Softneck varieties dry well and keep longer. Hardneck varieties must be eaten faster. Most will keep less than 6mo, some max out at 3mo. Softnecks tend to have milder flavor. Hardnecks offer a nearly inexhaustible flavor variety, and are sometimes compared with wine in this respect, Some are very spicy, others less so. For many hardnecks the flavor is said to be soil dependent, again like wine.
A good choice might be to grow enough basic, dependable softneck garlic to get you through the year, and then maybe experiment with small qtys of this or that hardneck variety. The softneck to give you a dependable harvest to last all year, the hardneck to provide variety and permit experimentation.
I don't know how to tell the 2 types apart when at the immature stage such as in your photo; however, it is easy to tell them apart once the bulbs develop. Softneck garlic grows in an artichoke-like pattern with overlapping cloves almost like rose petals, whereas hardneck does not. Hardneck cloves are packed more like orange or grapefruit segments, except that there will probably be one or two center cloves. They are like orange or grapefruit segments in that each clove goes all the way from top to bottom; cloves are not arranged like artichoke or rose petals. Usually hardneck types have fewer but larger cloves vs softneck.
One other thing you will need to know is when to harvest your garlic. 1st, you generally don't want the garlic to bloom. If it sends up a bloom stalk, you should cut this off. These scapes are said to be delicious in stirfries. Look for recipes online if needed. Just don't allow the scapes to grow and develop as doing so will result in very small garlic bulbs.
You will know when your garlic is nearly harvest time when the leaves start to turn yellowish and just generally appear to deteriorate. If possible, withhold water for 2wks beginning as soon as you notice the foliage deterioration. Then harvest the garlic. Because I'm not that trusting, I like to gently dig up one bulb to see if I agree that it's really ready, before I dig them all up. If it doesn't appear fully developed, I may leave them a couple more weeks. However, this is a dangerous thing to do, because if you leave them too long, the foliage may deteriorate too much, leaving you with garlic which lacks the thin, papery skin (covering the neck) necessary to dry properly for long term storage. When harvesting, if you find a few bulbs from which the foliage has deteriorated all the way down into the bulb, you should set those bulbs aside to use 1st.
After you dig the garlic, you need to leave it in a cool, dry place (out of direct sunshine) to dry. This, before they dry, is the proper time to braid softneck types (if you plan to do so). Some authorities suggest digging the garlic (either type) and then leaving the garlic plants in the garden, in a shady area, for a couple days to dry. That will definitely not work here. We get almost daily rain here in summer, mostly afternoon and evening showers, but more than enough to make a disaster out of all that nearly-dry garlic.
Once dry you can store garlic bulbs in those mesh bags, the type onions come in. Or you can store them in the leg(s) from old pantyhose. I like this method best as it prevents bulbs from touching each other. Cut the leg(s) from old pantyhose at the top of the thigh. Fill one leg at a time. Drop one garlic bulb in, allowing it to fall all the way to the toe. Allowing enough space for the garlic bulb to fit comfortably, tie a loose knot in the hose just above the bulb. Drop another bulb into hose/leg. Tie another knot. Repeat until all garlic bulbs are in the stocking or until the stocking is full. You should now have a long, single file, 'stream' of garlic bulbs each covered by a thin veil of gossamer stocking material and all separated by knots in the stocking. Hang stocking from a high hook or nail in the basement, pantry, garage, etc. Choose a location that stays cool (but well above freezing) and dark or shady.
Hope this helps.
