Deerfield Purple
The Deerfield Purple cultivar was collected in Vietnam in 1994. Originally imported into Australia in 2005 by Tasmanian grower Letetia Ware via Dr Fred Crowe (USA Virus Free Seed Grower).
General Information
| Other Names |
Vietnamese |
| International Names |
Known in the US as Deerfield Purple or Vietnamese USA NGPS PI 615432, W6 16275 GRIN accession link |
| Flavour |
Very good. Warm, rich, initial moderate heat with a very nice garlic flavour. |
| Storage |
Short |
| Growing location |
Grows best in cool climates, as Rocamboles require a period of winter cold. Not likely to grow well in most growing regions of mainland Australia. In warmer areas may get a good crop by cooling bulbs for a few weeks prior to planting, but note that plants grown in subsequent years are likely to be smaller (miniaturized) and to produce smaller bulbs.
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| Growing requirements |
Quite fussy unless grown in the correct climate. Scapes need to be removed before uncoiling in order to grow full size bulbs.
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| Planting and harvest |
Mid-season planting and harvest. |
Bulb
| Shape |
Round flat globe shape. Medium to large size typically about 6cm.
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| Skin colour and texture |
When first dug light purple blush or mottling on white. Inner wrappers are white. After curing skins are white with faint purple blush or mottling.
Skins are moderately coarse.
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Clove
| Number and layout |
About 7-9 cloves in a single layer circle around the centre.
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| Size and shape |
Typically medium to large plump cloves, some doubles. Cloves have rounded edges with a short clove tip. Most cloves have 2 flat sides joining at a roundish edge in the middle and the outside is quite rounded. Some bigger cloves have a wide and flat inside.
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| Skin colour and texture |
Buff brown or tan some with purple tones near the base and purple stripes vertically on the skin. Smooth, thick & very easy to peel tending to split off the cloves.
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Plant
| Size and shape |
Substantial looking plants with a spreading fan shape. Medium height, not as tall as other strongly bolting groups but taller than the Turbans & Creoles.
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| Leaves |
Broad, closely spaced, blue-green and stay reasonable erect compared to most Rocamboles.
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| Young plants |
Very wide spread leaves, very low stature for at least the first 8 leaves.
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| Matures |
Strong.
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| Scape |
Sturdy scape that does 2 to 3 tight coils before straightening and becoming erect. Scape appears early in the growth cycle, long before bulbing and every plant produces a scape.
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| Umbel and beak |
Short beak. Umbel starts yellowish and matures whitish. Umbel at maturity is huge and lumpy.
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| Bulbils and flowers |
10 to 20 bulbils. Medium to large compared to many others, about the size of a small marble or very large corn. Tan and purple coloured. Occasional flowers.
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