Australian Garlic

Celebrating and understanding our garlic groups and cultivars

Rocambole Group

Hardneck - Strongly 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:

Flavour: Deep, rich sweet flavour, hot but not sulphurous.

Storage: Short to medium

Growing location: Tasmania and cooler regions of Victoria and NSW.

Growing requirements: Cold winters, mild spring and summer.

Planting and harvest: Mid season to plant, mid to late season to harvest.

Bulb

Shape: Symmetrical, flat globe.

Skin colour and texture: Off white with occasional purple/red blotching or streaks.

Clove

Number and layout: Usually 6-11 plump, blunt tipped in a single layer. Occasionally up to 14.

Size and shape: Plump and blunt tipped

Skin colour and texture: Bronze/purple/red easy to peel.

Plant

Size and shape: Medium to tall 0.9-1.5m when scape unfurls.

Leaves: Broad, closely spaced blue green to deep green leaves, fan shaped.

Young plants:

Matures:

Scape: Strong, appears early in growth cycle, tight curl one, two to three times 360° to 1080° before straightening. Remove scape for large bulb.

Umbel and beak: Very large. Short to medium beak, spathe turns white as matures.

Bulbils and flowers: Medium to large, brown/bronze/purple bulbils.10-50, Few if any flowers.