Customer Service Hours
Mon-Fri 8-4 MST
Features
Family
Amaryllidaceae, subfamily Alleoideae (formerly Alliaceae) Allium or Onion family, includes onions, garlic, chives, shallots, and leeks.
Native
Central Asia
Life Cycle
Usually grown as an annual to harvest the bulbs, but can be grown as a perennial
About Inchelium Red Softneck Garlic - USDA Certified Organic
The white-wrapped bulbs have a pinkish cast and occasionally pink streaks on the outer wrapper. Inside, each clove has a pinkish skin that peels away to reveal the lovely white clove inside with a robust and lingering flavor, but mild, not hot. Bulbs contain 8–20 cloves. Stores 10 months.
Planting Garlic
Days to Maturity
250-270 days (when planted in fall)
Plant Spacing
One clove every 6"–8"
Light Required
Full sun to part shade.
Planting Depth
Plant garlic 2"–3" deep with the pointed side up.
Planting Details
| Row Spacing | 12"–18" |
|---|---|
| Seed Depth | Plant garlic 2"–3" deep with the pointed side up. |
| Seed Spacing | One clove every 6"–8" |
| Thinning | Thinning is not necessary if spaced properly during planting. |
| Start Indoors | 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. |
| Direct Sow | 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. |
| 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. |
| Growing & 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. |
Find Your Frost Date & Grow Zone
Average First Frost Date
October 19
Average Last Frost Date
May 19
Your Hardiness Zone is
5b
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Rating
68 reviews
- Catherine C.NV, United StatesVerified ReviewerRated 5 out of 5 stars10/30/26Sprouted in just over a week!
Planted these about 10 days ago and they're already poking through, outpacing the Sicilian artichoke variety I planted at the same time, and catching up to the silver white I planted 3+ weeks ago.
This is a great sign of things to come, and I can't wait to see how they grow!
Which best describes you as a gardener? IntermediateWho do you grow for? FamiliesHow do you prefer to grow? Container - Alec B.Verified BuyerRated 3 out of 5 stars10/24/26A little disappointing
I ordered a couple different bulbs to plant this fall season, having pre-ordered it months ago. My other variety arrived in perfect condition, but this one only had 7 cloves and 3 of them were well on their way to getting soft with the skins already being detached from the bulbs due to some sprouting. The biggest of the cloves also appeared cut in several places (skin no longer attached), so I’m crossing my fingers it doesn’t cause an infection when I plant them directly in the soil. The remaining cloves were excellent and large, which is why I’m giving 3 stars. I just wish that quality was consistent with this variety.
Which best describes you as a gardener? IntermediateBIBotanical Interests10/29/26Hey Alec
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts in a review. I've reached out to you via email to offer assistance. Your feedback is invaluable to us, and we are committed to ensuring your experience is positive. Thank you once again for your input. Keep on growing 🌻️
- Steve A.Verified BuyerRated 5 out of 5 stars12/15/25Garlic
We wanted soft neck as well as hard neck as part of our lesson for adults and the students at St. Sabina Academy.
BIBotanical Interests12/16/25Hey Steve,
Thank you so much for the 5-star review! How wonderful that you're incorporating both softneck and hardneck garlic into your educational program at St. Sabina Academy. We love supporting hands-on learning experiences, and your students are going to have such a great time growing their own garlic while learning about the different varieties. Wishing you and your students an amazing growing season! Keep on growing 🌻
- Teresa W.Verified BuyerRated 5 out of 5 stars12/12/25Garlic
They're growing very nicely in growing bags!!! We use a lot of fresh garlic so we have 2 large growing bags of garlic.
BIBotanical Interests12/12/25Hey Teresa,
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience with our Inchelium Red Softneck Garlic! We absolutely love hearing that they're growing very nicely in your growing bags - what a perfect setup! Thank you for sharing your growing success with us. Keep on growing 🌻️
- Nancy C.Verified BuyerRated 5 out of 5 stars12/6/25Garlic
Growing great