Hardneck Garlic question

I read an article in last Saturdays Telegraph that said that hardneck garlic throw up a seed head and that this should be nipped off to allow the bulb to bulk up. It also said that softneck varieties don't do this.

Just interested - does this mean that all hardneck garlic will do this and that no softneck will? Or is it a case of hardnecks being more prone to it than softneck?

The same article said that, to get a garlic that will store the longest, you should plant in Jan/Feb. Is this realistic? Even here in balmy Devon, I suspect that garlic planted then would just sit in the cold ground sulking.

You're right, softnecks don't produce a 'flower head' of new bulbils as does the hardneck types. That is because the softneck produces a smaller head with smaller cloves, and its growth is dominantly affected by what it needs: shorter daylight hours and hotter growing period. Devon may be balmy, but not quite enough for softnecks which need actual heat do do best. You'll get some growth in balmy temps, but not as good as hot temps (80-90F+). This is why hardnecks do better in the UK as they detest hot weather and need longer daylight hours of the new year.

It's related to the same problem - the softneck variety didn't get its usual needs and because its growing schedule was thrown off, it produce a flower head. Normally softnecks are grown in hot areas in fall and spring and growing times are short to avoid really cool and really hot spells. Yours grew through the winter and into summer.

Me neither - you live and learn! Last year's softneck garlic was a good harvest but this year's was pants!

If they come from Siberia they should cope with our winters....no problem

The Really Garlicky garlic farm in the North of Scotland, grows hard neck porcelain Music garlic, and they did the best for me last year in Glasgow with our hard Winter.
I am doing a garlic trial this Winter and have planted some 10 different varieties of garlic. All were sold as being suitable for planting in the Autumn.