digitS'
Garden Master
Buff, I was looking back thru the threads and see that you never got a response to your questions.
First off, I need to say that I don't know much about garlic . . . like to use a little of it in cooking . . . often don't even plant it in the garden. I should get to know the 600 cultivars of garlic but needing 6 bulbs a year, let's see, that'd take me . . . . .??. . .
Garlic can be classified as one of two types: hard-necked and soft-necked. Hard-necked garlics have hard-stemmed flower stalks that bear bulbils. Soft-necked garlics generally do not produce flower stalks. Supposedly, each garlic variety has its own requirements and flavor.
If you like to braid garlic - you'll want the soft-necks. Personally, I like to have the bulbils and use the scapes growing out of 'em. Don't care much about Egyptian onions (walking onions - too strong
But, garlic scapes are similar in appearance only tender and with a nice garlic flavor (I go for "nice"). That means, I guess, that Rocambole garlics are the ones for me!Shallots, I've got quite a few of them each year. They are on the nice side of the continuum but can still make me cry a little . . . Easy crop if I don't have too many weeds in 'em - kinda plant and forget until they "go down" in late Summer.
Storage - - the few garlic bulbs sit beside the kitchen sink in a basket. That can't be the best route but they'll mostly last until gone. I'm almost worse with the shallots. Those darn things can be forgotten in the garage all Winter!! It gets down below zero around here but they are pretty much okay by Spring and can go back in the garden. I suspect they would be fine to be planted in the Autumn but I haven't bothered to do that - just using what I feel can be spared and then planting the remainder first thing in the Spring.
Here's a much, much more serious discussion on the best temperatures, humidity, etc. for storing garlic. Id suspect that shallots would be just the same.
Steve
