5 Types of Heirloom Garlic to Grow this Fall

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5 Types of Heirloom Garlic to Grow this Fall

If you’re wondering what types of heirloom garlic to grow in your garden, here are 5 kinds I have successfully grown and highly recommend! Many thanks to Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds for sending me out this seed garlic to plant in my garden last fall! I can’t wait to plant more soon.

5 Types of Heirloom Garlic to Grow this Fall

Garlic is one of my favorite plants to grow in my garden. For some reason, I think plants that grow underground (like garlic and potatoes) are just so easy. I plant them once and then pretty much forget about them until it’s time to harvest. Here are 5 amazing types of heirloom garlic you should consider planting in your garden this fall. Make sure you brush up on growing garlic with this handy garlic growing guide – everything you need to know about growing garlic in your garden!

types of garlic to grow in your garden

German Red Garlic

We really like German Red Garlic. It’s a hardneck variety and grows well in colder regions like Eastern Iowa. Pictured above is garlic from a good friend who lives in Upstate New York. German Red has a rich and spicy flavor and it’s easy to peel!

Chamisal Garlic

Chamisal Garlic is another beautiful, red hardneck variety found growing wild in New Mexico. It is supposed to set the standard for a true garlic flavor!

5 types of heirloom garlic to grow in your garden

Russian Giant Garlic

Russian Giant Garlic is a huge hardneck variety that stores well! I love growing food that stores well and that’s why I will grow Russian Giant again next year. It’s also quite pretty – with a silver red color and easy to clean bulbs. It has a mild flavor and is excellent for roasting. I used it in my Creamy Roasted Garlic Salad Dressing!!

Inchelium Red Garlic

Inchelium Red Garlic

I was surprised that I also really liked a couple of softneck garlic varieties as well. I wasn’t sure they would grow as well in Zone 5, but they did just fine too. Inchelium Red is one variety I recommend you try. It was originally grown by Native Americans in Washington and has a buttery flavor. Curious about the difference between hard and softneck garlic? Read this.

K's Backyard garlic

K’s Backyard Garlic

The other softneck garlic variety that I really liked is K’s Backyard Garlic. The bulbs are huge and the taste is rich and classic. Baker Creek says this variety of garlic was found in Sante Fe in 1998 and is their largest softneck garlic. It did quite well in my garden! This is a great type of heirloom garlic to grow this fall!

Elephant Garlic

Bonus – Elephant Garlic!

Not really a garlic at all, but an amazing variety of leek to grow! This “garlic” has huge cloves and a very mild flavor. It also produces little seeds on the garlic bulb which you can collect and re-plant year after year. My father grew this variety for years from a single plant my grandmother gave him! I grew it for the first time last year and love it! Elephant garlic will be a staple in my own garlic garden for years to come.

If you liked this post on heirloom garlic to grow this fall, you’ll like these too:

Beginner’s Guide to Growing Garlic – Planting & More

1o Practical Tips for First Time Gardeners

Seed Starting for the Organic Garden

7 Methods of Natural Weed Control for a Weed Free Garden

Top 10 Plants for an Early Spring Harvest

Updated-Tuesdays-in-the-Garden

Tuesdays in the Garden

If you’re looking for more fall gardening inspiration, look no further. My garden buddies have put together a great mix of information for you, as usual! Please click on over and support their sites too.

Fall Garden Chores from Shelly at Frugal Family Home

Fall Gardening Ideas from Jami at An Oregon Cottage

Pruning Perennials – Fall or Spring from Patti at Hearth & Vine

5 Blooming Plants for Your Fall Garden from Angie the Freckled Rose

Fall Garden Harvest & Planting Tips from Diane @ Homemade Food Junkie

Wondering what type of garlic to plant this fall? These 5 types should be staples in any garlic garden!

About Michelle Marine

Michelle Marine is the author of How to Raise Chickens for Meat, a long-time green-living enthusiast, and rural Iowa mom of four. She empowers families to grow and eat seasonal, local foods; to reduce their ecological footprint; and to come together through impactful travel.

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10 Comments

  1. Yum! We love garlic and your home grown crop looks so beautiful and healthy. Unfortunately I often have to rely on the grocery store and many times the garlic is past it’s prime and starting to send up green shoots. That stuff is bitter and not very tasty at all. I’m going to have to try growing some on my own of find a local producer. Too bad you live so far away or I could buy a few from you. Thanks for sharing all the great varieties. I’m pinning them for future reference.

    1. Fresh garlic is way better than store bought stuff which often comes all the way from China!! You can order all of the types I planted directly from Baker Creek! I linked to them in the post. You can probably also find seed garlic at a farmer’s market? 🙂 Good luck, Patti.

  2. We were at a party and scored some French Lavender garlic bulbs the other day. Have you heard of that variety? We are going to give it a try this year. Thanks for adding more ideas for garlic choices. Dave has not been happy with his garlic in the last couple of years. We hope to find a better fit for our garden.

    1. I have never heard of French Lavender garlic, but it sounds very interesting. I can’t wait to hear how you like it. 🙂

  3. I’m with you – I love growing garlic since it’s such a plant-and-forget kind of crop. How fun that you got to try so many different varieties! My least favorite kitchen chore is peeling garlic, so I have to confess my #1 goal is to find easy-to-peel and not really about flavor. 🙂

    1. I rarely peel my garlic, Jami! I just crush it my super awesome amazing garlic smasher!! But if easy to peel garlic is what you’re after, go with the German Red! 🙂

  4. So many great choices of garlic. I think I’d like to try growing the Inchelium Red since it was grown in Washington it should grow here well too. I haven’t grown garlic for a few years but I might have to give it another try. We do like home grown garlic better.

    1. I think you’d like the Inchelium Red a lot, Shelly! It’s pretty and tasty too. 🙂 You might also consider Elephant garlic. It’s just fun. 🙂

  5. I have always wanted to try growing Russian Giant! I absolutely love growing garlic, and Elephant garlic most certainly got me hooked on trying new things. I love making my own garlic butter, and cooking up garlic scapes. My favorite! Great post Michelle!