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Sicilian Artichoke Softneck GarlicUpdated 4 months ago

Sicilian Artichoke Softneck Garlic - USDA Certified Organic


Product Details

Cloves per bulb: 12-20

Sicilian Artichoke garlic makes the perfect addition to any traditional Mediterranean dish. This softneck variety of garlic has a well-balanced, mild to spicy flavor profile and classic pearl-white papery skin that may show subtle purple streaks depending on its environmental conditions. The white paper and bold flavor can resemble what you would imagine store-bought garlic to be, but it's only better! This garlic, along with other artichoke-type garlic, is known for overlapping layers of cloves and long storage periods of up to 8 months. Since they have no true flowering stalks (scapes), Sicilian Artichoke garlic is a great variety for braiding and is popular with at-home gardeners.

Due to state restrictions, we cannot ship garlic to Idaho, Hawaii, and the following counties in Washington—Adams, Benton, Franklin, Grant, and Klickitat (including cities such as Othello, Pasco, Moses Lake, Kennewick, and Richland). Please do not order garlic if you live in one of these locations.

Garlic ships early October


Why You'll Love It

If you love Mediterranean or Middle Eastern food, this garlic awaits you! The perfect flavor profile for garlicky hummus or tasty, garden-fresh baba ghanoush, Sicilian Artichoke garlic is what you’ve always dreamed supermarket garlic would be like (and we know most market garlic never meets high expectations). Its flavor is pungent but not excessive, and it blends well into your food, whether raw or cooked.


Variety Info

Days to Maturity: 250-270 days (when planted in fall)

Family: Amaryllidaceae, subfamily Alleoideae (formerly Alliaceae) Allium or Onion family, includes onions, garlic, chives, shallots, and leeks.

Type: Artichoke

Native: Central Asia

Hardiness: Usually grown as an annual to harvest the bulbs, but can be grown as a perennial

Exposure: Full sun to part shade.

Variety Info: While the external papery skin is white, it sometimes can develop vivid purple streaks that make it as striking in the garden as it is on the table. The cloves tend towards the smaller side, but each head is packed with them. Sicilian Artichoke garlic features a well-balanced, mild to spicy flavor. Bulbs contain 12–20 cloves. Stores up to 8 months.


Sowing Info

When to Sow Outside:

Garlic is planted in fall for harvest 7 to 9 months later (midsummer). In areas with cold winters, sow individual cloves from mid-September to mid-November. Garlic is frost-hardy but ideally should be planted 4 to 6 weeks before the first hard freeze to give the bulbs time to establish roots. In areas with mild winters, garlic can be planted until January.

When to Start Inside: Not recommended if you want to grow bulbs. If you don't get your garlic in the ground, the cloves can be planted indoors any time of year for the green tops that make tasty garlic-flavored raw greens or stir-fry ingredients.

Seed Depth: Plant garlic 2"–3" deep with the pointed side up.

Seed Spacing: One clove every 6"–8"

Row Spacing: 12"–18"

Thinning: Thinning is not necessary if spaced properly during planting.


Growing Info

Harvesting: Garlic bulbs are ready to harvest when the tops are approximately 40% yellow or brown or when the tops start to fall over. This is typically in June and July. Do not leave bulbs in the ground too long, or the skins will decay, reducing storage life. To harvest, lift the bulbs gently with a digging fork (flat tines) or a shovel, digging widely to avoid cutting into them. Gently brush off any loose soil and remove any damaged cloves, but leave the roots and shoots attached. Lay or hang the whole plant in a warm, airy location out of direct sun and protected from rain before curing. For more information, see Garlic: Harvesting, Curing, and Storage.


Special Care: After planting, apply 2"–4" of mulch (e.g., straw, untreated grass clippings, shredded leaves) to maintain moisture, insulate the cloves through the winter, and help prevent frost from pushing cloves to the surface. Loosen mulch in spring to allow shoots to push through thick or compacted mulch. In very cold climates, remove mulch after the last hard freeze to allow soil to warm more quickly. Reapply mulch after shoots emerge to maintain consistent moisture and reduce weeds. Remove weeds regularly to reduce competition for water and nutrients.

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