garlic 'The French' collection for spring planting
French garlic
A delicious and nutritious addition to the kitchen garden or allotment, this collection of tasty, French garlic bulbs can be used in a wide range of savoury recipes.
How to care for garlic 'The French' collection for spring planting:
Softneck garlic is typically easier to grow in milder areas and stores much longer than hardneck types, often well into the following spring or longer if dried and stored properly.
Plant individual cloves in autumn or early spring, spacing them 15-20cm (6-8in) apart in rows around 30cm (12in) apart, in a sunny spot with free-draining soil. Avoid heavy or waterlogged ground and don’t plant into freshly manured beds. Set cloves just below the surface, with the tip just visible or 2.5cm (1in) deep.
Water during prolonged dry spells, especially from late spring when bulbs are swelling, and keep the area weed-free. Unlike hardnecks, softnecks don’t scapes, and typically form more cloves per bulb.
Harvest from mid-June to July once the foliage begins to yellow and flop, lifting gently and allowing bulbs to dry thoroughly in a well-ventilated, shaded area. Lay the bulbs (with stems and roots still attached) somewhere dry, airy, and out of direct sunlight for 2-3 weeks. A shed, greenhouse with the vents open, or a covered porch all work well. Once 'cured', they can be plaited or stored in mesh bags in a cool, dry place.
Plant individual cloves in autumn or early spring, spacing them 15-20cm (6-8in) apart in rows around 30cm (12in) apart, in a sunny spot with free-draining soil. Avoid heavy or waterlogged ground and don’t plant into freshly manured beds. Set cloves just below the surface, with the tip just visible or 2.5cm (1in) deep.
Water during prolonged dry spells, especially from late spring when bulbs are swelling, and keep the area weed-free. Unlike hardnecks, softnecks don’t scapes, and typically form more cloves per bulb.
Harvest from mid-June to July once the foliage begins to yellow and flop, lifting gently and allowing bulbs to dry thoroughly in a well-ventilated, shaded area. Lay the bulbs (with stems and roots still attached) somewhere dry, airy, and out of direct sunlight for 2-3 weeks. A shed, greenhouse with the vents open, or a covered porch all work well. Once 'cured', they can be plaited or stored in mesh bags in a cool, dry place.
What's included:
Each collection contains a head (or bulb) of each of the varieties listed below. Each head can be split up into approximately 12 cloves before planting.
- 1 × garlic 'Edenrose': A pretty and pink hardneck variety (a single row of fewer and larger cloves wrapped together in a papery sheath to form the “head” or bulb of garlic) with a sweet and subtle flavour. Grows to 45cm.
- 1 × garlic 'Flavor': A white-skinned softneck variety bulb containing smaller and larger numbers (9-16) of pretty pink cloves that will store for a long time once ripened. Grows to 30cm.
- 1 × garlic 'Cristo': A continental variety which produces plump, white-skinned cloves that have a delicious, strong flavour and a light aroma. It can be planted in autumn or spring for harvesting the bumper crops in summer. Not just useful for adding flavour to food, garlic is also well known as a companion plant as it acts as a powerful insect repellant. Try dotting it around your more precious plants and marvel at the results! Grows to 30cm.
Eventual height:
0.6m
Eventual spread:
0.15m
Position:
Full sun
Rate of growth:
Average
Soil:
Moderately fertile, moist, well-drained soil
Hardiness:
Fully hardy
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Pets: TOXIC if eaten; Humans: Skin irritant/allergen
