What is difference between Softneck Garlic & Hardneck Garlic

Hardnecks can be braided, and softnecks keep much longer. So I plan to grow more of softneck varieties for next year, and would like to learn whatever I can before the spring.

I have grown soft neck for years. I tried planting it in the fall last year. It did ok but does better if planted in the spring

I’m looking for some softneck garlic to add to my Garlic Farm. Is it planted in the fall like hardneck? Would like to try my hand at garlic braids for my markets. I do hardneck bundle “braids” and they sell very good!

Sherry 

I don’t believe so. Hardneck garlic is planted in the fall, whereas (from my experience) softneck garlic is planted in the spring.

Em Kay

I would have to disagree here. My understanding is they are both planted at the same time. Typically I grow hardneck variety, but last year I tried softneck for the first time. All planted at the same time, and softneck matured a couple of weeks earlier. The main difference between the two is that the hardneck variety has the scapes you need to cut off in around June to promote bulb growth, whereas the sofneck does not.

Sherry 

that’s why I didn’t say for sure, but that I didn’t believe so based on my own experience. I live in Alberta and have tried planting softneck in the fall, and it was a total failure, so just plant in the spring if I want softneck.

Em Kay

You may be right, too, actually. Growing softneck is new to me, so they may grow both ways (planted in fall, as well as spring)? The variety I tried is Inchelium Red and it did very well. When you planted in the spring, did it form a bulb or did you get one giant clove? Maybe softnecks behave differently. Come to think of it, I have heard of people planting in spring – this was before I started planting garlic myself. Now I am totally curious.

A quick research says the following: garlic needs a process called “vernalization”- a process triggered by the cold weather. If you plan to plant in the spring, they recommend you mimic the vernalization process by placing your garlic cloves in the fridge for 4-8 weeks. If you skip this you apparently run the risk that the garlic won’t form individual cloves (and produce one giant round clove). But it also says some have foregone this process and had successful formation of individual cloves.

I guess the best way for anyone to know in their own climate is to try it both ways and see what happens.

Sherry 

I got my softneck garlic seed from a greenhouse, that only deals in non-gmo & organic products. So I got my advice from them on how to plant (after explaining to them my failure of the previous year planting like I do the hardneck), and they said because of the area we live in, it needs to be planted in spring for a fall garlic product

Dry Garlic tips

I have great luck hanging it next to the hay bales. they seem to suck the extra dampness out..

Trying something different this year with the soft neck garlic, we decided to trim the stalks to cure and see if they dry better than last year. Last year we hung them with stalks in tract and had some moisture issues. Maybe it’s the Alabama humidity.

Spring Planting Instructions

1. Plant as soon as the garlic can be planted into the soil. You can plant into frozen ground and top with compost if necessary.
2. Get cold vernalized bulbs or bulbs held in cold storage for about 40 degrees for 40 days. The Spring Bulbs we are selling have been kept in cold storage.
3. Use the garlic fertilization soak to jump start root growth. Instructions provided.
4. Broadcast our organic garlic granulated fertilizer into the soil before planting.
5. Separate garlic cloves from the bulbs.
6. Plant 2” deep flat, root side facing down and the pointed end facing up 6” apart and cover with at least 1” of soil over the tip of the garlic.  If space is limited, plant 4” apart. If you are growing spring green garlic that will be harvesting as green onions, you can plant 2” apart.
7. Broadcast our garlic fertilizer over the top of the garlic and apply some light water or compost tea for moisture.
8. Optional – We apply mulch like straw, grass clippings, grass clipping and chopped leaves or other good types of mulch that may be easy to obtain by region.
9. Mulch will protect the garlic from the temperature swings, retain moisture, and reduce weed pressure.
10. Once the garlic sprouts, you can apply fertilizer every 2 weeks based on the application rate.
11. Keep garlic weeded as garlic does not compete well with weeds.
12. Usually, spring time rains supply enough moisture, but the goal is about 1” of water a week making sure your soil is damp, but not saturated.
13. If you have hard neck garlic, pick the scape as it starts to curl.
14. Harvest when you have 5 green leaves remaining from the top.
15. See our website for more details on growing garlic

Customers Questions:

Planting tips for spring garlic

Benjamin P., Tennessee, Zone 7

It is my understanding that the bulb weight of spring planted Inchelium Red will be reduced compared to fall planting. Is this solvable with fertilizer? Will bulbs that are harvested from a spring planting then replanted as cloves in the fall be stunted compared to a full sized fall planted clove? Can the effects of any growth stunting be mitigated by organic fertilizer? We are in East Tennessee in USDA zone 7 with clay soil, if that changes anything.

Garlic Answer:

Yes, spring planted bulbs don’t always size up the fall planted garlic bulbs.  It may not make a difference for southern states, but northern states most likely won’t get the jumbo bulb size.  I have gotten medium and large size bulbs consistently, but most importantly mother nature needs to provide good spring weather that the garlic takes well.  I have only had 1 bad year where our spring temperatures sat at 55-60 degrees for 6 weeks from April to May, and my garlic didn’t not grow at all.  I’ve had good success with every other year.  Yes, you still will need to fertilize well, and plant into nutrient rich soil.  With heavy clay, try to loosen up the soil with some compost.  Foliar feed is also a benefit.  You will also have to keep the garlic weeded.  You will harvest a bit later than the fall planted garlic.  These bulbs seem to grow to a medium-large size that are best for storing into spring from you late summer harvest especially with the Yes, spring planted bulbs don’t always size up the fall planted garlic bulbs.  It may not make a difference for southern states, but northern states most likely won’t get the jumbo bulb size.  I have gotten medium and large size bulbs consistently, but most importantly mother nature needs to provide good spring weather that the garlic takes well.  I have only had 1 bad year where our spring temperatures sat at 55-60 degrees for 6 weeks from April to May, and my garlic didn’t not grow at all.  I’ve had good success with every other year.  Yes, you still will need to fertilize well, and plant into nutrient rich soil.  With heavy clay, try to loosen up the soil with some compost.  Foliar feed is also a benefit.  You will also have to keep the garlic weeded.  You will harvest a bit later than the fall planted garlic.  These bulbs seem to grow to a medium-large size that are best for storing into spring from a late summer harvest especially with the soft neck garlic.  If you don’t get the bulb size you want to replant, harvest a bit later even if the bulb wrapper breaks open to allow for more growth of clove size.  These bulbs will not store long as dirt has penetrated into bulb.  Now, you can take the largest cloves from the harvested bulbs and plant those in the fall 4-7 weeks after harvesting.  The fall planting should grow into great garlic for a harvest the next summer. If all things above are considered, the spring planted garlic bulbs should not be stunted (mother natured permitting), and should grow given all the love and care as written above.