20 of the best varieties of winter and spring garlic with photos and descriptions

Gardeners, as a rule, do not know what variety is growing in their garden. Local populations are mainly grown or Turkish and Chinese food garlic are used as planting material. However, there are many varieties of garlic with high commercial and food qualities.

Winter varieties of garlic

There are both old Soviet varieties on the market and new ones obtained relatively recently.As of 2017, 73 varieties of winter garlic were included in the State Register. Seed material goes on sale in limited quantities, but it is still not so difficult to find. In stores, you can also find varieties that are not included in the register.

General characteristics of varieties

Most varieties have no restrictions on growing zones. The exceptions are the varieties Osenny (for cultivation in the West Siberian region) and Petrovsky (for the Middle Volga region).

Garlic varieties have the following characteristics.

Productivity. In winter garlic it is quite high (from 0.9 kg/m2 and above). There are varieties with low yields, but with other advantages (resistance to pests, diseases, long shelf life, etc.).

Keeping quality during storage. Winter garlic keeps well for 6 months. There are several varieties with high shelf life - up to 7-8 months. The Reliable variety can be stored for up to 11 months.

Shooting ability. Winter garlic can be bolted or non-shooting. Non-shooting varieties are Bogolepovsky, Vityaz, Lekar, Novosibirsky, Pamyati Ershova, Spica. The remaining varieties are bolted.

Taste can be sharp or semi-sharp.

According to ripening time, varieties are divided into:

early ripening - 80-90 days (Lyubov, Dragoon, Novosibirsky, Osenniy, Sir 10);
mid-season - 90-120 days;
late ripening - more than 120 days (Altair, Dobrynya).

The timing of ripening is greatly influenced by weather conditions.

Description of the best varieties of winter garlic

Here is a description of the most promising or proven varieties.

Bogatyr

Mid-season bolting variety. The leaves are of medium length, 2.5 cm wide. The heads are very large, dense, rounded and flat. The head is dense, the structure of the teeth is simple.The color of the dry integumentary scales is white, the leathery scales are purple, and the flesh is white.

yield 2.2-2.5 kg/m2;
head weight 80 -115 g;
number of cloves 7-8;
the taste is pungent;
shelf life 9 months.

Advantages. The variety is productive with very large cloves, winter-hardy, and has a long shelf life.

Flaws. At the slightest delay in harvesting, the heads crack.

Bogolepovsky

Plants are mid-ripening and non-shooting. The bulbs are large, rounded and flat, the structure of the cloves is simple. Leaves with a waxy coating of medium intensity, up to 60 cm long, 2.7 cm wide. The integumentary and leathery scales are white, the flesh is white.

yield 2.6 kg/m2;
head weight 60 g;
number of cloves 12-14;
taste from semi-sharp to spicy;
shelf life 6 months.

Advantages of the variety. One of the best varieties - high-yielding, large heads, many cloves in the bulb.

Flaws. The taste largely depends on weather conditions.

Love

A new promising early-ripening winter variety of garlic. The leaves are long (59 cm) and wide (4.4 cm) with a waxy coating. The bulbs are very large, the structure of the cloves is simple. Dry scales are white, leathery - creamy. The pulp is white, dense.

yield 2.2 kg/m2;
head weight 93 g;
number of cloves 7;
the taste is pungent;
shelf life 6 months.

Advantages. Very large heads, high yield.

Flaws. The variety has recently appeared on the market, so no shortcomings have yet been identified.

Reliable

Plants of medium maturity, bolting. The leaves are very short and narrow, which is uncharacteristic for winter garlic, with a medium waxy coating, 1.1 cm long, 1.5-2 cm wide. The bulb is dense and round. The outer scales are white with a lilac tint, the teeth are white and dense.

yield 1.2 kg/m2;
head weight 60 -70 g;
number of cloves 6-7;
the taste is pungent;
Shelf life 11 months in a warm room.

Advantages. One of the best varieties of garlic - good yield, excellent shelf life, winter hardiness.

Flaws. Lack of planting material for sale.

Novosibirsk

An old Soviet variety of winter garlic that has not lost its qualities to this day. Early ripening plants. The growing season is 75-81 days. The variety does not shoot. The leaves have a slight to medium waxy coating, are dark green, 27.3 cm long and 1.2 cm wide. The bulbs are round-flat, leveled, of medium density, having 4-6 integumentary scales of a pale pinkish color. Clove weight 2.5 g.

yield 1.04 kg/m2;
head weight 20-22 g;
number of cloves 4-10;
semi-sharp taste;
shelf life 6 months.

Advantages. Good productivity, leveled heads, high winter hardiness, resistance to bottom rot (fusarium).

Flaws. Due to the loose onion, the cloves dry out very quickly.

In memory of Ershov

Mid-season plants do not shoot. Leaves are 48 cm long, 2.8 cm wide with a medium waxy coating. The bulb is round-flat, dry and leathery scales are white, the flesh is white.

yield 1.9 kg/m2;
head weight 55 g;
number of cloves 20;
semi-sharp taste;
shelf life 5 months.

Advantages. High productivity, winter hardiness.

Flaws. Short shelf life.

Rusich

Plants are mid-season, bolting. Leaves with a medium or strong waxy coating are up to 60 cm long, 2.2-2.7 cm wide. The head is rounded-flat, the teeth are simple, the integumentary scales are yellowish-white, the leathery scales are brown. The structure of the teeth is simple. The flesh is cream-colored.

yield 2.5 kg/m2;
head weight up to 70 g;
number of cloves 5-6;
semi-sharp taste;
shelf life 6 months.

Advantages. Excellent high-yielding, winter-hardy garlic. It is considered one of the best varieties of winter garlic.

Flaws. Not found.

Scorpion

Another new promising variety. Plants are mid-season, bolting. The leaves are long (54 cm) and wide (1.9 cm). The bulbs are large, round in shape, simple cloves with white flesh. Dry integumentary scales are lilac-violet in color, leathery scales are brown.

yield 2.0 kg/m2;
head weight 63 g;
number of cloves 5-7;
the taste is pungent;
shelf life 6 months.

Advantages. High productivity, winter hardiness, versatility of use.

Flaws. Lack of seeds for sale.

Sagittarius

Plants are mid-ripening and bolt. Leaves are 51 cm long, 2.3 cm wide with a medium waxy coating. The bulb is rounded-flat, the dry scales are lilac-violet, the leathery ones are brown, the flesh is white.

yield 2kg/m2;
head weight 65 g;
number of cloves 5-7;
the taste is pungent;
shelf life 6 months.

Advantages. High productivity, winter hardiness.

Flaws. Dries a lot during storage.

Caesar

Plants are mid-season. Shooters. The leaves are 48.3 cm long and 2.7 cm wide with a medium waxy coating. The bulbs are round-flat, dense, of different sizes. The integumentary scales are dirty gray with purple stripes, 5-6 in number.

yield 0.9 kg/m2;
head weight 39-54 g;
number of cloves 4-5;
semi-sharp taste;
shelf life 6 months.

Advantages. Universal use, stable yield, resistance to bottom rot.

Flaws. Bulbs vary greatly in weight.

Spring varieties of garlic

There are much fewer spring varieties than winter varieties; all of them were included in the register after 2000 (except for the Elenovsky variety).

general characteristics

Spring garlic, like winter garlic, can be grown in all climatic regions. An exception is Elenovsky garlic, which is zoned for the North Caucasus and Crimea.

Characteristics of spring garlic.

Productivity significantly lower than that of winter garlic. A yield above 0.7 kg/m2 is considered good.

Keeping quality during storage higher than that of winter. Mostly it is stored for 8-10 months, but there are varieties with shorter shelf life.

Shooting ability. Spring garlic does not bolt (except for the Gulliver variety).

Taste sharp and semi-sharp.

Ripening period spring garlic takes a little longer - 110-135 days.

Description of the best varieties of spring garlic

Abrek

Non-shooting garlic, mid-season. The leaves are long (40-58 cm) and narrow (1.3-1.7 cm), with a medium waxy coating. The head is round, small, the number of integumentary scales is 5-6, they are white. The pulp is white, dense.

yield 0.7 kg/m2;
head weight 26-30 g;
number of cloves 15;
the taste is pungent;
shelf life 6-7 months.

Advantages. Good yield.

Flaws. Short shelf life.

Victorio

A good mid-season variety with high yield. The plants do not shoot, the leaves are 20-25 cm long, 1.1-1.3 cm wide, with a slight waxy coating. The heads are large, rounded-flat with a simple structure of teeth. Dry integumentary scales are yellowish-white; there are 5-9 layers of them on the bulb. The pulp of the cloves is white.

yield 0.98 kg/m2;
head weight 38-43 g;
number of cloves 13-15;
semi-sharp taste;
shelf life 8 months.

Advantages. Excellent yield, large heads, resistance to bottom rot. It is considered one of the best varieties of spring garlic.

Flaws. Not found.

Gulliver

Mid-late shooting garlic. The leaves are 55 cm long and 4.2 cm wide with a strong waxy coating.The bulb is very large, rounded-flat, the outer scales are dirty gray in color, numbering 4-5 pieces. The pulp is dense white.

yield 0.98 kg/m2;
head weight 90-120 g;
number of cloves 3-5;
the taste is pungent;
shelf life 8 months.

Advantages. Very large heads, high yield.

Flaws. Small number of cloves.

Countryman

Plants are mid-season, non-shooting. Leaves with a slight waxy coating are 37 cm long and 1.4 cm wide. The head is rounded with a complex structure of teeth. The color of the integumentary scales is white, the leathery scales are cream. The pulp is white.

yield 0.3 kg/m2;
head weight 29 g;
number of cloves 15-16;
semi-sharp taste;
shelf life 10 months.

Advantages. Good keeping quality.

Flaws. Low yield.

Permyak

Spring garlic, mid-season, non-shooting. The leaves are light green, covered with a faint waxy coating, 32 cm long and 2.3 cm wide. The head is rounded-flat with a complex structure of teeth. The integumentary scales are white with anthocyanin streaks, the leathery scales are pink. The pulp of the cloves is white.

yield 0.3 kg/m2;
head weight 34 g;
number of cloves 16-17;
semi-sharp taste;
shelf life 10 months.

Advantages. Long shelf life, large heads.

Flaws. Low productivity.

Porechye

Garlic is mid-season, non-shooting. The leaves are 48 cm long, 1.6 cm wide, and are covered with a waxy coating of medium intensity. The bulbs are round-flat with a simple clove structure. The integumentary and leathery scales are white, the flesh is white.

yield 0.9 kg/m2;
head weight 24 g;
number of cloves 12-20;
semi-sharp taste;
shelf life 7 months.

Advantages. High yield.

Flaws. Small heads, low keeping quality.

Nugget

Plants are non-shooting, mid-season.The leaves are long and narrow, their length is 47 cm, width is 1.6 cm, covered with a faint waxy coating. The heads are rounded-flat, very large, the structure of the teeth is complex. The integumentary scales are white, the leathery scales are pink. The flesh of the cloves is white.

yield 0.5 kg/m2;
head weight 67 g;
number of cloves 19-23;
semi-sharp taste;
shelf life 10 months.

Advantages. Good keeping quality.

Flaws. Despite the large mass of the bulb, the yield is low.

Uralets

Spring garlic, mid-season non-shooting. The leaves of the plants are light green, have a slight waxy coating, are 36 cm long, 1.1 cm wide. The heads are rounded-flat with a complex structure of denticles. The dry integumentary scales are white with anthocyanin streaks, the leathery scales are cream. The pulp of the cloves is white.

yield 0.3 kg/m2;
head weight 35 g;
number of cloves 18-20;
semi-sharp taste;
shelf life 10 months.

Advantages. Long shelf life.

Flaws. Very low productivity.

Shunut

Plants are mid-season, non-shooting. The leaves are 34 cm long, 1.4 cm wide, and have a medium waxy coating. The bulbs are large, round-flat with a complex structure of teeth. The integumentary scales are white with anthocyanin streaks, the leathery scales are white, the flesh is white.

yield 0.4 kg/m2;
head weight 47 g;
number of cloves 13-16;
semi-sharp taste;
shelf life 10 months.

Advantages. Good keeping quality.

Flaws. Low yield.

Imported varieties of garlic

Messidor

Dutch winter variety, widely cultivated in our country. Mid-season plants for universal use. The leaves are from 16 to 40 cm long and up to 2.5 cm wide, dark green. The bulbs are very large, the cloves are large, simple in structure, juicy. The integumentary scales are white, the leathery scales are purple.Disease resistance is high.

yield 2.5 kg/m2;
bulb weight 40 g;
number of cloves 8-12;
the taste is pungent;
shelf life 5-6 months.

Advantages. Highly productive, disease resistant, universal purpose.

Flaws. It cracks at the slightest delay in cleaning, and dries out greatly during storage.

Kledor

Spring garlic of French selection. It is becoming increasingly popular in Russia. Can be grown in the southern regions. The variety does not tolerate spring frosts, so it is not suitable for central regions. The plants are mid-season, non-shooting. The heads are large and aligned. The color of the integumentary scales is light gray, the leathery scales are pink, the flesh is light cream. A variety for universal use. Resistant to fungal diseases.

bulb weight 60-80 g;
number of cloves 16-20;
taste from semi-sharp to spicy;
shelf life 11 months.

Advantages. Versatility, disease resistance, large heads, excellent keeping quality.

Flaws. Low winter hardiness, plant death during spring frosts.

It is still better to grow varieties of Russian selection, which are not inferior in yield to European garlic, but are better suited to the climatic conditions of our country.

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