Music garlic alternatives

14 years ago

We use a lot of garlic and this year we decided to attend a nearby garlic festival to get a good supply for cooking and for planting. All the growers had Music and we bought about 3 pounds as we were told it is a good keeper (1 year or more), and inteded to use some for planting. Now that we have tried it, we find it extremely mild and almost flavourless when mixed with our hot peppers in sauces. We have been told that it is the best garlic for growing in our zone (Zone 5A - Canada). Can ayone suggest another type of garlic that would do well in our climate, and that has a little more zip than Music? I have decided not to plant any of the Music I purchased, and would like an alternative. Thank you.

Northerner.

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Comments (9)

planatus
14 years ago
Do plant a few cloves of your Music, because its nature can change slightly with site and soil. It makes awesome scapes, which is one of the best reasons to grow it. Also Music is hard to beat as a baked garlic. I disagree on its keeping ability, though. Really big garlics like Music don't store nearly as well as small ones. Try Spanish Roja -- still big, but spicier than Music. This is a good time to pick up plantable bulbs at farmers markets -- local favorites with local names. Diversification is fun!
hortster
14 years ago
I'm an amateur grower, but have had excellent luck with Rocambole. True, it is growing a full zone farther south than yours, but I got the original stock from a farmer's market in Ithaca, NY which is the same zone as yours. Flavor is excellent, nice fat cloves, stores quite well.
hortster
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hortster
14 years ago
That would be 'Spanish Roja.'
crisismode
14 years ago
If you want highly-flavored garlic with real punchy zing, you would really like Georgian Fire. A big hardneck porcelain, the cloves are huge, and they store 6-8 months.
kristincarol
14 years ago
Was given a couple heads of German Red and they are a spicy one. They are also early, sprouting ahead of my Early Italian, in fact.

Sad that I planted two beds of Music before I gave them a good tasting. Was dazzled by their size, I guess.
tracydr
14 years ago
Wouldn't soft necks be spicier? Or, do they not grow well in colder climates? How about turbans?
northerner_on
Original Author
14 years ago
Thank you everyone for your suggestions. The GW 'Send follow-ups to original poster" function seems to be not working and the only reply I got was this last one from Tracy today. I picked up some 'Heirloom' garlic just yesterday for planting. That's all the package said: Heirloom and it was local Ontario grown. Time is limited, but I will try to find some of these other suggestions. We have a large farmers' market in the downtown area where I got my original cloves of hard-necked garlic where I may find some. I have tried one soft-necked type (forget which one), but it didn't do well: very small bulbs with under-developed cloves. Thank you all.
Jon_dear
14 years ago
german extra hardy is another great hardneck that does well in cold climates.
gardenunusual
14 years ago
I purchased a bunch of different kinds this year, the only one I had extras of was Spanish Roja. I cooked up the little ones and having only able to purchase Musik in my area, I quite like Spanish Roja. Had a unique, garlic flavor that seemed to be enhance by cooking. The aroma was amazing.