Softneck garlic
More cloves per bulb, a milder flavor, and the longest storage of any garlic we grow. Get to know the type that braids and keeps, then reserve certified organic seed stock we raise at 3,300 ft in the volcanic soil of California's Fall River Valley. We ship in September, in time to plant in fall.
USDA Organic • CCOF Certified • Real Organic Project
Softneck varieties
Artichoke-type softnecks, mild and adaptable, that store for months and braid beautifully. Each one is certified organic, graded by hand, and good to plant or to cook with.
What is softneck garlic?
Most people think of garlic as a single thing, but it is really a whole taxonomic hierarchy of types and subgroups. Softneck is the branch botanists call Allium sativum var. sativum. Unlike hardneck garlic, it never pushes up a true flowering scape, so all that energy goes into the bulb rather than a stalk. That is what lets softneck pack more cloves into each head, layered in several rings instead of a single ring around a central stem.
Without a woody central stalk, the tops stay soft and flexible at harvest, which is what lets softneck be braided. The flavor runs milder and more all-purpose than hardneck, well suited to everyday cooking. Its biggest advantage is the pantry. Softneck is the longest-storing garlic we grow, often keeping until the next season's harvest comes in.
Softneck vs hardneck garlic
Each type has its own strengths in the garden, on the cutting board, and in storage. Here is where softneck lands against hardneck.
| Softneck | Hardneck | |
|---|---|---|
| Scape | None | Yes, a true flowering stalk |
| Cloves | Smaller, more per bulb | Larger, fewer per bulb |
| Flavor | Milder, everyday cooking | Bolder and more complex, best raw |
| Storage | 8 to 10 months | 4 to 7 months |
| Cold needed | Helpful but not required | Required, a real winter |
| Best climate | Wide range, milder winters too | Colder zones |
| Braiding | Yes | No, the stalk turns woody |
The softneck garlic we grow
All of our softnecks are Artichoke-type, the most widely grown and adaptable softneck subgroup.
Growing softneck garlic
Like all garlic, softneck goes in during fall. Set the cloves in the ground in October or November so the roots take hold before the cold settles in. Our full garlic growing instructions cover spacing, depth, and mulch in detail, and the garlic planting calculator does the math on how much seed your beds will take.
Softneck is the more forgiving type to grow. It benefits from a cold winter but does not strictly require the long vernalization that hardneck does, which makes it a strong choice for milder and warmer regions. If you garden where winters are short, check our heat-tolerant garlic guidance, or run your ZIP through the garlic zone finder to see what suits your area. Softneck does not make a scape, so there is nothing to cut through the season, just steady growth to a summer harvest.
Once it is out of the ground, let the bulbs cure somewhere dry with good airflow, and keep at least five papers wrapped around each one. Held around 55 to 65°F at moderate humidity, softneck outlasts every other garlic we grow, frequently right up to the following year's crop. Skip the refrigerator. It is the move from cold back into warmth, not the cold itself, that signals a clove to wake up and grow.
Why seed garlic from Basaltic Farms
Triple certified organic
Every bulb we sell is certified three ways, CCOF, USDA Organic, and the Real Organic Project. The paperwork is real and so is the practice behind it.
High elevation, volcanic ground
Our fields sit at 3,300 ft in the Fall River Valley on soil laid down by ancient basalt flows. Cold winters and mineral-rich ground suit garlic well.
Sorted by bulb size
We grade by bulb size, not clove count. The largest bulbs ship first, first come first served, so early orders get the best seed.
Shipped for fall planting
Orders ship starting in September so your seed arrives cured, intact, and ready to go in the ground in October and November.
Plan your planting
Line your varieties up with your zone, work out the pounds your beds really call for, and look over bulk pricing before you lock anything in. Ten minutes now spares you a lot of second-guessing come October.
What people say
Softneck garlic questions
What is softneck garlic?
Softneck garlic has no true scape, grows smaller cloves with more per bulb, and keeps the longest in storage. The flavor runs milder than hardneck. Our softnecks are all Artichoke-type, including Inchelium Red, Susanville, Sicilian Artichoke, and Red Toch.
What is the difference between softneck and hardneck garlic?
The simplest way to tell them apart is the stalk. Softneck never forms one, so it puts up no scape, carries more but smaller cloves, tastes milder, keeps longer, and handles a wider band of climates. Hardneck does form that woody stalk, with fewer large cloves, a hotter raw bite, and a real need for winter cold. Plenty of growers plant both.
Which softneck varieties does Basaltic Farms grow?
All of our softnecks are Artichoke-type, the most widely grown softneck subgroup. We grow Inchelium Red, Susanville, Sicilian Artichoke, and Red Toch, each a certified organic seed stock selected and graded for planting or for the kitchen.
Will softneck garlic grow in warm climates?
Softneck is the more adaptable type. It benefits from a cold spell but does not strictly require one, which makes it a strong choice for milder and warmer zones. Enter your ZIP in our garlic zone finder to confirm what fits your winter.
When do I plant softneck garlic?
Fall is the window, generally October into November, going in a few weeks ahead of the first hard freeze so the roots can settle. The plants sit quietly through winter, pick back up in spring, and finish as a summer harvest, the same rhythm hardneck follows.
Can I braid softneck garlic?
Yes. Softneck has no stiff central stalk, so the green tops stay flexible at harvest and braid easily for curing and kitchen storage. Hardneck cannot be braided the same way because its scape stalk turns woody.
How long does softneck garlic store?
Expect roughly 8 to 10 months when you hold it at 55 to 65°F, 60 to 70 percent humidity, with air moving around the bulbs. Keep five or more papers on each head and stay away from the fridge, because that cold-then-warm swing is exactly what wakes a clove up.
When can I order and when does it ship?
Pre-orders open every March 1, and our premium varieties are usually the first to go, so getting in early is how you secure the ones you are after. We harvest and cure through the summer, then start shipping in September so your seed lands ahead of fall planting.