Russian Red Garlic Bulbs

This popular hardneck garlic variety is prized for its rich, robust flavour, attractive purple-striped bulbs, and excellent performance in the home vegetable garden. Its creamy cloves develop a distinctive, full-bodied taste that makes it a favourite for roasting, sautéing, sauces, and everyday cooking.

Russian Red is well suited to cool-climate gardens, producing sturdy plants and aromatic bulbs when given fertile soil and plenty of sunlight. Plant cloves in fall for a summer harvest, then cure and store your garlic to enjoy its bold flavour long after the growing season ends.

Why You'll Like It

Rich, Robust Flavour: A distinctive, full-bodied garlic taste that adds depth to roasted vegetables, sauces, marinades, and savoury dishes.

Attractive Purple-Striped Bulbs: Creamy cloves and beautifully coloured outer skins make this variety appealing for both the kitchen and garden.

Cold-Climate Performance: A hardneck variety well suited to cool growing conditions and fall planting.

Homegrown Kitchen Favourite: Harvest fresh garlic for cooking, then cure the bulbs for storage and year-round enjoyment.

Plant Details

Botanical Name: Allium sativum ‘Russian Red’
Common Name: Russian Red Garlic
Plant Type: Hardneck edible bulb
Bulb Colour: Creamy white with purple-striped outer skins
Flavour: Rich, robust, and savoury
Harvest Time: Summer, typically after fall planting
Established Height: Approximately 60–90 cm (24–36 inches), including flower stalks
Light: Full sun
Planting Depth: Approximately 5–7 cm (2–3 inches) deep, pointed end up
Plant Spacing: Approximately 10–15 cm (4–6 inches) apart
Soil: Fertile, loose, well-drained soil
Maintenance Level: Low to moderate
Frost Tolerance: Cold hardy; fall planting supports healthy bulb development
Edible: Yes; grown for its flavourful garlic cloves

Growing Information

Light Requirements: Plant in full sun for strong growth and well-developed bulbs.

Watering: Water regularly during active growth, keeping the soil evenly moist but not waterlogged. Reduce watering as the foliage begins to yellow near harvest.

Planting: Separate the bulb into individual cloves just before planting. Plant cloves pointed end up in fall, approximately 5–7 cm deep and 10–15 cm apart, allowing enough space for bulbs to develop.

Maintenance: Keep the planting area weed-free and provide consistent moisture during spring growth. Remove hardneck flower stalks, known as scapes, if you want to direct more energy toward bulb development; the scapes are also delicious to eat.

Long-Term Care: Harvest when several lower leaves have turned brown but a number of upper leaves remain green. Cure bulbs in a dry, shaded, well-ventilated location before trimming roots and stems for storage.

Great For

Home Vegetable Gardens • Culinary Gardens • Fall Planting • Roasting • Sauces and Marinades • Long-Term Garlic Storage