Crop type: Garlic
Allium sativum var. sativum ‘Solent Wight’ AGM
Common name: Garlic ‘Solent Wight’ AGM
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
‘Solent Wight’ is an aromatic softneck garlic well adapted to the British climate and valued for bulbs that store well. The current RHS record gives garlic ‘Solent White’ as the primary common name and ‘Solent Wight’ as another common name for the accepted cultivar. It is an edible bulbous perennial normally grown as an annual.
Plants carry upright, linear bright green leaves. The mature crop produces an ovoid bulb made up of edible bulbets enclosed by a papery white sheath. If allowed to flower, hollow stems carry umbels of bell-shaped white blooms in summer. Planting extends from October to March for a July to August harvest.
2 - Size
- Ultimate height
- 0.1–0.5 metre
- Ultimate spread
- 0.1–0.5 metre
- Time to ultimate size
- 2–5 years on the perennial profile
For vegetable production, the cloves are planted, grown and harvested as an annual crop rather than retained for the profile's full perennial maturity interval. The narrow upright foliage forms a compact clump above each bulb.
3 - Growing conditions
- Suitable soils
- Sand, chalk or loam
- Moisture
- Well-drained
- Soil pH
- Neutral or alkaline
Use fertile soil that drains freely. Where ground is heavy, grow in a raised bed or container to protect cloves from prolonged winter wet. Avoid newly waterlogged or compacted areas even though this cultivar is suited to British conditions.
4 - Position and hardiness
- Light
- Full sun
- Aspect
- East-, south- or west-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- Hardiness
- H4 — hardy through most of the UK
Choose a sunny sheltered position. The H4 rating and adaptation to the British climate support autumn and winter planting through most of the UK, provided the soil remains well drained. Full light is important for building and ripening sound storage bulbs.
5 - Colour and seasonal interest
Bright green upright leaves provide the main colour during active growth. At harvest, an ovoid bulb is enclosed in a papery white sheath. White bell-shaped flowers may appear in rounded summer umbels when plants are allowed to bloom, although edible crops are generally managed to favour bulb development.
6 - Botanical details
- Family
- Amaryllidaceae
- Native to Great Britain and Ireland
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Clump forming
- Name status
- Accepted
- Synonym
- Allium ‘Solent Wight’
Genus
Allium includes bulbous herbaceous perennials with a strong onion or garlic scent. They bear linear, strap-shaped or cylindrical basal leaves and can carry star- or bell-shaped flowers in an umbel on a leafless stem.
Safety
Garlic may irritate skin or cause an allergic reaction, so use gloves and other protection if needed. It is toxic to pets if eaten.
7 - How to grow
Cultivation
Plant between October and March in fertile, well-drained soil and full sun. For the main overwintered crop, late autumn or early winter provides the cold period needed for good bulb formation. Separate the bulb into individual cloves, then space them 15cm apart with each tip 2.5cm below the soil surface. Leave 30cm between rows. Harvest from July to August, or from early summer once leaves have yellowed, and dry the bulbs thoroughly before storage.
Propagation
Propagate by dividing the bulb into cloves. Plant clean, sound cloves with the basal plate down and pointed tip uppermost.
Suggested locations
- Sunny edible bed
- Raised bed on heavy soil
- Patio or container planting
- Cottage or informal garden
- Wildlife garden when allowed to flower
Pruning
No pruning is required. Remove flower stalks where maximum bulb production is the priority, then lift the mature crop as foliage yellows.
Pests
May be susceptible to allium leaf miner and onion fly. Rotation and physical crop protection can reduce recurring attack.
Diseases
May be susceptible to onion white rot, onion downy mildew and leek rust. Free drainage, good airflow and a long rotation away from alliums help manage risk.