Fall Garden Fair Garlic and Shallots | UC Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County

A silver tray holds a variety of garlic and shallots, showcasing white garlic cloves and reddish-purple shallots against a brown mulch background.

Garlic and shallots grow beautifully over the winter in Santa Clara County. Plant garlic and long-season shallots in the fall for harvesting in June through July. Be sure to choose a spot where you can withhold water for the last several weeks since the bulbs need to dry out as they mature. Fast-growing Dutch Red Shallots can produce two or even three harvests over the course of the winter.

See the vegetable pages for more detailed information:

Shallot Varieties

Here are some shallot varieties that we have found grow well in Santa Clara County.

Dutch Red Shallots: Fast growing Dutch Red Shallots can mature in just 90 days. Small, red/copper-colored, round, mild-flavored shallots, slightly larger than French Grey. Easy to grow and quick to harvest. May be planted in fall, late winter, and early spring in our climate for three possible harvests. Easy to grow in containers. Will produce a large number of offspring. 90 to100 days

Dutch Yellow Shallots: In shape, exterior appearance, and taste, these shallots are virtually indistinguishable from French Red, except for having very pale-yellow flesh. Mild, easy to use. 110 to 120 days

A close-up of various shallots with light brown and beige skin, showcasing their teardrop shapes and natural textures.

French Grey Shallots: Small, slightly irregular, pear-shaped, greyish/brownish shallots. Prized In French cuisine as the “true shallot” or “griselle”. Its unimpressive appearance belies its intense, distinctive, and highly concentrated flavor, which is well-maintained in cooking. Slower to emerge and harvest than others. 120 days

A pile of shallots with beige papery skins, resting on a dark surface.

French Red Shallots: There are several different varieties; we’ve grown ones similar to big reds found in California supermarkets. Large, torpedo-shaped shallots are bigger than Dutch Red. Mild, almost sweet, pinkish flesh. Easy to peel; easy to use raw. 110 to 120 days

Garlic Varieties

Here are some garlic varieties that we have found grow well in Santa Clara County.

(The code listed after each name is what we write on the bulbs to identify them.)

A head of garlic surrounded by several pink and white garlic cloves on a dark background.

Aglio Rosso (AR) Available
Creole variety (hardneck) Origin: Sulmona in the Abruzzo region of Italy. The bulbs are hardy and easy to grow with a rich and mellow flavor that is said to be the secret ingredient in authentic Italian cooking.

Garlic bulbs and cloves on a dark surface, showcasing white skins with purple streaks and smooth surfaces.

Ajo Rojo (ARJ) Available
Creole variety (hardneck) Origin: Spain. A beautiful and distinctive garlic that is mild and creamy baked, but watch out raw! The heat comes on slowly and builds to an intense level.

A white garlic bulb with a smooth, textured surface sits on a wooden table.

Asian Tempest (AT)
Asiatic variety (hardneck) Origin: South Korea. This variety grows quickly and typically harvests very early, described as “weakly bolting,” and produces scapes of prodigious size. This Asiatic strain produces an outstanding crop. Sweet baked with good garlic flavor. Breathtaking raw. A fiery challenge.

A bulging garlic bulb (Chesnok Red) with a smooth, pale exterior and a slender beige stem, resting on a wooden surface.

Chesnok Red (CR)
Purple Stripe variety (hardneck) Origin: Republic of Georgia. This garlic likes cold weather. Mild and sweet, good roaster with a creamy texture, stores well for its variety. This garlic holds its shape and retains flavor when cooked. Produces very large bulbs that average 9 to 10 easy to peel cloves.

A cluster of garlic bulbs on a dark surface, featuring a larger bulb with exposed cloves and smaller individual cloves scattered around.

Chet’s Italian Red (CIR)
Artichoke variety (softneck) Origin: Found in an abandoned garden site in Tonasket, Washington, in the 1960s. 10 to 20 cloves in 4 clove layers. A good raw Artichoke garlic for folks who want garlic flavor without being overpowered, but extreme winter cold makes it hot, strong, and full flavored. Does not do well when overly wet in last month before harvest.

A single white garlic bulb with a smooth, textured surface sits on a wooden background.

China Stripe (CS)
Turban variety (hardneck) Origin: Beijing market. Easy to grow, reliable performer, produces large mild-flavored bulbs. Harvests early.

A garlic bulb surrounded by several peeled cloves on a dark surface.

Chopaka Mountain (CM) Available
Artichoke variety (softneck) Origin: Unknown (but may have originally come from Inchelium Red stock). Chopaka Mountain stores well and is an easy going, friendly garlic for the cook.

A single Early Italian garlic bulb sits on a rustic wooden surface, showcasing its pale beige color and textured layers.

Early Italian (EI)
Artichoke variety (softneck) Origin: Italy. Produces large, mild-tasting heads. Excellent roasted, stores well. Dependable and robust growth with attractive, large bulbs with 11 to 21 cloves. Cloves fat, round and milk-white. Early maturing.

A whole bulb of Inchelium Red garlic with several cloves scattered around it on a dark surface.

Inchelium Red (IR) Available
Artichoke variety (softneck) Origin: Was found growing at an old homesite on Colville tribal lands in Washington State. Typically very large heads with many cloves and flattened bulb shape. Easy to grow and very reliable, however, it may be relatively short-storing. It is excellent, baked with a mild but lingering flavor. It can be quite spicy when first harvested, but mellows in storage. This variety is often braided.

A bulb of garlic with a smooth, white surface resting on a wooden table, showcasing its ridged texture.

Julius Starr (JS)
Variety unknown (hardneck) Origin: Unknown. Variety was initially found by Sue Zaslaw, from a forgotten source, but is now unavailable elsewhere. Rare. Handsome, robust, rich-flavored, exceptionally long-storing.

A cluster of garlic cloves on a dark surface, some sprouting with green shoots.

Kay’s Backyard (KB) Available
Artichoke variety (softneck) Origin: Unknown. Highly reliable, super productive, exceptionally long-storing for its type. Produces large heads, mellow tasting. Said to have “typical Italian flavor.”

Close-up of a head of garlic with several cloves scattered around, displaying white and light purple hues.

Keeper (KE) Available
Creole variety (hardneck) Origin: Unknown. Aptly named, because it does keep exceptionally well. Reliable, with large, sturdy stalks, easy to grow, especially for a hard neck. Usually described as “weakly bolting” referring to the rather droopy scape it produces, which in turn suggests its having adapted to the warmer winters, like ours, usually thought better-suited to artichoke types. Keeper is useful for all applications. Mild and mellow, exceptional roaster. In short, a keeper.

A head of garlic and several cloves are displayed on a dark surface, highlighting their off-white, glossy textures.

Kettle River Giant (KRG) Available
Artichoke variety (softneck) Origin: From the Kettle Falls region in Washington state. This variety has large cloves with a striking purple color. Whereas artichoke-type garlic is often dismissed as short-lived and boring, KRG is very lively and better storing than similar garlics, such as Inchelium Red. Perhaps because of its Pacific Northwest origin, KRG is thought to prefer a climate colder than ours. A pleasant, all-around garlic, KRG benefits from a period of cold storage.

A close-up view of a whole garlic bulb and scattered cloves, showcasing their off-white color and papery texture against a dark background.

Korean Mountain (KM) Available
Asiatic variety (hardneck) Origin: Despite name, thought to have originated in the Republic of Georgia. Astonishingly large and beautiful purple-stripe heads, characterized by large cloves. Reputed to be very hot.

A whole bulb of garlic with several cloves scattered around it, set against a dark surface.

Madrid (M) Available
Artichoke variety (softneck) Origin: Madrid. Beautiful large bulbs with pleasing clove structure and flattened tops. 8 to 12 plump cloves. Mild flavored with just a bit of heat.

A white garlic bulb with light purple accents resting on a weathered wooden surface.

Metechi (ME)
Purple Stripe variety (hardneck) Origin: South Central Asia. This variety produces large, easy to peel cloves. Its raw taste is very hot. Good storage, excellent to roast.

A white garlic bulb with several pinkish garlic cloves on a dark surface.

Mexican Red Silver (MRS)
Silverskin variety (softneck) Origin: Mexico. Good baking variety with a light flavor and low heat. When raw, it’s hot and strong.

Close-up of a white garlic bulb on a wooden surface.

Montana (MO)
Porcelain variety (hardneck) Origin: Grown by Foothill Farm at the base of the Mission Mountains in NW Montana. This beautiful porcelain strain produces large, dense bulbs. Heavy feeder. Fiery at first, then mellow. Very long standing.

A close-up of a garlic bulb with a smooth white exterior resting on a wooden surface.

Music (MU)
Porcelain variety (hardneck) Origin: Unknown. Large, easy peeling cloves. Music produces strong, robust plants with exceptional scapes (a stand-out in the garden), which are useful for stir-fries, pesto, and much more. A sweet and substantial garlic when baked. Hot when consumed raw.

A whole bulb of garlic sits next to several individual garlic cloves on a dark surface.

Oregon Blue (OB) Available
Artichoke variety (softneck) Origin: Source unknown. A vigorous plant with deep green leaves. Bulb wrappers usually show a light blue/purple tint. Good storage.

Pescadero Red (PR)
Creole (hardneck) Origin: Unknown. This garlic has a mild flavor and pungency. Stores very well. Brilliant red cloves.

A garlic bulb and cloves on a dark background, showcasing their smooth white and pale golden surfaces with light purple hints.

Purple Glazer (PG) Available
Purple stripe variety (hardneck) Origin: A true heirloom originally brought from the Republic of Georgia. It is the best producing and most beautiful glazed purple stripe garlic. Plump cloves with almost satiny clove wrappers.

A garlic bulb at the center with several cloves surrounding it on a dark surface.

Pyong Yang (PY) Available
Asiatic variety (hardneck) Origin: North Korea, north of Pyongyang. 6 to 8 cloves per bulb. Cloves are light brown with a rosy purple blush and elongated tips. Bulbs are blushed and purple striped. A light pleasant nutty flavor when baked. Stores well.

A close-up view of a rounded garlic bulb with a smooth, off-white surface, resting on a textured wooden surface.

Rose de Lautrec (RL)
Creole variety (hardneck) Origin: the Lautrec region in the South of France. Exceptionally beautiful, much sought after, medium large heads. One of a handful of related varieties from the Lautrec region in the South of France. Light, subtle, elegant taste. Easy to grow and very reliable, except that it tends to have double cloves, which can be mistaken for single, so it can be a little tricky to plant. Typically a fairly early harvester. Excellent storage.

A group of garlic bulbs and cloves on a dark surface, featuring two peeled cloves and two whole bulbs with white skins.

Rose du Var (RDV) Available
Silverskin variety (softneck) Origin: France. This garlic can, at times, be very hot in taste. Attractive bulbs and cloves with nice reddish colors.

Top view of a round, pale garlic bulb with textured skin, resting on a wooden surface.

Russian Giant (RG)
Porcelain variety (hardneck) Origin: Russia. Large, hot, spicy, purple-striped. Produces very big heads with few large cloves. Excellent storage capability.

A whole bulb of garlic with surrounding peeled cloves, displaying a mix of white and pale pink skins, on a dark surface.

Spanish Benitée (SB) Available
Creole/Rocambole variety (hardneck) Origin: the Andalusia district of Spain. Spicy and exceptionally good raw. Excellent choice for vinaigrettes. Spanish Benitée has nice coloration and often produces bulbs with larger cloves than other Creoles.

A round, pale white garlic bulb with a slender neck, resting on a wooden surface, showcasing subtle veins and natural imperfections.

Spanish Roja (SR)
Purple Stripe/Rocambole variety (hardneck) Origin: Spain. Excellent, mild flavor. Good storage.

Susanville (S)
Artichoke variety (softneck) Origin: California. This garlic is a reliable producer in both warm and cold climates. A very long storing garlic. Mellow flavor good for pickling.

A cluster of pale beige and light purple garlic cloves with loose, papery skins against a dark background.

Thai Purple (TP) Available
Turban variety (hardneck) Origin: Bangkok market. This variety has purple blush on bulb wrappers. Light reddish mahogany cloves skins. Produces delicate tingle on the tongue when tasted raw.

A cluster of garlic cloves in shades of white and pink, positioned on a dark surface, featuring a whole bulb and exposed cloves.

Ukrainian Red (U)
Rocambole (hardneck) Origin: Ukraine. An exceptional full flavored garlic that is spicy with a warm rich aftertaste. Excellent variety for raw use.

A close-up image of garlic bulbs and cloves, showcasing their smooth, off-white and light brown skins on a dark surface.

Xian (X) Available
Turban variety (hardneck) Origin: Named for its Chinese city of proximate origin. Asiatics tend to start and harvest early. Raw, its initial flavor is typically fiery. Rich and mellow when cooked.