Crop type: Garlic
Allium sativum ‘Arno’
Common name: Garlic ‘Arno’
Crop slug: garlic
This Allotment Pro editorial draft summarises the cited RHS cultivar profile. Check the source and adjust cultivation decisions for local conditions.RHS cultivar profile
1 - Overview
‘Arno’ is a perennial vegetable normally grown as an annual for its compact, strongly scented edible bulbs. Each large bulb has a whitish to ivory outer skin enclosing individual pink cloves. Long, narrow, flat green leaves rise above the bulb during summer.
The contrast between pale wrapper and pinkish cloves makes ‘Arno’ visually distinctive at harvest. It is a softneck cultivar with good storage performance. The RHS profile recognises its value to pollinating insects if allowed to flower but does not display an Award of Garden Merit, so no award is claimed here.
2 - Size
- Ultimate height
- 0.1–0.5 metre
- Ultimate spread
- 0.1–0.5 metre
- Time to ultimate size
- 1 year
The upright narrow foliage makes economical use of bed or container space. Preserve enough spacing for each large bulb to expand without competition.
3 - Growing conditions
- Suitable soils
- Loam or sand
- Moisture
- Moist but well-drained or well-drained
- Soil pH
- Neutral
Use fertile soil that drains freely, especially through winter. Maintain sufficient spring moisture for bulb swelling, then reduce water as tops yellow. In containers, a free-draining medium is essential.
4 - Position and hardiness
- Light
- Full sun
- Aspect
- South- or west-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- Hardiness
- H4 — hardy through most of the UK
A sunny sheltered position supports strong foliage and reliable large-bulb development. The assigned H4 rating suits outdoor overwintering in most UK gardens when soil drainage is adequate.
5 - Colour and seasonal interest
Green foliage is present through summer and autumn. At harvest, the large compact bulb is wrapped in whitish or ivory skin; separating it reveals pink cloves. Those two bulb colours should remain the main cultivar identifiers rather than generic allium flowers.
6 - Botanical details
- Family
- Amaryllidaceae
- Native to Great Britain and Ireland
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Clump forming
- Name status
- Accepted
Genus
Allium contains bulbous herbaceous perennials with a strong onion or garlic scent. Plants carry linear, strap-shaped or cylindrical basal leaves and may produce star- or bell-shaped flowers in an umbel on a leafless stem.
Safety
Garlic may irritate skin or cause an allergic response, so wear gloves or other protection when needed. It is toxic to pets if eaten.
7 - How to grow
Cultivation
Grow in fertile, moist but free-draining soil in full sun. ‘Arno’ also suits containers in free-draining compost; the exact profile gives a minimum pot depth of 10cm and warns against over-watering. Harvest when tops begin to yellow and fall over.
Propagation
Split bulbs into individual cloves and plant each at about twice its own depth.
Suggested locations
- Patio or container
- Cottage or informal garden
- Wildlife garden
- Sunny edible bed
Pruning
No pruning is required. Remove flower stalks for bulb production and lift the crop at maturity.
Pests
Generally pest-free, although new growth may suffer slug damage. It may also be susceptible to allium leaf miner, onion thrips and onion fly.
Diseases
May be susceptible to onion rot, downy mildew and rust. Free drainage, rotation and dry storage reduce avoidable losses.