Softnecks and Creole garlic are better suited for southern and coastal areas. Your area is a lot like mine here in Starkville, MS, and I grow all three categories of garlic. They all seem to grow well. I do have the garlic in well-draining soil and the majority of it grows in a raised bed. The garlic you see coming up may be hardneck and the scapes "seeded" the garden. Do you know what variety(s) of garlic you grew the last few years?
