Nootka Rose Garlic
 

I can't say enough about its staying power! Here it is May 10, and the bulbs I harvested last August are nowhere near sprouting. I've been cutting up all but the last 5 bulbs to dehydrate for garlic powder, and only one of about 100 cloves had a bit of green in the middle.

My hardneck garlics only lasts to February 1 before they begin to sprout. Does anyone know of a longlasting hardneck?

Also, my spaghetti squash are better than ever, nice and dry. There must be something to this dry mountain climate.

it's funny you posted this. today i was looking at the last of my garlic stored in the basement - all nootka rose. tight as a drum, rock hard, amazing as i harvested these in july 08. i have 2 cloves of korean red left and about 5 or 6 cloves of music. french pink, my other softneck, was sprouting and drying out 2 months ago. i did not plant any softnecks last fall as the bulbs are small but now all i have is 15 or 18 bulbs of nootka rose. i guess i have to buy some this summer for seed cuz once the nootka rose i have is gone i have no more garlic until about the 25th of july.

as far as good keeping harnecks, music seems to be the best but i have grown only about 12 different varieties. korean red held up fairly well but all my garlic has been starting to sprout and dry out over the past 5 or 6 weeks.

softnecks are better keepers than harnecks. i have only grown nootka rose and french pink other than some grocery store garlic that was a softneck and i planted some big cloves a few seasons ago. i seldom read about nootka rose, i thought i was one of the few growing it.

tom

tom,

The only reason I'm growing it is because a friend gave me some. He said it is one of the most cold tolerant softnecks for planting in the fall. I knew it would keep better than the hardneck, but this is great!

how does it taste? i have not eaten any of mine yet. pretty amazing when you think i dug these in late july 2008 and they have sat in the basement after curing for 3-4 weeks in the shed.

tom

Most of my hardnecks sprout by March. Polish hardenck seems to be the best longkeeper. French and Inchelium Red are my best softnecks.I still have some of both. Sounds like Nootka rose is worth growing, I'll have to try it this year.

Alex

Alex, do you have a source for the Nootka Rose locally? (or at least regionally?) So far we have grown only hardnecks, but if Barkeater has good success in Z3b, it might be well worth an attempt up here (Canadian zone 3).

Hi Willa,

Just saw your message. I haven't really looked but it looks like it comes from one of the San Juan islands. Sometimes, some of the local shops carry their products and they are not too hard to locate. Last year I picked up Creole Red and Bavarian garlic at the Co-op in Bellingham just by chance. I'll keep you in mind when I do a search for garlic. I will be in Ottawa in August just when the Perth Garlic festival is on and hope to pick up some interesting varieties.

Alex

my nootka rose was in good shape when i finally got my garlic planted last week. actually, most of my garlic was still in good shape in late may, soft and hard neck. i will see how spring planted garlic performs this year.

keith

Keith, how did the late planted Nootka Rose do? I just bought a few heads at a local farmer's market and will plant it in the next few days. I should atleast get some small cloves to plant this fall. The cloves are still as hard as if they'd just been dug. Hard to believe!

earl,

nootka rose didn't do so well last year. half of my garlic just didn't bulb up very well.
it was my first year spring planting, also first year in a raised bed put together with some boards. mix was about a 50:50 mix of topsoil, and horse manure. early growth was really good. i will be paying closer attention to watering, and will have a good mulch cover this year for weed, and moisture control. they will be going in the ground this fall.
i was still using nootka rose from 2008 earlier this year, still in good shape. bugger to peel, but thats part of the deal i guess.
your results will probably be much better.


keith