Garlic Set - Vallelado

Overwintering soft neck planting Garlic. More tolerant of our wet cold climate than other Spanish types. Great growing vigour producing fat juicy cloves. Excellent taste and stores well till February at least.

Hardneck varieties are more suited to cold climates, whereas softneck varieties tend to thrive in warmer environments. Ireland has a mostly temperate climate year round and with a bit of care, both soft or hardneck can be grown successfully in most places.

Growing Schedule: Garlic enjoys a long growing season, this is a late planting variety and can be planted from November to late March Requires cold conditions to develop. Highest yields will come from autumn plantings. Harvesting June - August.

Planting Depth/Distance: Garlic is planted from bulb segments (cloves), so break up the bulb carefully into individual segments prior to planting. Make sure that the cloves are planted the right way up: the flatter basal plate should be facing downwards. Allow 15cm between individual cloves and 30cm between rows. Plant the cloves so the tips are 2.5cm below soil surface. Deeper planting can encourage better yields on light soils, but do not plant deeply on heavy soils.

Growing Conditions: Choose an open, sunny site and well-drained soil. Prior to planting, improve the soil’s structure, moisture retention and nutrient levels by incorporating organic matter. During the growing season, garlic appreciates consistent moisture, but it's important to avoid overwatering, as garlic bulbs can rot in waterlogged soil. Keep well weeded - garlic doesn't like competition. It will also allow better air circulation through the crop. When the first six leaves have turned yellow, lift and dry in the sun or in an airy shed.