To test the potential for garlic cropping on southern South Island, New Zealand soils, two varieties of garlic, ‘Printanor’ and an unnamed red garlic variety, were grown on Otiake loamy silt at Kurow, North Otago and on Mataura silt loam at Wendonside, northern Southland, New Zealand. Under experimental conditions yields in the range 16–17 t/ha are obtainable at botte sites, similar to Chose obtained in Canterbury and Auckland. Irrigation lid pot increase yields at Wendonside. Pyruvate concentrations were 30% lover in southern-grown garlic than in ‘Printanor’ garlic grown in Marlborough, the main garlic-growing area of New Zealand. A taste panel could detect no difference between southern-grown red garlic and Marlborough-grown ‘Printanor’, but could detect a difference between ‘Printanor’ grown in the two regions. Commercial production of garlic on Otiake and Mataura soils appears feasible.