French Garlic ‘Messidrome’ is an autumn-planting softneck variety grown for its white bulbs and useful kitchen flavour. Plant individual cloves in a sunny vegetable bed, raised bed or large container and harvest the following summer. Supplied as 2 planting bulbs.

Why we like it

• A practical crop for kitchen gardens and allotments.
• White bulbs with plenty of cloves for everyday cooking.
• Stores well when properly dried after harvest.

What to know

• Position: Full sun and fertile, well-drained soil. Raised beds help where winter drainage is poor.
• Planting: Plant in autumn, usually SeptemberDecember. Separate the bulbs just before planting and set cloves pointed end upwards, with about 5 cm of soil above them.
• Spacing: Allow 1015 cm between cloves and around 45 cm between rows. Use a deep pot with drainage holes for container growing.
• Care: Keep weeds down and water during dry spells while growing. Avoid waterlogged compost or soil.
• Harvest: Usually JuneJuly, when foliage begins to yellow. Lift carefully and dry in a warm, airy place before storing.

Flower colour: Grown for edible bulbs; flowering is not the aim.

Harvest months: JuneJuly, depending on planting time and weather.

Height and spread: Foliage approximately 4560 cm tall; allow 1015 cm per plant.