Friends, rather than selling and shipping seeds, we now share seeds as an embodied gift practice. Learn how to receive seeds from us & here are our FAQs.
Italy Hill Giant Ivory Hardneck
Sow in fall to harvest the following July
Seed grade: 2.5"+ diameter heads
Allium sativum
[Mid-Summer Sale: 20% Off 2-pound increments and up!]
This massive, magnificent variety has been grown here in the Finger Lakes for over 60 years! Along with Red Rezan, Italy Hill is our favorite for pesto with easy to peel cloves and rich, full garlic flavor and a depth rarely present in Porcelain varieties. Italy Hill Giant Ivory Hardneck stores decently into the winter, as well.
“Porcelain” varieties are hardnecks throwing scapes in June just before bulb harvest. Bulbs are typically large and bright white (inspiring the name “Porcelain”) although purple or copper streaking often appears depending on growing conditions. Bulbs average 6-8 exceptionally large cloves, each skin ranging from yellowish-tan to brown to reddish-purple in both background and streaking. Cloves are easy to peel.
As a group, Porcelains are among the highest yields of allicin, the sulfur compound most associated with garlic’s therapeutic benefits. As a result, they are often more pungent and unsubtle and lack the flavor complexity and depth found in Purple Stripes. Nonetheless, they work well for any dish that calls for assertive garlic flavor.
Garlic ships in mid-September!
20% Off – Mid-Summer Sale:
Discount automatically applied at Checkout. (Sale does not apply to 1-pound item regardless of quantity entered.)
How to Grow Organic Garlic: Just a Taste! Prepare: Choose well-drained soil that has plenty of sun. We reap what we sow — and also what we sow into — and garlic is hungry! To harvest the largest, healthiest and most delectable heads, sow your cloves into garden soil with abundant compost as well as our organic garlic & shallot fertilizer, nourishing root development in fall and growing large, nutrient dense plants all spring and early summer. We have recently begun to use a small handful of worm castings on top of each clove when we seed in the fall. The health and size of the garlic plants has dramatically improved- give it a try! Plant: Here in Zone 5 we plant between late September to early November. Plant individual cloves 2-3 inches deep and 6 inches apart in a row. Rows should be 6-10 inches apart depending on bed spacing and cultivation tools. Late planting? As long as you can get into the garden and the ground is not frozen the garlic will do just fine. We have planted digging through the snow when we got behind and had no other choice. You might not like being out there then, but the garlic does not seem to mind. Plant Care: If you have mulch available it will aid in reducing frost-heaving. Keep garlic well-watered and well-weeded! Foliar feed your garlic in spring with compost tea or organic fish emulsion for an invaluable boost in nutrients, as well. Harvest: Feel free to harvest the delicious, spiraling scape that will appear in early/mid-June on the hardneck varieties. Harvest your bulbs beginning the first or second week of July up until mid-August with a fork or shovel once a third of the leaves are brown and dry. Cure garlic (leaves and all) out of the direct sunlight for two weeks with plenty of good air flow, clipping the necks and roots to store long-term in a dark, dry place. Softnecks: when harvesting we like to cut the stem of the plant as close to the garlic bulb to encourage uniform drying. Learn more: Visit our free online course, Growing Garlic & Shallots Organically for more insight on how to amplify your garlic abundance. Enjoy!
Fruition’s Growing Guide
Videos
To view and download Fruition's entire archive of Growing Guides, eBooks & more, hop over to our free Growing Library:
jerryhomola (verified owner) –
Fantastic garlic and the best I have ever harvested. Looking forward to using cooking my favorite recipes.
tiffanymr (verified owner) –
Absolutely wonderful garlic! This seed garlic produced large, gorgeous, disease free harvests for us. They were massive, healthy plants and gave a delicious additional crop of garlic scapes. The flavor from the freshly pulled bulbs had the tiniest bit of sting to the bite followed immediately by a paradox; richly sapid, smooth, mellow yet lasting in boldness and power of flavor. My partner upon tasting it said, “wow, that’s special.” Our son said, “mmm, that’s really good!”
It was perfect in a tahini dressing. I can’t wait to make pesto with it. Very interested in how the flavor may evolve as it dries down. Definitely a new standard for our grow season.
cshertenliebrn (verified owner) –
My second year growing this variety and they have now become my #1 garlic. They grow huge, taste great and store longer for me than other hard neck varieties I’ve tried.
scassineri (verified owner) –
Love this garlic I have planted for 2 seasons. Absolutely love the size and flavor. Stores very well also ❤️
Juniper (verified owner) –
I’ve planted this garlic two years in a row now. Waiting on harvest for this year still, but they are the healthiest, hardiest garlic I’ve ever grown. Can’t speak to head size yet this year, but last year they were 3”+ diameter and still so tasty and succulent. Cured like a dream in my makeshift bedroom closet curing set up. Will continue to grow this variety for years to come!