Garlic Spanish Roja is a top quality hardneck garlic that has excellent flavor, performance and is an attractive variety to plant in your garden. Spanish Roja is a popular choice among home gardeners and chefs due to its flavor and size of the cloves which are easy to peel. It is one of the most popular Rocambole garlic varieties, and is excellent for cooking as well as for producing vigorous, healthy plants.
Mad River Garlic Growers specializes in certified organic heirloom garlic seed and culinary garlic to assist in the production of productive, healthy garlic in the garden year after year. Whether you’re planting for your kitchen or expanding your garden, Spanish Roja is an excellent choice.
What is Garlic Spanish Roja?
Garlic Spanish Roja, a hardneck variety of Rocambole garlic, is known for its excellent balance, reliability and flavor. It forms stunning purple-striped wrappers around big cloves which easily slip off and make meal preparation quick and easy.
Spanish Roja is a softneck variety that will form a flowering stalk (scapes). The scape is a delicious food-to-be cooked, but in addition, using it to take it out helps promote the growth of the bulbs and thus allows for more production.
Gardeners have given this heirloom variety a strong reputation for its robust growth, uniformity of size and excellent eating qualities.
Why Choose Garlic Spanish Roja?
There are many reasons why gardeners continue to plant garlic Spanish Roja every season.
Rich, Complex Flavour
Spanish Roja is a full-bodied, garlicky flavor that is a good balance of heat and sweetness. It has a strong flavor that is best suited for roasting, sautéing, grilling, soups, sauces and marinades.
Easy-to-Peel Cloves
The larger cloves that have loose wrappers are much easier to prepare than other types of garlic.
Excellent Garden Performance
Spanish Roja is a hardy grower in many climates and will yield a dependable crop if grown in soil with good drainage.
Beautiful Appearance
Spanish Roja is one of the most attractive heirloom garlics, being decorated with purple stripes on the wrappers.
Successful propagation of Garlic Spanish Roja
The first step to growing healthy garlic is to always plant quality seed garlic and to plant it correctly.
Opt for Organic Seed Garlic.
Use certified organic, disease-free garlic seed as opposed to grocery store garlic. Good quality seed results in better plants and yields.
Plant in Autumn
The best time of the year to plant Spanish Roja is in the fall prior to frost. Cloves root in winter and grow well in the spring.
Choose an area that is sunny.
Select an area in the garden with 6-8 hours of full sun.
Well-Drained Soil
Garlic will grow best in a loose, fertile, well-drained soil. Diseases also may be a problem when soil is heavy or water-saturated.
Proper Spacing
Plant cloves, 2 inches below the top of the soil, with the pointed end upward. Bulbs need to be spaced about 6 inches apart so they can grow properly.
The care of Spanish Roja Garlic
Garlic is relatively low maintenance once planted, but will respond well to regular care.
Water Consistently
If soil moisture is insufficient during growth, in particular during spring, apply water uniformly. Decrease watering when harvest time is near to aid in proper bulb curing.
Apply Mulch
Organic mulch controls soil temperature, weed populations and moisture levels during the growing season.
Remove Garlic Scapes
Hardneck garlic will send up flower stalks; cut them off when they start to bow. It will help the plant focus more energy into the bulbs and provide you with tasty garlic scapes.
When to Harvest Garlic Spanish Roja
Bulb quality is greatly influenced by the time of harvest.
Go through the leaves in summer, carefully. Once a few upper leaves are green and a few lower leaves turn brown, it’s considered a good time to harvest.
Do not pull bulbs from the soil, but loosen the soil with a garden fork. This does not allow the bulbs to be damaged.
Garlic should be cured in a cool (nonsunny), airy area for several weeks after harvest before removing roots and stems.
Culinary Uses of Garlic Spanish Roja
Gardeners love garlic Spanish Roja in part because of its versatility in the kitchen.
It will enhance the flavour of:
- Roasted vegetables
- Pasta dishes
- Homemade garlic butter
- Soups and stews
- Marinades
- Salad dressings
- Grilled meats
- Fresh salsa
- Garlic bread
Roasted Spanish Roja is creamy and sweetly mellow, while a raw clove adds intense aromatic punch.
Benefits of Growing Organic Garlic
There are a number of benefits to picking certified organic garlic seed:
- Stronger plant health
- Better bulb quality
- Lower chances of disease.Minimized disease risk.
- No synthetic chemical treatments have been used.
- Improved garden sustainability
- Soil for excellent seed stock for future planting
You can begin with high-quality organic seed garlic, which will give your garden the best chance of success.
The question is why should you buy from Mad River Garlic Growers?
Our goal at Mad River Garlic Growers is to make the highest quality certified organic heirloom garlic for gardeners nationwide.
Our commitment includes:
- Organic Garlic seed with certification.
- Heirloom varieties carefully selected
- Healthy planting stock
- Excellent customer support
- Sustainable growing practices
- Great shipping during planting season.
If you’re growing a small plot in your backyard or an extensive patch of garlic, we have quality seed garlic for you that you can trust.
It is possible to achieve bigger garlic bulbs by following a few simple tips.
To get the maximum yield from your plants:
- Only use the best sized, healthy cloves.
- Provide full sunlight.
- Plant on fertile, well-drained soil.
- Water regularly in spring growth period.
- Pick garlic scapes off quickly.
- Avoid overcrowding.
- Harvest at the proper time.
- For storing, cure bulbs thoroughly.
These easy steps will help to grow bigger, better bulbs with superb flavor.
Final Thoughts
Garlic Spanish Roja is still one of the best heirloom hardneck garlic for home gardeners and food lovers. It is an excellent addition to any garden because of its flavor, its lovely purple-striped bulbs, peeling cloves and reliability.
For top quality certified organic seed garlic, Mad River Garlic Growers has carefully cultivated heirloom varieties that will help you to enjoy outstanding garlic yields year after year. Use good seed, good growing techniques and fresh, flavourful garlic, Spanish Roja, grown in your own garden.
What’s holding you back? Ready to grow exceptional garlic Spanish Roja? Take this season to plant with confidence on Mad River Garlic Growers‘ premium, certified organic heirloom garlic selection.