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Is it simply because the original strain has been acclimatised to UK conditions, by being grown on the IOW for a few years, so the suffix Wight can be added?
The term "biological elasticity" describes garlic's ability to acclimate to these factors over time.
There are some very interesting amateur grower studies about making garlic fertile again. Very, very occasionally some types of garlic produce fertile seeds.From these seeds new varieties emerge that are not clones with limited adaptability but new varieties that can make much greater strides in adaptation. To make garlic fertile again rather to clone it, is the real step forward.
Franchi state that a lot of the seed garlic available in the UK is imported from China..... Not sure if this is accurate or not?!They offer hardy Italian garlics for sale, has anyone tried theirs? I'm tempted....