys allicin. Despite this crushing, chopping or slicing garlic for cooking, garlic releases a complex mix of reactions of active ingredients and health benefits. Using Using Garlic The different garlic groups are diverse as the countries cuisine which traditionally used garlic. They are as different as the difference between French, Asian, Italian, Russian or Spanish cooking styles and ingredients. Each of these countries, over thousands of years have shaped their provincial garlic to their specific cuisine. Garlic is versatile in the kitchen. The cloves can be eaten raw (although some types are very strong and pungent) and the best one to be used raw is the turba n group . This type in Europe is often called a 'summer garlic' as it is the first to be harvested ready for summer and is less oily and more watery. Turban's are often used raw in dips or rubbed into salads compared to other garlics which contain more natural oils which protect the garlic flavour when heated. Other milder garlics like standard and glazed purple stripe or rocamboles are also good raw. Garlics that are cooked or blanch ed garlics usually have a high oil content in the clove which protects the flavours during heating to make sauces, roasted smoked and put on the BBQ. Garlic can also be pickled with vinegar or dehydrated and made into a concentrated (1-3 x) powder or garlic salt. Depending how you wish to use garlic, the cloves can be used whole, chopped, sliced, shaved, crushed or even bruised. All of these techniques will release the alliinase enzyme to produce the sulphuric aroma. When g arlic is heated it breaks down alliin and gives garlic it s rich flavour. Baking whole bulbs or cloves has the least therapeutic effect, the least pungency but many enjoy the mildness that results from baking. Sautéed garlic can also bring out the aromatic flavours. Garlic can be cold or hot smoked as well as be frozen particularly as cloves. Also another way of eating garlic is as 'B lack Garlic'. This garlic is be made from standard garlic bulbs where they are heated for several weeks at a low temperature. It gives the garlic a caramelised umami flavour - it tastes weirdly nothing like garlic. Black garlic is not fermented (no bacteria or micro-organisms are at play) but uses the Maillard reaction to chemically alter the bulb with a reaction of between an amino acid and a reducing sugar. This results in a dark brown to black inner cloves and is like moist licorice. It's considered both sweet and savoury and is often used on crackers, in meals or pureed as a dressing. Other aspects of the garlic can also be used such as garlic sprouts which are immature garlic harvested early and look a bit like spring onions and have a more mild flavour. Scapes (flower stems) can be fried particularly good in stir fries. The c reole type are less fibrous making them ideal for scape pesto while marbled purple stripe and porcelain have thick scapes and are well-suited for grilling. Bulbils can be eaten unpeeled and raw and different types have varying skin thickness and heat profiles. They can be used to spice up a dish or sprinkled on cooked meal which adds a mild garlic flavour to pizzas. They also work for salads or other foods as a seasoning. Garlic rounds (uncloved bulbs) can also be used in the same manner as cloves. Flavours Garlic Flavours Each garlic group has different flavour characteristics. Turban's are a fresh eating garlic usually used raw in salads and dips since they are less oily , the flavour is destroyed and muted during cooking . Eaten raw they have a crisp savoury flavour, if sautéed they offer a nutty flavour while roasted are sweet, nutty with a caramelised flavour. Asiatic are best cooked in a stirfry or sautéed with a lasting strong nutty flavour offering good heat. Creole garlic generally has a hot, sweet and nutty flavour and these purple stripe garlic are also full bodied garlics. The are best sautéed, slow cooked or roasted, with a gentle sauté retaining heat, while more nuttier when crisp. The softneck garlics ( silverskin and artichoke ) generally are more simple to the palate and have a lack of depth of flavour and more vegetative character compared to the hardneck types. They are great for using in sweet dishes like Italian tomato receipes as they cut through the sweetness of the meal. These softneck garlics are best sautéed or slow cooked. The purple stripes of Standard Purple Stripe , Marbled Purple Stripe and Glazed Purple Stripe have an excellent taste and not as sweet as Rocambole . Some people prefer them over the sweeter types as their flavours are intense and complex. Glazed purple stripe is best eaten raw or in a stirfry. Standard purple stripe and glazed purple stripe are best sautéed, slow cooked or roasted to increase their flavours and increase caramelisation. Porcelains are best sautéed , slow cooked or roasted which softens their heat and brings out their richness. Rocambole garlic is considered to have the supreme garlic taste and is a favorite of chefs with its rich, complex and sweet flavours. It has a buttery and creamy texture which coats the mouth much like garlic butter . They are very versatile and can be used raw, sauté, slow cooked and roasted which some chefs describe as earthy, floral and certainly creamy. The colder the climate in which the garlic is grown the hotter the garlic tends to taste. Surprisingly, small bulbs well-grown in poor soils can be the best tasting and storing garlic.

Rocambole garlic type Rocambole Garlic Group Late Season| Short Storing | 7-14 cloves The Chef: Culinary perfection and renowned as the tastiest with a sweet nutty flavour Rocambole like Porcelain garlics grows best in cold climates with very cold winters. This garlic group produces several tan coloured cloves per bulb and typically has a purple blush on its bulb wrapper. For a strongly bolting hardneck garlic, it only has a short storage life. It grows best in a cold winter climate . This garlic is a strongly-bolting hardneck type meaning it sends up a flower scape with a solid stem which is not braidable. This garlic is considered to be the finest and most flavoursome. It has a deep, sweet and nutty flavour which is creamy and buttery and rich in oils resulting in it having on of the best garlic tastes. It is also excellent raw (not sulphurous). Characteristics Clove & Bulb Appearance The bulb is normally a round shape, generally has a white with a purple blush wrapper (skin), and contains between 7-14 cloves. The bulbs have a single layer of cloves. Generally all cloves of a standard size bulb are of a size suitable for planting. The wedge-shaped cloves' skin is a dull tan colour with purple blush and are very easy peeling. Clove skins have a tendency to split and double cloves are common. The ir easy peeling quality and excellent flavour makes this garlic ideal in the kitchen, but it is commercially uneconomic due to its short storage life of around 5-6 months after harvest. Bulbils T his hardneck garlic sends out a scape (flower stalk) particularly in colder climates. They typically produce a small amount of extra large bulbils (10-25) with a purple to dark purple blush and are of a similar size to asiatic bulbils. As a result, growing from a bulbil normally takes just two years to produce a normal sized garlic. L eaves & Scapes Roca mbole have narrow upright green leaves . The scape shape is unusual in that they often produce 1-3 loops with a wide green umbel, with the spathe turning white when mature. The juvenile garlic leaf is plump and robust.