Ukrainian Red
What's special about Ukrainian Red
Purple Stripe hardneck — pungent, spicy, cold-hardy. Red-purple wrappers.
Growing this variety
Ukrainian Red follows the same growing basics as Garlic. Variety-specific maturity above; everything else below applies to the whole Garlic family.
Germination
Spacing & depth
How to plant
Break a head into cloves the day of planting. Push each clove point-up 2" deep. Mulch heavily with straw for winter. Harvest when the bottom 3 leaves brown but 5 stay green.
Grower's tip
Snap off scapes (curly flower stalks) in June — the bulb grows 30% larger, and the scapes are delicious.
Soil preferences
Loose, well-drained soil — bulbs rot in wet feet.
6.0–7.0
Compost + bone meal or rock phosphate worked into the planting hole.
Watering
Water in at planting, then only during active growth. Let bulbs go dry during dormancy.
Deep watering at the base. Avoid overhead watering after leaves die back.
Overwatered: soft, mushy bulbs at harvest; basal plate rot. Underwatered: small bulbs, thin necks.
Prefers top-watering — Top-water at the soil surface — keep the necks and crowns as dry as possible to prevent basal rot.
Temperature tolerance
60–75°F (15–24°C) during growth
40–60°F (4–15°C)
Hardneck garlic, shallots, and daffodils need a cold winter to bulb properly. Tender bulbs (dahlia, gladiolus) must be lifted in cold zones.
Container growing
Yes — great in containers
8+ in deep, wide enough to space bulbs 2–3× their diameter
Deep pot for tulips and daffodils; shallow bowls for crocus.
Detailed harvesting
For garlic and onion: dig when the bottom 3 leaves brown and top leaves still stand. Loosen with a fork, don't yank. Cure whole plants 2–3 weeks in a warm, airy, shaded spot.
Post-harvest storage & preservation
After curing, trim tops and roots. Store hardneck garlic 4–6 months, softneck 8+ months in a cool (50–60°F), dry, dark spot with airflow. Never in the fridge.
Culinary, medicinal & other uses
Culinary staple (allium bulbs), cut flowers (tulip, daffodil, lily), forced blooms indoors, or perennial garden color.
Medicinal or traditional uses are shared for interest only — this is not medical advice. Consult a qualified professional before using any plant medicinally.
Seed saving
Reproduces vegetatively — no true seed in most kitchen garlic.
Not applicable.
Save the largest, most vigorous heads at harvest. Break into cloves at planting time in fall.
Your zone's planting calendar
Pick your USDA hardiness zone and we'll estimate the key dates for garlic in your area. These are regional averages — always check your own last-frost forecast before sowing.
My Ukrainian Red Garlic notes
Ukrainian Red Garlic seeds on hand
Track packets and loose seeds you already have. Private to your account.
Par level — leave at 0 for no alert. Anything below par shows on Seed Starting and your shopping list.
From your kitchen — grow garlic from what you already have
You don't save garlic seed — you replant cloves. A single head from the farmers' market becomes 8–10 new heads next summer.
- 1Choose the biggest, firmest bulb — clove size is next year's plant size.
- 2Break into cloves the day of planting, leaving the papery skins on.
- 3Plant point-up, 2 in deep, 6 in apart, 4–6 weeks before your ground freezes (Oct–Nov most zones).
- 4Mulch heavily with straw. Harvest when the bottom 3 leaves brown next July.
Storage: Save the biggest heads at harvest and replant them each fall — that's how you build a strain adapted to your garden.
Order more seeds
Running low? Reorder from one of these seed stores.
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Other Garlic varieties
Hardneck (Rocambole, Purple Stripe)
9 monthsCold-hardy, complex flavor, 6–12 large cloves. Sends up edible scapes.
Softneck (Silverskin, Artichoke)
9 monthsWarmer zones, 12–20 cloves, mild flavor. Braids well — long storage.
Elephant Garlic
9 monthsTechnically a leek — huge mild cloves the size of a golf ball.
Music
9 monthsPorcelain hardneck — 4–7 huge cloves, mild-hot, one of the most popular garlics in North America. Excellent storage for a hardneck (6–9 months).
German White
9 monthsPorcelain hardneck — very cold-hardy, big cloves, robust flavor. Reliable performer in zones 3–5.
German Red
9 monthsRocambole hardneck — rich, spicy, classic garlicky flavor. Beautiful red-purple wrappers.
Polish Jenn
9 monthsPorcelain hardneck from Poland — very cold-hardy, 4–6 large cloves, robust hot flavor.
Polish Softneck
9 monthsArtichoke softneck — 12–18 cloves, medium heat, braids well, stores 8–10 months.
Nootka Rose
9 monthsSilverskin softneck from Washington's Nootka Rose Farm — beautiful rose-streaked cloves, long-storing (10+ months).
Blue Music
9 monthsPorcelain hardneck selected from Music — slight blue-purple clove blush, big cloves, hot-mellow flavor.
Duganski
9 monthsPurple Stripe hardneck from Uzbekistan — spicy up front, sweet finish. Cold-hardy, purple-blushed wrappers.
Premium Northern White
9 monthsPorcelain hardneck bred for northern winters — 4–6 fat cloves, robust and long-storing.
Krandasger Red
9 monthsRocambole hardneck — rich full flavor, red-brown wrappers, easy to peel.
Georgian Crystal
9 monthsPorcelain hardneck from the Republic of Georgia — 4–6 giant cloves, mild for a porcelain, great raw.
Georgian Fire
9 monthsPorcelain hardneck — hot and pungent raw, mellows when cooked. Very cold-hardy.
Rosewood
9 monthsRocambole hardneck — dark red-purple cloves, rich complex flavor, excellent roasted.
Norquay
9 monthsRocambole hardneck from Saskatchewan — extremely cold-hardy, classic rocambole flavor.
Messidor
9 monthsSoftneck (Turban-type) from France — early-maturing, mild, ideal for milder-winter zones 6–9.
Sicilian
9 monthsArtichoke softneck — mild sweet flavor, high yield, braids beautifully. Well-suited to warm winters.
Italian Late
9 monthsArtichoke softneck — late-maturing, 12–18 cloves per head, excellent storage (10+ months).
Early Red Italian
8 monthsArtichoke softneck — one of the earliest harvests, red-blushed wrappers, mild sweet flavor.
Lorz Italian
9 monthsArtichoke softneck brought to Washington by the Lorz family — hot pungent flavor, heat-tolerant.
Chesnok Red
9 monthsPurple Stripe hardneck from Republic of Georgia — the classic roasting garlic, sweet and mellow when baked.
Bavarian Purple
9 monthsPurple Stripe hardneck — cold-hardy, striking purple wrappers, balanced spicy-sweet flavor.
Siberian
9 monthsMarbled Purple Stripe hardneck — extremely cold-hardy, medium-hot flavor, high allicin content.
Red Toch
9 monthsArtichoke softneck from Republic of Georgia — mild, mellow, one of the best raw eating garlics.
Purple Glazer
9 monthsGlazed Purple Stripe hardneck — shimmering silver-purple wrappers, mild sweet flavor.
Inchelium Red
9 monthsArtichoke softneck from the Colville Indian Reservation — mild flavor, 12–20 cloves, excellent storage. 1990 Rodale taste-test winner.
Silver White
9 monthsSilverskin softneck — bright white wrappers, mild-medium flavor, stores 10–12 months. Great for braiding.
Silver Rose
9 monthsSilverskin softneck — rose-pink cloves under silvery wrappers, one of the longest-storing garlics (12+ months).
Metechi
9 monthsMarbled Purple Stripe hardneck from the Republic of Georgia — very hot and pungent, cold-hardy.
Rocambole (heirloom)
9 monthsClassic rocambole hardneck — deeply flavored, easy to peel, coiled scapes. Shorter storage (4–6 months) but unbeatable fresh flavor.
Susanville
9 monthsArtichoke softneck — heat-tolerant, mild, high-yielding. Good choice for warmer winter zones.
Spanish Roja
9 monthsRocambole hardneck — heirloom brought to the Pacific Northwest in the late 1800s. Classic 'true garlic' flavor, easy peel.
Persian Star
9 monthsPurple Stripe hardneck from Uzbekistan — mild-hot with a lingering sweetness, purple-flecked cloves.
Transylvanian
9 monthsSoftneck from Romania — mild, high-yielding, stores 9+ months.
Western Rose
9 monthsCreole hardneck — rose-blushed cloves, mild sweet flavor, best suited to milder winters.
Russian Red
9 monthsRocambole hardneck — very cold-hardy, spicy full flavor, red-purple wrappers.
Purple Russian
9 monthsMarbled Purple Stripe hardneck — striking purple wrappers, hot pungent flavor, excellent cold-hardiness.
Uzbekistan
9 monthsPurple Stripe hardneck — hot, complex flavor, cold-hardy. From the mountains of Uzbekistan.
Vietnamese Red
9 monthsAsiatic hardneck — early-maturing, small cloves, intense flavor. Good in warm-winter zones.
Romanian Red
9 monthsPorcelain hardneck — very hot and pungent, high allicin, 4–5 large cloves.
Svea
9 monthsPurple Stripe hardneck from Sweden — extremely cold-hardy, balanced spicy-sweet flavor.
Mount Hood
9 monthsPorcelain hardneck selected in Oregon — 4–6 huge cloves, robust flavor, excellent storage.
Ivan
9 monthsPorcelain hardneck from Russia — very cold-hardy, hot pungent flavor, big fat cloves.