Picardy Wight Garlic Bulbs | Softneck

Planting Advice

When to plant

Picardy Wight can be planted from October to February. The grower gives December to late January as the optimum period, depending on the season. Choose a sunny position and soil that drains freely, even though this variety is adapted to cooler and wetter conditions than many garlics.

Preparing and planting cloves

Separate the bulb into individual cloves just before planting and keep their papery skins intact. Plant each clove pointed end up, with its tip about 2.5cm below the soil surface. Space cloves around 15cm apart, with about 30cm between rows.

Care through the season

Keep the bed weed-free and water during prolonged dry spells in spring and early summer while bulbs are swelling. Stop watering once the bulbs are well formed and the foliage starts to yellow. Picardy Wight is a softneck, so it does not produce the hardneck flower stalk described for Carcassonne and Kingsland.

Harvesting and storage

Harvest is usually in July or August, when the foliage has turned yellow. Lift carefully and dry the bulbs in a single layer for two to four weeks in the sun or a dry, well-ventilated place. The grower reports that well-cured bulbs can keep into the following May.

For general advice, see our autumn planting guide for onions, garlic and shallots.