How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Sicilian Artichoke Softneck Garlic

While I love growing hardneck garlic for its winter hardiness and scape production, having a small plot of softneck garlic for versatility is lovely. We prefer to use the large bulbs of hardneck garlic in the kitchen first, leaving the ultra-storable softneck cloves for the spring months, ensuring no gaps in our garlic supply.

Plus, if you haven’t explored the crafting world of softnecks, get ready for a treat! From traditional braiding to intricate dried flower arrangements, you’ll surely find something to occupy your gardening hands while your plants sleep for the winter. 

‘Sicilian Artichoke’ garlic stands out among growers for its ultra-long shelf life, versatile culinary uses, and the perfect amount of garlic kick. Let’s understand why you should give this softneck heirloom a spot in your fall garden. 

What Is ‘Sicilian Artichoke’ Softneck Garlic?

This variety features a mild to spicy, robust, and well-balanced flavor. It is perfect for all your favorite Mediterranean dishes and adaptable to any type of cooking. If you love garlic, this versatile option should fit right into your “ingredient kitchen.” 

Characteristics

Artichoke garlic refers to the varieties’ overlapping cloves and the artichoke-like shape they form. Each head may contain 12 to 20 cloves, about six to eight bulbs per pound. Mature bulbs should reach 2.25 to 2.75 inches in diameter. Growers love its long storage time of up to eight months under proper conditions. 

The papers of this heirloom variety are creamy-white with the occasional subtle purple streaking, which gives it a unique flair. Colored streaks may vary in different growing conditions. Like other softneck garlic that do not produce a garlic scape, the pliable stems of ‘Sicilian Artichoke’ can be used for braiding and crafting. 

Native Area

‘Sicilian Artichoke’ is an heirloom garlic with roots in Southern Italy and Central Asia. Humans have been cultivating this mild-to-spicy variety for thousands of years, and historians believe its history is rich with trade route stories.

Planting 

Plant ‘Sicilian Artichoke’ garlic in the fall months of September, October, or early November, according to your USDA growing zone. Warm region growers can wait longer to sow, whereas cold region growers should plan to sow within a few weeks before Halloween.

Check the forecast for any temperature spikes you’ll want to avoid, as the cloves could think it’s spring and begin to sprout. If you wait too long to plant, there may not be enough time before the first frost for them to set roots to help them sustain the winter. Proper timing is crucial! 

Garlic requires a vernalization period of at least eight weeks for proper bulb formation. Zones 8+ may need to manually chill their cloves in the refrigerator for about 40 days, depending on the length of the climate’s natural cold period. 

Preparing Your Seeds (Cloves)

Once you have decided on a type and variety, check online immediately for pre-order availability from a reputable source. Unfortunately, as a fan favorite, it often sells out! 

When your seed garlic arrives, inspect it thoroughly for concerning issues to ensure planting the healthiest cloves possible. In general, the paper skins should be fully intact, there should be no visible sign of mold or mildew, and they shouldn’t be soft or wet. 

You may soak the sterilized cloves for a few hours or overnight in the fertilizer of your choice. Planting should happen soon after. 

Transplanting

Prepare a four- to six-inch deep furrow or grid out your garden plot with proper spacing. Add a clove pointed side up and basal side down for appropriate root formation, leaving three to six inches between cloves. Nestle them firmly into the ground so they stay in place. Arrange rows so 9 to 24 inches are between them. 

Cover the cloves entirely with soil and compost. Then, according to the weather, add a layer of mulch straw. When spaced out properly, no thinning is necessary. 

How to Grow

When planted in the fall, ‘Sicilian Artichoke’ matures in 250 to 270 days. To produce thin, small stalks to eat raw or added to stir-fries, sow cloves indoors at any time of the year. Harvest the greens and consume as desired. Also, if you notice a few stunted plants in the spring with no signs of disease, you may harvest these bulbs as “green garlic” for an early-season treat. 

Sunlight 

For the best results this variety requires full sun to partial shade. Ensure the plot of land where you plant them receives at least six hours of sunlight daily, preferably flat with well-draining soil. 

Water 

Well-draining soil ensures your cloves don’t rot in the ground. Poor soil, overwatering, and soggy soil are unfortunate ways to yield small bulbs. Add compost to your plot for organic matter and to help with drainage and maintaining consistent temperatures.

Water consistently when cloves are transplanted so they can adequately set roots. Only water to supplement in the spring and summer what’s not received by rainfall or melting snow, paying close attention during drought conditions. They need about an inch weekly for peak performance. 

Garlic has very shallow roots, so getting water directly to the root is crucial to avoid evaporating it in the day’s heat. Garden straw mulch, available from Epic Gardening, can protect those roots.  

Soil 

Growers who practice healthy crop rotation may already know where their fall-planted garlic will go while growing summer crops. Preparing garlic beds before their transplanting will be helpful in the long run. Submit a soil test, so you have ample time to analyze the results and plan proper amendments.

Allow time for amendments and compost to settle and incorporate into the soil before planting. This allium appreciates composted, well-draining soil, and heavily mulched paths will help suppress weeds. 

Mulch

Softneck garlic is often grown by warm region gardeners where frost and extreme winters do not exist. However, mulch will suppress weeds and keep the temperatures beneath the surface from fluctuating, which could disturb crucial early stages of the garlic’s life. Mulch will also keep your precious nutrients in place and prevent soil erosion. 

If you can, use something organic and seedless, and apply it liberally, up to several inches, before the first frost or when temperatures drop. 

Climate and Temperature Requirements

While all types and varieties can probably survive across the USDA growing zones, it’s best to select one or two suitable for your region to yield the best results. ‘Sicilian Artichoke’ can grow in USDA zones 1 to 9, but as a softneck, it will do best in zones 5, 6, and 7+. It is hardy in zone 4 to 9. Growing a combination of soft and hardneck varieties will give you more insight into how each prefers to be cared for and in which conditions they thrive. 

After proper harvesting and curing, store your bulbs in a cool, dark place where humidity levels remain low. Ideal storage areas include a climate-controlled basement, cellar, or garage where temperatures stay between 50 and 65°F (10 to 18°C). 

Fertilizing 

Work a 5-10-10 general fertilizer into the top layer of soil at the time of planting. The phosphorus and potassium boost will encourage the plant to focus on setting roots, going dormant, and on the bulb. 

In the spring, remove the mulch to check progress, do a quick hoeing session to remove any tiny germinated seeds, and side dress with a nitrogen-heavy fertilizer like chicken manure or blood meal. Nitrogen will encourage the plant to sprout if it hasn’t already and send focus to the above-ground growth.

Maintenance

Most of the work of growing this allium occurs before transplanting the cloves, including soil testing, bed preparation and amendments, watering, and mulching. Keep an eye on the forecasted weather and check for any temperature spikes that may cause the cloves to sprout, leaving them vulnerable to cold or frost damage. 

Remove mulch in the spring to monitor the progress. Re-apply the mulch as you see fit. Softnecks, including ‘Silician Artichoke,’ will not produce scapes that require snapping in early summer. No pruning is necessary. 

Propagation 

If you plan to grow this variety each season, consider saving seeds. Each clove produces a clone of the mother plant. As mentioned, store the seeds in a dark, cool, dry place until fall planting to ensure they remain viable. 

Harvesting and Storage

Getting the harvest timing is crucial. If you leave the bulbs in the ground too long, the cloves may begin to break away from the bulb, lose their paper shields, and split. Use these cloves fresh in the kitchen, as split cloves won’t store as well. Use a digging fork and take care not to puncture or scrape any bulbs in the process. 

‘The Sicilian Artichoke’ plant will begin to die back as it prepares for harvest. Inspect your plot for four to five brown, drying leaves per plant, about 40%. The plants should be slightly fallen over and maybe displaying some yellowing. Pull up a bulb and check the skins. They should be easy to pull away. If they are, it’s time to harvest and cure! 

Lay the bulbs out on a drying rack or hang bundles to dry in a dark place with good air circulation, such as a barn or climate-controlled attic. Softnecks are supple enough to braid together for hang-drying. Fans are our friends. Check progress each week, moving around the fan as needed and inspecting them for mold and mildew. The curing process should be complete in two to four weeks when no visible green is inside the stem. 

Once you’ve successfully grown, harvested, and cured your bulbs, you may set aside the largest, healthiest bulbs to use as seed garlic the following season. To ensure they stay fresh until planting time, avoid moisture at all costs and keep them in a dark, dry place, between 50 and 65°F (10 to 18°C).

Common Problems

Garlic is easy to grow and maintain, but several pests and diseases may wreak havoc. Most fungal diseases that affect this crop can be managed by adjusting cultural practices and purchasing seed from a reputable source. 

Pests 

Reputable seed companies will test and sometimes certify that their seed is certified and free of garlic bloat nematode (GBN) and bulb mites. Don’t confuse the signs of GBN and bulb mites for disease, which include dark rings around cracking, distorted bulbs, swollen leaves, and bloating. 

Armyworms, onion thrips, and leafminers will present themselves during the growing season. Look for leaf damage, extreme yellowing, and funky-shaped bulbs that may indicate these pests are present. 

Plant fennel, goldenrod, buckwheat, and purple coneflower to attract beneficial predatory wasps and help with pest control. Scout throughout the year and spray neem oil if needed when appropriate. 

Diseases

Overwatering

Soggy soil and overly moist cloves may lead to damping off, a disease caused by a fungus that thrives in high humidity, low airflow, and sunless days that don’t allow excess water to evaporate. If conditions are ripe for disease, remove any mulch to avoid issues. 

Weed Pressure

This crop is shallow-rooted and won’t compete well with weeds. Hoe between rows in the spring when you feed and remove the mulch. You may re-apply the mulch for the season to help suppress weeds.