A standard strain/variety name is good to starting point for a buyer. Some
strains/names are regional or cultural in use and some are offered as “no-name”. Names often
indicate a supposed family, ethnic, or country origin. Buyers of “seed” garlic are often fixated
on purchasing a certain strain/variety/name of garlic. Many names are actually the same strain,
just with different hand-me-down names attached. For example, “German White”, “New York
White”, “GERMAN EXTRA HARDY” (LINK), and “Music” may all be the same. Indeed,
there may be strains that may be distinct that bear these names. But there are many batches of
garlic that are identical with these names. To keep it all confusing, some growers/sellers are
mixing the various names together and calling the crop whatever the buyer desires!! More
important than chasing any name/strain, buy “seed” garlic from an honest knowledgable person
who offers good size grade and yearly pest testing. This is exponentially more important than
any coveted name!!! Second to this, is knowing which type of garlic you are interested in;
PORCELAIN HARDNECK, ROCOMBOLE HARDNECK, or SOFTNECK. There
are many informal and unscientific divisions within these types. The BOGATYR HARDNECK
I sell is an example of a variety that does not fit exactly into a general type.