Australian Garlic
Celebrating and understanding our garlic groups and cultivars
Italian White
Softneck - Non-bolting
This cultivar falls into the Artichoke Group, Type 2 and shares its evolution with others in this sub-group from Formosan to Taiwanese and Taiwanese Purple. Long time grower Roger Schmitke selected bulbs from this heritage that produced larger bulbs and cloves then other cultivars grown in the 80s and 90s. These went to Queensland’s Gatton Research Station and over a 6 year period they were grown and selected and replanted, selecting only the biggest and best bulbs and cloves. In 1997 Southern Glen named and released.  See the Production of Garlic here
This day-length neutral cultivar is a very important cultivar for growers in warmer more northern regions.
General Information
International name/s: Italian White
Flavour: Mild, simple, vegetative.
Storage: Mid to long storage, up to 8 months.
Growing location: Mainly grown in northern SA and Victoria, all of NSW. But also southern Victoria, Tasmania and WA.
Growing requirements: Cold temperate climate, cold winters, warm spring, hot dry summer. But more tolerant than some Artichokes of wet and cold in spring and summer. Adaptable.
Planting and harvest: Plant mid season (late March to early May), harvest mid season (November to early December)
Bulb
Shape: Flat to teardrop shaped, 4.5 to 7 cm with a usually flat base.
Skin colour and texture: White skin, often with purple blotching or striping especially in cooler climates.
Clove
Number and layout: Usually 10-22 in two to three layers.
Size and shape: Outer cloves are large, flat and inwardly curving, inner cloves smaller, taller and more slender
Skin colour and texture: Creamy or tan to white cloves sometimes with purple tips. Thin skins that can be hard to peel.
Plant
Size and shape: Strong, wide and spreading. Often stronger and wider in colder climates.
Leaves: Broad, pale green to yellow green leaves at 45° to pseudostem. Fold in middle.
Young plants: Germinates readily, plants grow quickly and resemble adult plants.
Matures: Plants mature at a steady rate without any rapid development at particular times. Plants are not tall but are solid and strong.
Scape: Usually no scape
Umbel and beak: None
Bulbils and flowers: Very occasionally plants will grow 2 or 3 bulbils in the pseudostem, especially in colder climate or after other stresses like heavy rainfall.
Artichoke Group
Silverskin Group
Subtropical Group
Asiatic Group
Creole Group
Middle Eastern Group
Turban Group
- Flinders Island Purple
- Glamour
- Italian Purple
- Monaro Purple
- Ontos Purple
- Shandong
- Tasmanian Purple
- White Crookneck
- Xian