my country is rich in garlic variety resources, and its cultivation types can be divided into two types: purple-skinned garlic and white-skinned garlic according to the color of the bulb skin. Generally, purple-skinned garlic has fewer and larger garlic cloves, 4 to 8 cloves per head, with a strong pungent flavor and high yield. However, it has poor cold tolerance and is suitable for spring sowing in North China, Northeast China, and Northwest China. White-skinned garlic has large-valve varieties and small-valve varieties. The large-valve variety has 5 to 10 cloves per head. It has a pungent taste, high yield, and good quality. It mainly produces garlic heads and garlic sprouts, and is the main type in production; the small-valve variety Each head has more than 10 petals, many leaves, tall pseudostems, mild spiciness, and low yield. It is suitable for yellow and green garlic cultivation. According to the presence or absence of garlic sprouts, garlic can be divided into two types: garlic without sprouts and garlic with sprouts. Garlic without sprouts matures early and is of high quality, but does not produce sprouts and has low output value. The current cultivation area is small; garlic with sprouts has wide adaptability and has a large cultivation area across the country.
(1) White-skinned type
Large-petal variety:
Cangshan garlic is a local variety in Cangshan County, Shandong Province. It has a long history of planting and is a famous product in Shandong. One of the vegetables, garlic is also an important export variety of my country.
Cangshan garlic is currently cultivated in three varieties: Puke, rough garlic, and Gaojiaozi. It has the characteristics of large head and few petals, thin and white skin, spicy and spicy taste, high yield and high quality. Among them, the Puke strain has the largest cultivation area. Generally, the plant height is 80-90 cm, the pseudostem height is about 35 cm, and there are 10-12 leaves. Garlic sprouts are 60 to 80 centimeters long, and the average weight of a single sprout is 25 to 35 grams. The transverse diameter of the garlic head is about 4.5 cm. Each head of garlic has 6 cloves. The skin is white, with three layers inside and outside. The inner skin of the cloves is slightly red. Medium to late maturing, wide adaptability, strong cold tolerance, good growth and storage resistance. It is a variety that can be used for both garlic and garlic. Generally, 800 to 1000 kilograms of fresh garlic and about 500 kilograms of garlic sprouts are produced per 667 m2. The garlic sprouts are thick.
Jinxiang white garlic is artificially selected from the garlic of the former Soviet Union. This variety has tall plants, with a general plant height of 85 cm, a pseudostem diameter of 1.5-2.0 cm, a pseudo-stem height of 40-50 cm, dark green leaves, more than 50 cm long, and 3-4 cm wide. Garlic sprouts are thin, yellow-green, have less fiber, are of good quality, and have poor storage stability. The bulbs are fat, with a transverse diameter of 4.5 to 7.0 cm, and a single head weighing 45 to 80 grams. The garlic skin is white and the spiciness is medium. Mainly produces bulbs.
Stalkless garlic is a local variety in Shanghai. The plant is thick, has strong growth potential, does not bolt, and has large garlic heads, with 8 to 10 cloves per head. When harvesting, try not to damage the leaves or cause the leaf sheaths to fall, so as not to affect the production and transportation of nutrients and reduce garlic yield.
Jiading white garlic is a local variety in Jiading, Shanghai, with a cultivation history of more than 700 years. It is one of the garlic varieties with a long history and large export volume in my country.
There are two strains of Jiading white garlic, Jiading No. 1 and Jiading No. 2. Their common characteristics are large garlic heads, white color, crisp and tender meat, and strong spiciness. They are famous for their whiteness, spiciness, and crispiness. . Among them, Jiading No. 1 white garlic has wide adaptability, good yield, long dormancy period, and is resistant to storage and transportation. Jiading No. 2 garlic has large heads, strong garlic sprouts, high yield, and matures earlier. The general reproductive period is 240 to 245 days. The plant height is about 85 cm, the pseudostem is 25-30 cm high and 1.3-1.8 cm thick. The adult plant has 13-15 green, straight leaves, 35-50 cm long and 1.5-2.5 cm wide. Garlic sprouts are green, 35-50 cm long, 0.4-0.6 cm thick, and weigh 20-22 grams per sprout. The head of garlic is round, with 6 to 8 cloves, a transverse diameter of 4 to 5 cm, and a weight of 30 to 40 grams. Every 667 m2 yields 600-700 kilograms of garlic heads and 250-300 kilograms of garlic sprouts. Suitable for cultivation in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.
Sheyang garlic is the main variety grown in Sheyang County, Jiangsu Province. It was bred by the Sheyang County Garlic Research Institute after years of purification and rejuvenation from local white garlic. Medium to late maturing, with a growth period of 255 days. It has strong cold resistance, strong disease resistance and wide adaptability.
The plant height is about 75 cm and the spread is medium. There are 13 leaves in total, and there are often 6 to 8 green leaves. The leaves are upright, sword-shaped, dark green in color, slightly waxy on the surface, 48.5 cm long and 2.5 cm wide. The pseudostem is stout, 35 cm high and 1.5 cm thick. The sprouts are 50 to 60 centimeters long and 0.85 centimeters thick. The fresh weight of a single sprout is 30 to 40 grams. The cross section of the garlic sprouts has less bleeding, fast adhesion, and is storage-resistant. It can be stored in a fresh-keeping warehouse in a controlled atmosphere until the fresh garlic sprouts are put on the market the next year without changing color. The first-grade product rate for processing and export reaches over 85%.
The head of garlic is slightly oblate and spherical, with a transverse diameter of 3.8 to 4.5 cm and a height of 3.5 cm. The garlic skin is white, and each head has 8 to 10 cloves. The garlic cloves are thick and the fresh weight of a single head is 50.5 grams, and the dry weight is 37 grams. It has a rich and spicy taste. High quality, the ratio of garlic to processed dried garlic slices is 3.7:1.
Jiyang white garlic is a farm variety in Guangshui City, Hubei Province, with a long history of cultivation. Jiyang white garlic generally has a plant height of about 92 centimeters, with thick leaf mesophys, less fiber, strong fragrance, and green color. The whole plant has 8 to 11 leaves, with longer leaves and thick pseudostems, about 40 centimeters high. Garlic sprouts are thick, uniform, crisp and tender, 70 cm long, green and white, and weigh about 35 grams per sprout. The head of garlic is white, with thin skin, juicy, moderate spiciness, and high quality. Each head weighs about 39 grams and has 8 to 9 garlic cloves arranged in a single round. The garlic cloves are nearly triangular in shape. The whole growth period is 235 to 255 days, and both garlic sprouts and garlic heads can be harvested. It has strong adaptability, relatively disease resistance, cold and heat resistance, and generally produces 350-500 kg of garlic sprouts and 300-700 kg of garlic per 667 m2.
Small-valve varieties:
White Horse Tooth Garlic, a farmer’s variety in Nong’an, Jilin and other places. The plant is upright, with long and narrow leaves, white garlic skin, 8 to 9 cloves per head, more than 10 cloves, and long and narrow garlic cloves. The spiciness is mild and the quality is good. It has a long growth period and low bolting rate. It is a medium- to late-maturing variety and is suitable for pickling and garlic seedling cultivation.
Lhasa white-skinned garlic plants grow thickly, with thick bulbs and white garlic skin. There are more than 20 cloves per head, and more than 30 cloves in most cases. The fresh weight of each head is up to 250 grams. During the growth period, the aboveground parts are easily branched. It has strong adaptability, low bolting rate and storage resistance, so it is suitable for cultivation in alpine areas.
(2) Purple-skinned type
Shaanxi Caijiapo purple-skinned garlic plants have strong growth potential, dark green leaves, and are relatively cold-resistant. The bulbs have medium sunshine length requirements for bulb enlargement, and the leaves are wide. The leaf sheaths are longer and the garlic sprouts are thick. The outer skin of the bulb is purple-red, with an average weight of about 60 grams per head and a transverse diameter of 4.5 to 6 cm. Large-valved species, with 7 to 8 petals per head. It has a spicy and strong taste and is of excellent quality. Early maturing and high yield, it is suitable for cultivation of green garlic, garlic sprouts and garlic heads. It is the main cultivated variety in Shaanxi Province.
Heilongjiang Acheng garlic plant has strong growth potential, dark green leaves and thick garlic sprouts. The outer skin of the bulb is purple-red, with an average weight of about 25 grams per head and a transverse diameter of 3 to 5 cm. Large-valved species, with 5 to 7 petals per head. The taste is spicy, the garlic juice is thick, and the quality is excellent. Early maturing and cold-resistant. It is the main variety grown in Heilongjiang Province.
Liaoning Kaiyuan garlic plants have strong growth potential and dark green leaves. The outer skin of the bulb is purple-red, and the weight of a single head is 35-60 grams. Large-valved species, with 4 to 6 petals per head. Crisp and spicy, high quality.
Sichuan Ershuizao, also known as Chengdu Ershuizao and Erzaozi, is a local variety in Jintang, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province and is a special species for garlic sprouts. In recent years, it has been introduced and cultivated in various places. The plant has strong growth potential and is about 65 cm tall. The leaves are sword-shaped, upright and thick, 38 cm long and 2.4 cm wide, dark green in color and with more wax powder. Before winter, green garlic grows quickly and has high yield. After the beginning of spring, the garlic sprouts grow early and quickly. The garlic sprouts are relatively thick, of high quality, light green in color, purple-red in color, crisp and tender in texture, short in white part, and even in thickness from top to bottom. There are 8 to 9 garlic cloves, arranged regularly, purple-red in color and easy to turn brown after drying. The weight of 100 cloves is about 180 grams. Early maturing, with a growth period of about 210 days. It is relatively heat-resistant, cold-resistant, disease-resistant, has wide adaptability, does not suffer from premature aging, and has good quality. Green garlic cultivation yields 2000-2500 kg per 667 m2; garlic cultivation yields about 300-400 kg of garlic sprouts and 300 kg of garlic per 667 m2.
Tianjin Baodi six-petal red plant has strong growth potential, dark green leaves, and purple-red bulb skin. Large-valved species, with 6 to 7 petals per head. Garlic sprouts are thick, fleshy, and bolt early. The maximum single head weight is 60-70 grams.
Jinxiang Purple Garlic is also known as hybrid garlic, improved garlic, and Soviet garlic. It was introduced into our country from the former Soviet Union. The plant of this variety is tall, with a general plant height of 85 cm and a false stem with a diameter of 1.5 to 2.0 cm and a false stem height of 40 to 50 cm. The leaves are dark green in color, more than 50 cm long and 3-4 cm wide. Garlic sprouts are thin, yellow-green, have less fiber, are of good quality, and have poor storage stability. The bulbs are fat, with a transverse diameter of 4.5 to 7.0 cm, and a single head weighing 45 to 80 grams. The garlic skin is red and has a medium spicy taste. Mainly produces garlic.
In addition, there are also local varieties such as Shandong Jiaxiang purple garlic, Hebei Dingxian purple garlic, Shanghai Jiading garlic, Zhejiang Hangzhou white garlic, Yunnan Yunding early garlic and other local varieties still used in production. Jiangsu Dafeng March yellow, Guizhou Bijie white garlic, Hebei Yongnian garlic, Shanxi Yingxian garlic, Henan Linying Songcheng white garlic are all well-known export varieties.
In addition, Southern European garlic, or Allium ampeloprasum L., is similar to ordinary garlic in morphology and cultivation. But its garlic heads and garlic cloves are particularly large, capable of bolting and blooming, and there are very few live bulbs on the inflorescences. Each head of garlic has 5 to 10 cloves, and there are many small bulbs growing at the base of the bulb. Small bulbs can also be used as propagation material, but due to the small size of the plants, bolting will not occur the next year or will be delayed.