Creating Your own strain — The Secrets of the Very North

Ron L. Engeland's era-opening book Growing Great Garlic. The definitive Guide for Organic and Small Farmers (1991) has inspired many growers all over the world. This has also been the case in Finland in recent years.

Making books is not always about grades. Engeland was able to write his work, rich in content and manifesting amazing discoveries, without unnecessary burdens. Few books can be said to be epoch-making, but this is what it is all about. Secrets are revealed only to a humble person. Engeland's expression "the field is the best teacher" perhaps best describes exactly this.
In the Finnish-language, original De Re Allii Sativi blog (Some 250 entries), between 2015 and 2023 I referred dozens of times to Engeland's book and especially to the growth group classification he created.
It is proven possible to create a new variety of true garlic seeds, but at least the northern factor even in the southernmost parts of Finland makes the project almost impossible. In 2018, I managed to get true seeds out of one strain, but they didn't germinate. I'm still waiting for the dream summer. There is several true seeders in my collection.
Creating your own strain is possible and even relatively easy. I will now briefly discuss the topic of the title from two perspectives, based on the information in the aforementioned work of Engeland.
I A new variety can be found based on the mutation of a single clove.
II Some artichoke-strains can produce a new growth hmode, even a new strain.
Engeland states that mutations happen all the time, but practically all of them go unnoticed. The next paragraph tells uss a lot (GGG page 87).
”Incidentally, clove poppers should always be on the lookout for mutations that displays different traits than the normal bulbs. These usually occur as single bulb mutations which get thrown in the cull box because they ”look weird” compared to the rest of the bulbs. Some very unique and productive garlic strains have been discovered as single bulb mutations, but a lot more have been lost to the world because they approved abnormal.”
Engeland was right and I can say this based on my own observations. I believe that in relation to my own cultivation, it is about the northern factor. In the years 2026-2020, I found at least 9 different mutations. In addition, at least two strains have completely changed their way of growing. The most amazing thing, however, is that of one hardneck Polish Porcelain Ornak,) a completely stylish Silverskin strain was born.
In the supplement part of his work, Engeland reflects on the essence of the strains of the Turban growth group. He comes to the assumption that there are two different types of Turbans. The right turbans should always keep their growth pattern. False turbans would be Artichokes that have changed their growth mode. Engeland talks about growing conditions at high altitudes and northern growing conditions. Once again, Engeland is right. Based on my own observations, I state that several representatives of the artichoke growing group of French origin have changed their growing mode. I call the phenomenon Turban mode. These strains include at least Therador, Thermidrome, Casablanca and Messidor. But is it an altered way of growing and a real new strain or a northern dimension based phenomen? The growing mode of these new strains has remained the same elsewhere in Finland.
However, I think that Engeland's claim about two different types of Turbans can perhaps be checked. Those altered artichokes would be so-called psedoturbans. There is considerable variation among authentic turbans. Varieties Lotus and Uzbek Turban differ from other genuine turbans in their growth in common, at least in the north. They have a lot of matching morphemes compared to two artichoke strains named Humpgrid and Cielavas. I have compared the Lotus and the Uzbek Turban mainly to Dushanbe from Tajikistan. Propably there is three kinds of Turbans?
If you want to find your own variety and name it, you should get some artichokes and just observe. The plant reveals its secrets to the patient and humble.
Our farm's early Turbans like Cielavas, Humpgrid and Lotus (We call it Kamala) are the great joy of spring and they are beautiful to look at. The joy is all the greater if they are our own strains.
This was a little opening on the matter. Much remains to be said and many questions remain open. I will come back to the matter in future articles and tell the following stories, for example:
Sandberg's Messidor and its four descendants.
Spanish Roja/Killarney Red and the Creole Hypothesis.
Have some mutations arisen as a result of plant pheromone communication?

Hello Canada!

Thanks for letting me join your group. I'm Torsten Sandberg, Priest (Lutheran), hockey-enthusiast who loves maple syrup. Growing garlic too. My collection currently includes 110 varieties. My farm is located relatively north, some 59" northern latitude. I have even managed to integrate up to 6 representatives of the Creole growth group in Finland. In Finland, we live by the grace of the Golf stream. My home Province is Proper Finland and its relatively close coastal region.

 

Finlands old Capital Turku hails here. My home place St. Martin is at the same altitude as Whitehorse, Yukon. Music is growing relatively well here.

All in all, my intention is to plant about 4,200 cloves and 6,000 bulbuls next fall. If there is someone among you who knows the Finnish language, I can send them a link where it is possible to download a Garlic-related magazines of the association we founded. It has an international ISSN code.

Spring has been special here. Some early turbans sprouted already in January when there was a mild period. It's almost the first of April and it's time for hard night frosts. Either way, spring wins.

Here in Varsinais-Suomi, we are planning a new type of garlic market. Ontario garlic week inspires us a lot and the concept of Toronto festivals.

I hope that Vancouver will do well in the draftin they could draft Connor Bedard. Montreal too, of course. But… Have the Hockey Gods Forgiven the dirty trick of measuring Gtretzky’s stick in 92-93 Finals and Patric Roy-trade yet…

Yours.

 

Torsten Sandberg

Published in Facebook. Canadian group called "Canadian Garlic Growers Group."