Garlic German White Stiffneck Organic Bulbs

A hardneck (or stiffneck) variety, considered #1 for taste, Garlic German White Stiffneck is grown as a bulb vegetable. German White produces excellent yields of very large bulbs having a thick white wrapper with delicate purple stripes. Bulbs contain 4 to 8, easy-to-peel, jumbo-sized cloves with a strong and hot raw flavor, which mellows when cooked. Garlic is a good source of allicin, a compound that gives garlic its distinctive smell and taste and may have many health benefits.

Garlic German White Stiffneck is an Allium sativum var. ophioscorodon variety in the amaryllis family (Amaryllidaceae). Typically grown as an annual, garlic is an herbaceous bulbous perennial with flattened, linear, grass-like, medium green leaves. Harvest the plant in summer when the lower 4 to 5 leaves are dry and turning brown. Hang the plants to dry for 2 to 3 weeks in a warm area with good air circulation, out of direct sunlight. Once completely dried, cut off the stem about 1 inch from the bulb and trim the roots. Storage potential is 6 months or more.

A good choice for beginner gardeners, garlic is super easy to grow. It grows best in sunny locations with loose, fertile, moist, well-draining soil. Garlic benefits from a nitrogen fertilizer applied at planting and again when shoots are 4 to 6 inches tall. German White, a porcelain type, is exceptionally robust and cold hardy but does well in any climate.

Garlic is an excellent companion plant in vegetable and flower gardens. It naturally deters certain garden pests, such as aphids, Japanese beetles, snails, deer, and rabbits, to name a few.

A cool-season vegetable, garlic is cold hardy and can be grown in all USDA Zones and can be direct sown into the garden in fall for a summer harvest. But it can also be started indoors and transplanted in early spring, but the bulbs are typically smaller. Protect plants from heavy frost with mulch.

NOTE: This garlic ships as 2 organic bulbs. Garlic characteristics can vary depending on location, winter temps and length, and soil mineralization across the country.