Garlic Varieties for Canada: Hardneck vs Softneck
The two kinds of garlic, the main types within each, how long they keep, and which to plant in your zone.
Garlic varieties for Canada fall into two groups. Hardneck garlic sends up a flower stalk, the scape, and is the hardier of the two. Softneck garlic has no scape, makes more cloves per bulb and stores longer. Which you plant depends mostly on how cold your winter is and how long you want to keep the harvest.
Ontario’s garlic factsheet sums it up: hardneck varieties are generally more winter hardy and give larger cloves, but store for less time than softneck varieties. The tables below are built from that factsheet and from Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Agriculture.
Hardneck vs softneck at a glance: Hardneck (Rocambole, Porcelain, Purple Stripe) is hardier, has bigger cloves and a June scape, and keeps about 4 months at room temperature. Softneck (Silverskin, Artichoke) has more, smaller cloves, no scape, and keeps about 8 months. Zones 2–4: plant hardneck. Zones 5–6: either, with mulch. Zones 7–9 on the BC coast: either.
Ready to plant? See Growing Garlic in Canada for the fall planting steps, scapes, harvest and curing.
The Main Types
| Type | Group | Cloves per Bulb | Storage (Room Temp) | Storage (Cool, Controlled) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rocambole | Hardneck | 4–12 (hardneck range) | Up to about 4 months | 6–7 months |
| Porcelain | Hardneck | 4–12 (hardneck range) | Up to about 4 months | 8–10 months |
| Purple Stripe | Hardneck | 4–12 (hardneck range) | Up to about 4 months | — |
| Silverskin | Softneck | About 8–12 | Up to about 8 months | Over 12 months |
| Artichoke (e.g. Asiatic, Turban) | Softneck | About 8–12 | Up to about 8 months | Over 12 months |
Clove counts and storage times are from Ontario’s garlic factsheet, which notes softneck clove counts run lower in the north and much higher in warm climates. A dash means the factsheet gives no separate figure.
Which to Plant in Your Zone
| Zone | Where | What to Plant |
|---|---|---|
| 2–3 | Most of Saskatchewan and Manitoba, Red Deer, Calgary, Prince Albert | Hardneck. Saskatchewan’s ministry names Music (a Porcelain hardneck) as the main cultivar grown in the province. |
| 4 | Edmonton, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Corner Brook, northern Ontario | Hardneck first. Softneck is worth a trial with deep mulch and snow cover. |
| 5–6 | Southern Ontario, Quebec, the Maritimes | Either. Ontario grows hardneck Rocambole, Porcelain and Purple Stripe, and softneck Silverskin and Artichoke. |
| 7–9 | Vancouver, Victoria and the BC coast | Either. Softneck’s long storage is the draw where winters are mild. |
Not sure of your zone? The zone finder takes a postal code.
How to Choose
If your winter is hard, pick for survival: hardneck. If you want garlic in the kitchen until spring, pick for storage: softneck, or a Porcelain hardneck kept cool. If you want scapes in June, it has to be hardneck.
Saskatchewan’s ministry says only a small number of the hundreds of cultivars worldwide have been tested there, and that yields vary year to year even within one cultivar, so grow two or three and keep the ones that do well in your garden.
Where Planting Garlic Comes From
Garlic does not set true seed. Every clove is a clone of its parent, so buy planting stock that is healthy and grown as close to your climate as you can. Saskatchewan’s ministry notes research there found garlic grown in northern climates made better planting material than garlic from further south.
Ontario’s factsheet points growers to the Garlic Growers Association of Ontario and to Seeds of Diversity’s Great Canadian Garlic Collection. Elephant garlic is not true garlic but a large leek relative, and Saskatchewan’s ministry notes it may be less hardy.
Varieties From Saskatchewan Trials
The University of Saskatchewan’s vegetable program trialled garlic from 1989 to 2016. Its recommended hardneck varieties include German Red, Russian Red, Music, Czech, Stiffneck, CGP Centre Core and FL F4. Its softneck picks are Cedar, WCS Silverskin and Vesseys.
It also explains why grocery store garlic is a poor choice for planting: it may carry disease, may not be a variety suited to the Prairies or the far north, and is sometimes treated to stop it sprouting.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between hardneck and softneck garlic?
Hardneck garlic sends up a flower stalk, the scape, and is generally more winter hardy with larger cloves. Softneck garlic has no scape, usually more and smaller cloves, and stores longer. That is the summary given in Ontario's garlic factsheet.
Which garlic type is hardiest for Canadian winters?
Hardneck. Ontario's factsheet notes that hardneck varieties are generally more winter hardy than softneck. Saskatchewan's Ministry of Agriculture names Music, a hardneck, as the main cultivar grown in that province.
How long does garlic keep?
At room temperature, Ontario's factsheet gives up to about 4 months for hardneck and about 8 months for softneck. In cool, controlled storage it gives 6 to 7 months for Rocambole, 8 to 10 months for Porcelain and over 12 months for softneck types.
Can I grow softneck garlic in Canada?
Yes, in milder zones. Ontario's factsheet lists Silverskin and Artichoke softneck varieties grown in Ontario. In Zones 2 to 4, hardneck is the safer choice.
Is elephant garlic real garlic?
No. Saskatchewan's Ministry of Agriculture describes elephant garlic as a large garlic-like leek, not a true garlic, and notes it may be less hardy.
Can I plant garlic from the grocery store?
It is a risk. Garlic does not set true seed, so every clove carries its parent's health and its suitability to the climate it grew in. Buy healthy planting stock from a grower close to your climate.
Sources
- Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness — Garlic production factsheet
- Government of Saskatchewan, Ministry of Agriculture — Garlic
- University of Saskatchewan, Gardening at USask — Garlic