The above photo of our NZP seed stock was taken on April 03/24 showing the husks starting to break away from the basal plate. This is caused by the tiny roots that are starting to form on the cloves within the bulb and a good indication that the bulb has broken its dormancy and will need to be planted soon.  

The Turban variety has been successfully cultivated in New Zealand over many years and has now developed an identity all of its own. Unique to New Zealand, not only in its growing habits, but also in its color and taste. The bulbs have four to seven large cloves with colorful white and red striped tunics. New Zealand Purple is an early variety, semi-bolding garlic, that sometimes produces a scape and sometimes it doesn’t, depending on the type of growing season it had. This is one of the earliest maturing varieties that can be grown in New Zealand. Plant big cloves early, at the beginning of May in soil with lots of well-aged organic matter and proper drainage, then harvest early, sometime in early November. It is said that this variety does not store all that well, but if kept away from direct sunlight and in an area with lots of fresh air, storage time can be up to five months.

Rust

Rust is now everywhere in NZ and I am afraid that there is no quick fix to the problem. 

Plant early, New Zealand Purple, first week of May and harvest early, first part of November. Soil should be loose with large amounts of organic matter mixed with aged wood chips preferably from deciduous trees. We grow in raised garden beds filled with pure organic matter/wood chips. If you do not have any raised garden beds then try growing a few cloves in large, movable containers filled with organic matter or potting soil. Make sure the containers have adequate drainage. This way allows you to move your containers and follow the much needed sun and sheltering).

Then it becomes a matter of fitness and a race between the garlic (hopefully healthy) to produce its bulbs before the rust (which seems to be always healthy) consumes all its leaves. Luckily, rust does not affect the garlic bulbs. 

Then, as we do, cross your fingers and hope that both mother nature and the garlic gods are on your side!