If it is the Schumacher Garlic that I think it is, and I've never seen another one so named, I have it. In fact, I helped rescue it. About 20 years I volunteered at an heirloom vegetable garden at Schumacher Farm Park in Waunakee, WI. There was an old garlic there, presumably from the original owner that had gone grassy. I took some, and grew it back to full size heads and returned it to the gardener there. It has been grown there ever since. We had done workshops on garlic growing and use, and gave some of the garlic to participants, which is how I assume it came to be on the internet. Well, an old gardener leaves, and a new one comes on, not knowing what they have. All the original Schumacher grown at the garden has been lost to time, but it still grows in my garden! Again, this past Fall I returned it to the garden and gardener where it will grow again next Spring. It is not the best keeping garlic, usually sprouting by the first of the year, but it has good flavor and I am part of it's provenance, so I maintain a planting stock. It being November, my stock is all planted, and this being 6 years after your original post, if you would like to contact me in the summer, I would be happy to send you some of the original stock, with my compliments. You can contact me thru my page. Steve

My understanding is that some hardnecks do better in southern climes than others. Rocamboles particularly like very cold weather, and do not size up as well unless they have a good freeze. That doesn't mean that rocs are not worth growing in your region. On the other hand, some hardnecks do pretty well even with warm winters. Most online stores will mention the winter preferences of most their strains. One category for you to consider is Creoles. My understanding is that they are technically softnecks, but they share many characteristics with hardnecks including flavor and bulbils. Here is the general description from Filaree Farms: " While Creoles are a subgroup of the Silverskin variety, they have certain similarities with Purple Stripe garlics, including vivid clove colors, tallish cloves with elongated tips, and numerous tiny bulbils. They differ in that flower stalks are very short and weak. While bulb wrappers are usually off white, the cloves are a striking solid red or purple. Creoles do best in southern latitudes. They will survive in northern climates, but produce only medium to large size bulbs. They have an initially sweet flavor accompanied with a heat that builds in intensity." I ordered Creole Red from them this year, and both the cloves and bulbs I received were very large. I was assured that they will do okay in my winters, but they should thrive in yours.

You know, John and all, I grew that variety all by itself for probably 15 years before adding several more. Usually aimed for 25-30 bulbs to last the year. Then I started adding all of those other "better" varieties until there was little room left for my old favorite. If you were here at the beginning of this forum, you'd know how close it was to being lost as I almost didn't have any here for one year. We were lucky that my son was still growing it and was able to get some back to grow again. It's taken some thinking tonight as to where in H--- I'm going with this garlic game. Well, I happen to like my old one and it was one of the best in this dry year. There's going to be a "fire sale" shortly but it won't be for Martin's Topsetter, it will be for anything else that didn't measure up this year. Other than my old one, everything else is available somewhere. Therefore, the decision was made tonight to plant the main garlic bed at least 75% Martin's. Did I just hear a big moan from the rest of you? Don't worry. I think that I had 27 bulbs at harvest time. I figure that it's going to use up about 10 bulbs to handle that project. Whatever is left will be strictly for distribution here on GW. I'd prefer that it go to serious growers who will be able to devote a permanent spot for it rather than just growing it for the kitchen. As near as we can tell, the original source may even be extinct or nearly so. There's no commercial variety exactly like it and only a few SSE varieties may be close. I probably should not have to worry as Matti and Bill have got it and both are serious about growing it. Now we can let a lot more into the game. So, that's where we are as of tonight. Martin

Lol, Annie. The Chamber can't pay me...I'm on the board. I give out tons of propaganda for them. My part of Idaho is way different from the corner you saw. Come in mid-Sept. I'll have lots (of tomatoes) to do :) It really wasn't a surcie...just some big garlic. Then I got excited because we had no berries this year and I found a few jars of huck preserves stashed in my pantry. I figured if they were put back it had to be because it was a good batch (I hope!). Of course, how would you know? hehe. And then there's the challenge of making flat rate shipping boxes as heavy as possible... Huckleberries do taste a bit like zingy blueberries. I often mix them. Karen and Linda, if you remind me next July I'll send you some hardnecks to try. A lot of my best stock came from wegrowgarlic in z5 Wisconsin. I'm after garlic with huge cloves that stores until May. I culled out nearly half my varieties this year...I'm down to 20. Annie and LindaC, I hope they do well for you. The bulbs were smaller than usual this year, due to DH's decision that more water is better. Not true. (Unless you want half-pound carrots and giant hollow potatoes...aargh.) Edit Post works...cool! This post was edited by katiec on Fri, Nov 23, 12 at 11:47