Allium sativum Thai Fire Garlic 1 bulb
1 bulb per order.
Thai Fire is a pungent, hot-flavored hardneck garlic variety known as Allium sativum. Originating from a market in Bangkok, Thailand, it is a Turban-type garlic prized for its spicy, complex flavor that builds in intensity with the first bite. When cooked, its fiery heat mellows to a medium spice.
This seed garlic is grown naturally by a Washington Hutterian community. Storage life 3-6 months.
Characteristics
- Flavor: Bold, pungent, and very hot when raw. It has a complex, full flavor that becomes milder with cooking.
- Appearance: The bulbs have striking, richly colored wrappers with nut-brown and purple to lavender-striped skins. They contain 6 to 8 creamy ivory-colored cloves.
- Scapes: This Turban garlic is a "weak bolting" variety, meaning it can produce a small, soft scape.
- Storage: Its storage life is relatively short, lasting about 3 to 6 months.
Growing tips
- Planting: Plant individual cloves, pointy-end up, in the fall, about 4 to 6 weeks before the first frost.
- Location: Choose a spot with full sun and rich, well-drained soil. Amend the soil with compost or other organic matter before planting.
- Fertilizing: Garlic requires sufficient nitrogen. Fertilize every three weeks during the growing season with a high-nitrogen source like blood meal.
- Harvesting: Dig up bulbs when the leaves have turned brown and fallen over.
Allium
Allium, Latin for garlic, Flowering Onions are available in diverse heights and sizes, are rabbit-, rodent- and deer-resistant, and are seldom affected by disease. Adored by bees, butterflies and pollinators, Allium extend the spring flowering season with bold, dramatic color and statuesque garden architecture. They are also valuable cut and dried flowers.
Allium require full sunlight although there are several varieties that can also thrive in partial sunlight: A. cowanii, oreophilum and siculum bulgaricum. Allium require rich, well-draining and neutral pH soil and benefit from a summer dry period. A. unifolium can handle soil with a bit more moisture. All Allium must be planted outdoors in the fall after the soil has cooled down to around 55°F (normally after two weeks of night time temperatures hovering around 40°F). While most Allium are not recommended for forcing over the winter, there are several varieties that are known to be good forcers: A. cowanii, karataviense and unifolium. Please note that flower size is presented as the width, or diameter, from left to right.
Plant the larger Allium bulbs 6" to 8" deep and 8" to 10" apart. Plant the smaller Allium bulbs 4" deep and 3" to 4" apart. Top size bulbs. Bloom time: May through August depending on the variety. Height: variable depending on the variety. Variable horticultural zones ranging from 3-10 depending on the variety.