Also check that you are getting hard neck varieties which grow well in the North. I think a lot of the unusual named ones may be soft neck which are not meant for cold climates. Here is PA we are told to plant them around the Columbus Day weekend to be harvested the next July. I have planted the end of September out of necessity because of travels. I mulch them with straw over the winter. Others will have to explain the soft neck garlic as I have never grown it because I understand it will not do well here.
Just pulled all my garlic yesterday. It was a mixture of some I had had for a few years and new Red German, White German and Musik I got at last year's Pocono Garlic Festival. One of the vendors was a young man, who had the largest bulbs I have ever seen of German White and Red. I had only seen that size in Musik. I bought a couple and have pulled the largest garlic ever despite less watering and feeding than usual. I plan to get more from this young man this year.
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