Botanical Interests
Creole Red Hardneck Garlic - USDA Certified Organic
Creole Red Hardneck Garlic - USDA Certified Organic
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Product Details
Product Details
We’ve officially sold out of this year’s garlic harvest! We harvest and ship once a year and it goes fast. Check back next season and join our email list to be first in line when next year's batch drops.
Cloves per bulb: 8-12
This heat-tolerant garlic has bright pinkish-red wrappers and produces the largest bulbs in mild-winter areas. A winner of many taste tests with a distinctive shallot-like flavor, this Creole-type garlic is good for both raw and cooked use. It does not usually produce a scape in mild-winter areas, making it a beautiful, braidable variety. This variety was originally from the California virus-free program in the 1980s.
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.
We source our garlic from local farms, where passionate farmers hand-harvest each bulb. This commitment not only supports our community but also ensures top-notch quality and flavor in every product.
Specification
Specification
Learn More:
Watch this Before You Plant Garlic
Softneck vs. Hardneck Garlic: What's the Difference?
How to Grow Garlic in Raised Beds: A Complete Guide
How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Garlic In Your Garden
Is It Too Late To Plant Garlic? A Zone-By-Zone Guide
15 Garlic-Growing Mistakes To Avoid This Year
When To Plant Fall Garlic For The Best Yields
Why You'll Love It
Why You'll Love It
A little sweet, a little spice; Creole Red garlic is very nice! Its shallot-like flavor is right in the midlevel range between sharp and sweet. As its name suggests, it’s great in Creole and Cajun fare but also tastes fantastic in Mexican cuisine.
- Variety Info
- Sowing Info
- Growing Info
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: Creole garlic
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 its outer wrapper is snow-white, the individual cloves have a brilliant, pinkish-red wrapper that stands out (and sometimes glows through the papery exterior). Its distinctive shallot-like flavor shines through, whether fresh or cooked. Stores 10-12 months—an excellent storage variety!
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. In spring, hardneck garlic will produce a tall stem with a curlicue at the top and a swollen flower bud at the end. In most cases, this flower stalk, called a scape, should be removed to keep the plant's energy focused on bulb growth and to keep bulbs tight. Scapes can be eaten and have a mild garlic flavor.
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- Katharine E.Verified BuyerRated 4 out of 5 starsFeb 14, 20254 Stars
Love all the seed starting tray equipment and seed selection so I had to try garlic.
- Judy R.Verified BuyerRated 4 out of 5 starsJan 31, 20254 Stars
I rely on EG because you’re in San Diego! Our unique climate(s) can be misleading and confusing for a rookie gardener (92115). I like your laid back style while providing some very serious informative content, and I love your cooking in the garden segments! I am enjoying the way both Kevin and Jacque are growing with their garden esthetics, overall style🤙🏼
- Laurene S.Verified BuyerRated 5 out of 5 starsJan 6, 20255 Stars
I’ve ordered before and am always pleased with my orders.
- Brittany M.Rated 4 out of 5 starsOct 10, 20234 Stars
I purchased 3 hardneck garlic varieties to try this year in zone 5b. And was surprised to open the creole red - packaging says it’s a soft neck, but my receipt and the description here say it’s hardneck. I’m not upset about it, but more confused as I’m not sure if I’m supposed to plant it differently.
Which best describes you as a gardener? BeginnerEGEpic GardeningOct 10, 2023Hey Brittany, Thank you so much for the feedback. We are looking into this. Creole Red is a hardneck, although it can act as a softneck in mild-winter areas (like southern California) and skip scape development in those frost-free areas.
There are no differences in how to plant it, however - both hardnecks and softnecks are planted and grown the same way. The only thing that differs about the two is whether the garlic tries to flower, producing the scape. I hope that helps. Thanks again for the feedback, we appreciate it!
- Destinnie P.Verified BuyerRated 5 out of 5 starsJan 18, 20255 Stars
I love the products here, plus I’ve been following epic garden since I’ve decided to start my gardening journey. I’ve learned so much. My beds are covered in snow so I don’t have any pictures of the garlic I’ve recently purchased.
