Normally I post the result of the years's harvest before it is ready for sale. Well I can only hope the adage better late than never applies. I made a significant change to how this year's crop of seed garlic bulbs were planted. Cloves were planted directly into amended native soil. One of the positive outcomes in doing so is that there was virtually no sign of disease on any the plants or the bulbs themselves. A significant improvement from previous year's where several varieties including Red Russian and Northern Quebec suffered significant losses from disease. So much so, that I could not sell any of those varieties, and had to rebuild seed stock over the course of several years. So how did each of the varieties do this year? Let's take a look!
Red Russian seed garlic did very well this year. Particularly compared to other years. Because popularity almost half of the seed garlic bulbs grown this year were of this variety. So there is good volumes available on most sizes, especially medium. Red Russian garlic does has a tendency to semi regularly produce two (large) clove bulbs. Rest assured those have been removed from the sales stock. Any Red Russian seed garlic bulbs you receive from us will have at least three or more cloves.
House seed garlic produced the greatest percentage of large bulbs compared to all other varieties. The reason why this garlic is called "house" is because I received it over twelve years ago and started planting and re-planting it before learning what the actual name of the variety was. Given the years of selective pressure on only replanting the largest of each generation has resulted in large lovely bulbs with gigantic delicious cloves.
Chesnok is one of my most consistent producers. Over the years of growing it I have had very little problems with disease with this variety. This year is no exception. As a seed garlic bulb it provides the greatest economic bang for your buck! Whereas the other varieties are made up of bulbs with a small (but large sized) clove count, Chesnok bulbs are most often consist of several smaller cloves. Often they produce double or more garlic plants from one bulb compared to the other varieties.
Khabar bulbs are often difficult to differentiate from Red Russian seed garlic bulbs. The key difference for me is that they are more notably "knobby" than Red Russian seed garlic. Like Chesnok it has proved disease resistant time and again. The cloves are more distinct from each other than most other varieties. A smooth mellow flavoured variety that bakes and cures easily.
Yugoslavian a reliable porcelain variety that produced quite well over the years. This year is no exception, and it has performed all the better with the move to planting in amended native soil. It produces fat spicy cloves that keep well.
Leningrad another gorgeous porcelain variety. Like Russian Red garlic bulbs a significant portion of cloves planted produce bulbs which have only two cloves. Like the Red Russian, two-clove bulbs have been removes from the sales stock, guaranteeing that each Leningrad bulb you receive will have three or more plantable cloves. I gotta tell you though those two-clove bulbs are fantastic culinary bulbs. In my experience these are one of the best storage seed garlic bulbs that I currently produce.
I am pleased to reintroduce Northern Quebec in limited quantities this year. Compared to previous year's, this seed garlic bulb in particular has responded well to growing in amended native soil. While quantities last enjoy this cold hardy hot flavoured heritage variety.