How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Silver White Softneck Garlic

‘Silver White’ is a mild-mannered garlic with easy-to-grow appeal. This adaptable selection performs across cold, hot, humid, and coastal exposures. It’s one of the easiest varieties to grow, thriving across growing zones in true softneck form.

Gardeners prize ‘Silver White’ for its consistent performance and reliable high yields. Warm regions will appreciate its ability to grow a strong garlic crop successfully, and cool climate gardens benefit, too, from this versatile silverskin type.

What Is It?

Silverskin garlic types like ‘Silver White’ are among the last to harvest and the longest to store. With a mellow taste, these are versatile in everyday cooking and similar to commercial selections but with a garden-fresh flavor that beats the grocery store.

This easy-grower is a softneck variety, well-suited to cold, moderate, and warm climates. With more papers and cloves per bulb than hardnecks, soft necks perform well in heat and variable moisture. They’ll have a less robust, spicy flavor than their hardneck relatives but don’t require prolonged cold temperatures to grow. 

In very cold areas, ‘Silver White’ may send a false flower scape like hardneck types—if they do, lucky you! This bonus curlicue stem (called a scape) is edible, with a buttery garlic flavor that is as tasty as the bulb. Primarily, though, this classic softneck won’t produce scapes, especially in warm surroundings.

This one is easy (and fun) to plant and grow. Start with high-quality organic, disease-free “seed” garlic. Bulbs ship in the fall, with pre-orders in late summer. The carefree, low-maintenance crops grow beautifully in the ground, raised beds, and containers. 

Characteristics

Silverskins have layers of bright silvery-white papers around bulbs and cloves. They may blush a bit as you reach the ivory clove. The papery skins encase 10 to 12 cloves that form the bulb.

‘Silver White’ garlic has a long shelf life and stores for up to a year. Its broad, tall leaves are excellent for braiding and drying post-harvest.

Native Area

Garlic is a well-traveled crop with an extensive history of culinary and medicinal uses. It’s thought to have originated in Central Asia from wild ancestors. Extensive trading and farming throughout southern Europe and beyond expanded its use. Historical evidence dates back to 5000 years ago when people began foraging wild species and cultivating crops.

‘Silver White’ is California-grown garlic. It originates in areas with cool, wet winters and warm, arid summers.

Planting

Fall is the best time for planting. These many-cloved bulbs develop over seven to nine months for a summer harvest. Ideal planting temperatures are between 40-50°F (4-10°C) with a range of 32-50°F (0-10°C).

Planting six to eight weeks before your area’s anticipated frost date allows roots to develop before a deep freeze. In many growing zones, this is usually around September and October. In warm climates, plant in the cooler winter months. Garlic is adaptable, even enduring planting around the freezing point.

Softnecks grow from seed garlic, which is whole bulbs of individual cloves that generate future bulbs. Inspect cloves upon planting and install only firm, healthy-looking ones. Toss aside moldy or soft seeds. You may opt to pretreat the seeds to ensure a sound start.

Pretreating

Soaking seed garlic for several hours or overnight helps prevent diseases and gives them a headstart toward growing. Pretreating is optional, and cloves should go into the ground soon after. Pretreating disinfects cloves to stave off fungal pathogens, mold spores, mites, and other microscopic pests. In tandem with an organic fertilizer, a soak prepares the cloves for a growth spurt.

To soak cloves, use a water dilution, disinfectant substance, organic fertilizer, or both. For up to 40 cloves, use two to three tablespoons of the substance per gallon of water in a clean bucket. Disinfectant options include hydrogen peroxide, apple cider vinegar, sterile alcohol, and baking soda. Fertilizer includes liquid kelp, fish emulsion, compost tea, and all-purpose organic liquid fertilizer.

Cloves 

Planting cloves is straightforward. Separate the individual cloves from the whole bulb, leaving the papers around each clove intact. These natural buffers offer layers of protection from pests and diseases.

Tuck the cloves in at two inches deep, spaced four to six inches apart. Position them with the pointy stem end upright and the flat bottom end downward. Planting in other directions leads to malformed and misshapen bulbs. Cover the cloves with soil and water them thoroughly.

How to Grow

With the appropriate site preparation, sunlight, and moisture, ‘Silver White’ garlic needs little else to thrive. Whether in the ground, raised beds, or containers, proper establishment and air circulation allow the plants to grow relatively carefree.

Light

‘Silver White’ grows best in six or more hours of sunlight daily. The plants tolerate partial shade, but more sun during the growing season promotes the healthiest growth and prolific bulbs.

Water

Depending on your climate, regular seasonal rainfall is usually enough to support garlic. Aim for evenly moist soils and supplement with irrigation during dry spells and late-season heat. Newly planted cloves need consistent moisture to establish roots in the fall.

Avoid watering in winter when bulbs are dormant. Plants aren’t actively uptaking moisture, and excess water leads to rot. Resume regular watering when new growth appears in the spring. One inch of rainfall or supplemental water per week is usually sufficient.

Reduce watering one to two weeks before harvesting to encourage large bulbs. Withholding water means less chance of rot, less staining of the papery shell, and easier dirt removal at harvest.

Irrigate at the base of plants when possible to prevent rust and other fungal issues. Avoid exposing leaves and bulbs to prolonged damp conditions caused by supplemental irrigation. 

Soil

These reliable producers develop best in organically rich, well-drained soils. Loose and airy loams are ideal, and a pH between 6.0 and 7.0 is optimal.

Add a generous layer of compost before or at planting, especially in poor soils like clay and sand. Compost improves aeration, moisture retention, drainage, and nutrition. Bulbs may develop disease in compact or poorly drained soils or become malformed in drought situations. Roots struggle in heavy compositions.

Temperature and Humidity

‘Silver White’ garlic withstands heat and humidity and tolerates cold winters. Without a pronounced chill requirement, it’s an ideal grower for mild climates and southern zones. Good air circulation benefits foliage, especially in humid and coastal conditions.

Fertilizing

Softnecks rely on rich soils for essential nutrients, and compost and clove-soaking give a healthy start. Applying a balanced, organic fertilizer when planting adds enrichment and improves soil quality. 

When seedlings reach four to six inches tall in the spring, consider a boost like fish emulsion to foster growth.

Maintenance

Mulching benefits garlic throughout its growth. At planting, mulch with a two to four-inch layer of weed-free straw or chopped leaves to provide insulation against temperature fluctuations. Mulch also helps with moisture retention and weed suppression, adding nutrients as it decomposes.

Pull back the mulch in spring in cold climates to let sunlight warm the soil for faster root development. When new shoots emerge, fluff the mulch and put it back in place.

Weed as part of regular maintenance to protect plants from competing for nutrients, water, and sunlight.

Harvesting and Storage

Silverskins are ready to harvest when leaves flop and turn yellow in the summer. A few lower leaves will turn dry and brown. Use a fork or shovel to carefully loosen the bulbs and lift or pull them. Brush away excess dirt. Keep stems and roots attached.

While edible fresh from the garden, the flavor intensifies in the curing process, which prepares the plant for storage. ‘Silver White’ stores for up to 12 months.

Harvested garlic needs curing before storage. To dry it for culinary use, hang the braided stems or lay them on a screen in a shaded, ventilated area. Ideal curing temperatures are 45-65°F (7-18°C).

Let the plants dry for three to five weeks. Cured and ready bulbs have dry stems and flaky, rigid, papery skins.

Softnecks, with their long, pliable leaves, make beautiful braided chains by weaving the tops. Braiding is a pretty way of storing the bulbs. Start with one to three bulbs and incorporate additional bulbs and tops into the braid as you work. Hang the braided bulbs for decoration and easy access in the kitchen.

Propagation

Readily propagate the next season’s planting by dividing harvested bulbs. From your own garden, these will be well-adapted to localized growing conditions.

Division

After harvesting and curing, save the largest bulbs for next fall’s planting. These become your seed garlic and an easy way to keep the bounty flowing. Follow regular planting guidelines at next season’s installation.

Common Problems

Garlic is so pungent, it’s a natural pest-deterrent. Thrips may be occasional visitors, and fungal diseases like bulb rot are sometimes a problem. The best prevention is ensuring proper cultural conditions through ample air circulation, even watering, and healthy soils.

Pests

Early detection is the best way to control insects. Thrips are widespread sap-sucking insects that feed on foliar tissues. Leaves may appear silvery and stippled or brown and papery. Thrips don’t often affect garlic quality, but if you see damage, control them with horticultural soap or neem oil applications.

Crop rotation is a good measure against allium invaders like miners and bulb maggots. Miners feed on leaf and stem tissues, while bulb maggots feed on bulbs and bore into stems, causing them to yellow and wilt. If maggots are an issue in your area, avoid planting garlic where you’ve grown alliums in the last few years. Preventative steps include crop rotation and purchasing high-quality seed.

Diseases

As with pests, the best disease control is prevention through cultural conditions. Common fungal diseases may be an issue with water fluctuations, temperature stresses, or humid conditions.

Bulb rot occurs in overly wet soils and periods of prolonged saturation. Bacteria cause the bulbs and foliage to become mushy. While there’s no reversing bulb rot once it sets in, improving drainage and cultural conditions can help other bulbs. Remove any impacted plants from the bed or planter.

Rust can be an issue in upper growth. If you notice rust-colored patches on plants, clip away impacted leaves. This removal is usually enough to control the problem. Air circulation and crop rotations are beneficial for preventing rust.

Horticultural oils like neem can treat early fungal infections if removing leaves doesn’t work. Follow application requirements and time-of-day recommendations to minimize the effect on beneficial insects.