Hardneck or Softneck?
Hardnecks have fewer cloves per bulb, but the cloves are generally larger and more uniform in size than softnecks. Some hardnecks store for a similar time frame, but some hardnecks do not keep as long as softnecks. Hardnecks are advantageous to those that love garlic scapes, which sprout up in early summer and are excellent in recipes.
Softnecks have more cloves per bulb in general, though some of the cloves are very large and some inner cloves are much smaller. Softnecks typically store in the cabinet longer than most hardnecks. Our softnecks may have wrappers that are somewhat stained by our organic fertilizing, but will be normally colored after being grown in your own soil.
Which Size Should You Buy?
A comparison of bulb size and weight, using German Red as an example.On the left is one pound of German Red, average-sized bulbs.On the right is one pound of German Red, large-sized bulbs.Sizes vary from variety to variety.Average-grade orders (smaller-sized bulbs) will include more bulbs for the same weight, while large-grade/large bulb orders will include less bulbs per pound (because the bulbs are larger), but the correct weight is shipped regardless of size.
The largest bulbs in each variety are recommended for planting if you want your garden's harvest to consist of really large bulbs with large cloves. These large bulbs typically represent the largest 30% of the year's crop within the variety. The larger bulbs are generally over 2" in diameter, although some are well over 3" (depending upon variety). In some varieties, a large size might be 1 3/4". An example of large-sized bulbs is the grouping on the right in the photo above.
Medium-sized bulbs (generally up to 2" in diameter, but varying with each variety) are economical for those wanting more cloves for the same price (because our garlic is sold by weight, and not by the number of the bulbs or cloves). If you want to plant in your garden with the harvest consisting of average-sized to large-sized bulbs, the smaller-sized bulbs may be better for you. An example of smaller (average-sized) bulbs is the grouping on the left in the photo above.
Small-sized bulbs are the ones we eat here at home, as well as the average sizes. We generally do not offer the small bulbs for sale.
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