Garlic is one of the crops that is usually planted before winter. However, it is important to distinguish between the varieties of this plant: there are spring and winter varieties. Accordingly, winter crops are traditionally planted in September-October (less often in November), and harvested in the middle of next summer. Spring crops are planted in the spring and harvested in the fall.
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It is very important not to confuse spring and winter garlic, since their cultivation patterns are radically different.
In Russia, winter varieties are more popular. They are relatively undemanding in terms of care, and the only big difficulty in growing them is getting the plant planted at the optimal time. Winter varieties differ from spring varieties in having a sharper taste. The only significant disadvantage for them is their poor keeping quality.
INTERESTING. For this reason, winter garlic is popularly called “Decembrist”, since the harvested crop loses its taste after December.
How to choose the right planting material
Garlic cloves
It is best to adhere to the standard time-tested rule: select the ideal-looking cloves of the bulbs set aside for planting. The peculiarity is that whichever bulb is planted, that’s what will grow. If it has a lot of cloves, the harvest will be similar: rich and productive.
It is best to select bulbs that have no more than 5-6 cloves.
Individual cloves of garlic are planted in the ground. The bulb should be divided immediately before planting, after which it is better not to be lazy, but to carefully and meticulously inspect the resulting planting material. It is better to put aside cloves with damaged husks without regret for food or throw them away than to leave them for growing a new crop. In the same way, they get rid of cloves with mechanical damage, traces of rot or disease.
IMPORTANT POINT ! At the time of sorting, you should roughly separate the selected cloves by size. It is better to plant small ones with small ones in a separate bed with less depth than medium or large cloves. This way, you will be able to maintain high yields and, at the time of harvesting in the spring, get garlic that is more uniform in size and quality.
Why is garlic processing needed?
Processing garlic before planting before winter is considered a mandatory procedure. This crop reproduces vegetatively. If the parent plant has been affected by disease, the new crop will also be affected.
Bacteriosis is considered the main problem when growing garlic. Signs of head damage are:
- the presence of brown wounds on the cloves;
- transparency of the lobules;
- drying of teeth;
- blackening of the lobules.
During processing, it is possible to destroy the causative agent of the disease. Even if the garlic looks healthy on the outside, soaking in special solutions is still necessary. This helps prevent possible problems. Treatment helps to increase the germination capacity and resistance of planting material to temperature changes.
How to prepare and process garlic cloves before planting
Before planting garlic in the ground, the bulbs are separated into individual cloves. This must be done very carefully, trying to minimize or completely eliminate damage to the protective husk of each clove.
It is better not to use damaged cloves for planting.
The bottom is the lower part of the cloves, from which the root system of the plant begins to form. In exceptional cases, you can use a sharp knife, but very carefully, to remove the cork coating from the bottom without damaging it. This is done when it is necessary, due to unfavorable weather forecasts or delays, to help the crop take root as quickly as possible.
If a variety without arrows is selected, then only the outer cloves are suitable for planting.
Preparing garlic cloves for planting
Not all summer residents resort to treating the cloves before planting. However, disinfection of planting material can hardly be called an unnecessary step. Processed garlic is better resistant to disease, rot and pests.
You can give preference to the following solutions for treating cloves:
- The product "Fitospirin-M", prepared according to the instructions. Soaking time: no more than 10 minutes.
- Maxim solution according to instructions, but for about 15 minutes.
- Fundazol solution according to instructions. For 5-10 minutes.
Or prepare the solution yourself:
- Dissolve 10 g. copper sulfate in 1 liter. water. Soak for about 15 minutes.
- In a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Up to 30 minutes, as the product is weak.
- Dissolve 2 tbsp. spoons of table salt per 1 liter. water. Soak the cloves for 30 minutes.
After which crop is it better to plant?
Many gardeners do not follow the rules of crop rotation, but in vain. Thanks to this simple method of crop rotation, you can significantly increase the amount of harvest without resorting to complex procedures.
In order for garlic to grow as large as possible, it is recommended to plant it after crops such as:
- tomatoes;
- legumes;
- cucumbers;
- cabbage;
- pumpkin;
- zucchini.
Additional Information! It is not recommended to plant the crop after freshly harvested garlic, potatoes and onions.
If manure has recently been added to the soil, it is also not recommended to plant. The garlic will produce lush tops, but the heads will be small and soft.
Choosing a landing site
Since garlic is planted before winter in the fall, the choice of location for it plays a very important role. It is important to maintain the optimal depth for the seeds (so that they do not sink deeper or become exposed to wind and water flows), and also try to concentrate more solar heat on the beds.
- You definitely shouldn’t choose an area in the shade. The place for garlic should be open to the sun and well ventilated, but on the north side it is better to be protected by natural barriers: bushes, trees.
- Preference should be given to higher areas. If you plant garlic in a lowland, then in the spring due to melt water or frequent rains, moisture accumulated in the soil can cause the bulbs to rot.
- In addition, it is not recommended to plant garlic in soil that has recently been fertilized with manure. In this case, the plant often begins to “fatten”—that is, to grow into tops rather than bulbs. The teeth turn out to be loose, small and extremely painful.
ADVICE . It is more correct to place the beds in a “south to north” orientation so that the heat from the sun is more evenly distributed.
Before planting, the soil in the selected area should be carefully prepared. It is advisable to start preparing 1-1.5 months in advance. Even if it is not possible to meet such deadlines, it is still important not to plant garlic immediately after preparation, but to allow the soil to settle a little and become saturated with moisture, otherwise the garlic may move deeper, causing the harvest to deteriorate.
The soil is dug up to a depth of 20-30 cm. In this case, all debris, old roots, and weeds should be removed. After digging, it is advisable to fertilize the soil with either organic or mineral fertilizers.
Suitable organic fertilizers:
- Compost.
- Humus.
Everything is added in the proportion of 1 bucket per 1 m2 of area. You can add wood ash, but later, in each hole, at the time of planting the garlic.
Mineral fertilizers per 1 m2:
- 20-30 gr. superphosphate.
- 20-30 gr. potash fertilizers.
Potassium increases garlic's resistance to cold, which is naturally very important for winter crops. Phosphorus-containing fertilizers have a beneficial effect on the taste of the future harvest (the sugar content increases).
And know that the harvest will be much better if you make a mixture of organic and mineral fertilizers or give preference to both options one after another. Add organic matter 1-1.5 months in advance, and mineral supplements immediately before planting.
Preparing the soil for planting garlic
Choosing a place for a garden bed
Garlic is a location-sensitive crop. If you try and select the best site for the garden bed, you can expect a good harvest. Be lazy - the heads will be small and germination will deteriorate. Choose a place for a garden bed taking into account several parameters.
Taking into account predecessors
Garlic feels best in areas where tomatoes, beans and cucumbers were previously cultivated. It’s a good idea to set up a garden bed where pumpkin and early varieties of cabbage were previously grown. These types of garden crops saturate the soil with useful substances that will help garlic develop.
The worst predecessors are potatoes and onions. These cultures have the same diseases. therefore, garlic can be affected by fusarium or nematode. It is difficult to deal with such problems in late autumn.
Taking into account illumination and other parameters
At the end of the gardening season, many gardeners scatter manure around the garden, rightly believing that it will rot over the winter and serve as an excellent fertilizer in the spring. However, in this case, garlic will not be planted. Excess nitrogen will cause the plant to go into leaf, while the head will practically not develop or will become loose, unsuitable for sale and consumption. In addition, in such a place, garlic will be more often affected by fungi.
Other requirements:
- sunny place (beds are located from north to south);
- absence of lowlands in the garden;
- acidity is normal or below normal.
Increased soil acidity can be corrected by adding lime, dolomite flour, chalk or wood ash. The standards in this case depend on the pH level, which is determined using special tests. You can buy them at any gardening store. The application rates for lime compounds can be found in the table.
| Soil type | pH 4 or less | pH 4.1-4.5 |
| Clayey and loamy | 500-600 g/m2 | 400-500 g/m2 |
| Sandy and sandy loam | 300-400 g/m2 | 250-300 g/m2 |
Soils with an acidity of 7 pH and slightly higher are suitable for growing garlic.
Lime compounds are scattered over the surface of the bed in a thin layer, then the soil is dug up to a depth of 20 cm.
Neighbors and predecessors
Garlic is demanding not only on soil fertility and fertilizing, but also on the quality of its site. So, you cannot plant garlic in the same place as a year ago. In general, it is better to use the place where garlic has already grown for other crops for the next 3-4 years, but not for a new harvest of garlic.
Garlic also has a bad relationship with:
- onions;
- potatoes;
- carrots;
- beets;
- tomatoes.
The reason is obvious: these crops have similar pests and diseases. But there is no way to ideally rid the soil of them.
It is best to plant garlic where it was grown:
- cucumbers;
- pepper;
- cabbage;
- peas;
- beans;
- zucchini;
- pumpkins.
By the way, garlic repels some pests due to its fungicidal properties. For example, this crop effectively fights carrot and onion flies. For this reason, garlic can also be used as a protector for plants such as strawberries, strawberries, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, and potatoes.
Nuances of crop rotation
With a high degree of probability, winter garlic is planted after crops that were harvested in the summer. It is strictly forbidden to grow it in place of the spring variety. The list of undesirables includes onions and other root vegetables. They are similar to garlic in terms of development and feed on the same useful components. Also, onions, as a relative, are capable of transmitting characteristic infectious diseases to your future harvest.
When there is no choice, farmers mitigate the negative effects of garlic precursors with the help of green manure. For example, peas or other fast-growing crops in this category. These plants disinfect the soil. In a short time they significantly enrich the soil with nitrogen.
Advice. After green manure, add compost and wood ash to the soil for digging.
Good predecessors of garlic on the site:
- cucumbers;
- zucchini;
- tomatoes;
- eggplant;
- Bell pepper;
- pumpkin.
On a note! An excellent neighbor to a garlic bed is strawberries. Close planting of garden herbs, horseradish, sweet peppers, and white cabbage also has a positive effect on the culture. It is better not to plant garlic next to peas and beans.
What kind of soil is needed?
Ideal soil for garlic:
- loose (well permeable to air and moisture);
- with neutral acidity;
- quite fertile.
Based on this, it can be argued that garlic feels good in black soil or loamy soils. If the soil is heavy, then it is better to add river sand and peat to the holes. Garlic will also grow in sandy soil, but you will have to water and feed it more often.
But it is better not to use soils that are too acidic or alkaline for planting garlic.
Garlic needs loose, fertile soil.
What signs are used to determine the maturity of the heads?
Before you start digging, you need to make sure that the garlic is ripe. The ripeness of a crop is determined by the following characteristics:
- An ovary with seeds formed on the shoot, and the capsule burst.
- The lower leaves became dry, and the upper ones began to turn yellow.
- When digging up several bulbs, a white-violet color of the husk is noted.
- The peel fits tightly to the cloves.
- The fruits are dense and emit a characteristic smell.
- The bulb has young roots.
Important! To accurately determine ripeness, it is recommended to dig up several bushes and inspect the heads.
How to choose planting dates in the fall
Planting time is a very important point, which causes the most difficulties with growing this crop. It is necessary to select the timing so that it is not too warm, otherwise the garlic will begin to gain green mass, causing the quality of the planting material to drop. On the other hand, it is strictly forbidden to plant garlic in frozen soil, as it will not have time to form a root system before winter and will not prepare for the cold.
Based on this, pay attention to the following:
- Air temperature +10-12 С.
- 2-3 weeks before the first frost according to weather forecasts.
Thus, throughout almost the entire territory of Russia, the optimal timing occurs closer to the end of September, at the beginning of October.
Secrets of watering
In the fall we planted winter garlic, winter has passed, and spring is coming. Warm. The garlic begins to make its way out, and this happens early. If you are lucky and there was no frost when the leaves appeared, they turn out green and strong. If frost occurs, the leaves are caught in the cold and their tips begin to turn yellow.
With enough moisture in the ground, garlic develops and grows well. If there is a lack of moisture, when the snow melts early and the ground has weathered (and here the winds blow constantly), the moisture goes deeper, which means it is necessary to water the garlic, to give it a boost to growth. If the leaves are frozen, I advise you to add nitrogen fertilizer - 1 tbsp when watering. l. per 10 liters of water, and the garlic will immediately become prettier!
About watering in general: in all our regions the climate, terrain and land are different. If in the northern regions there is no need to water, then here, in the Saratov Trans-Volga region, it is simply necessary. We are in a zone of risky farming; without our help, the local gardens and vegetable gardens will have a hard time. Therefore, garlic must be watered regularly, as needed, and watered deeply, since its heads are deep in the ground. Superficial watering will not give a good result - they are like the rain that splashed and flew away.
After watering, be sure to loosen the rows: the soil in the garlic bed must breathe. It's good if you have something to mulch with. Keep an eye on weeds and remove them promptly. And now the time has come when the garlic begins to sprout. Don't miss this moment! Remove them while they are young and break off well, leaving stumps. By this time the arrows begin to bend in an arc. Removing the frogs is necessary so that all the force goes to the head. But I leave one arrow in each row: they will tell you when the garlic is ready for harvesting. Over time, the control arrows straighten, the inflorescences burst, and the bulbs become visible, which can be used to update the variety. The lower leaves turn yellow - that’s it, the garlic is ready.
In which month is it better to plant garlic before winter?
Summer residents have a question: in which month is it better to plant garlic before winter? But there is no single answer here. Russia is a large country with several climatic zones. Therefore, the month for planting vegetables must be selected individually.
On the day of planting, the air temperature warms up to approximately 10-12 degrees Celsius. Frosts are scheduled to begin in 2-3 weeks.
Accordingly, in the warmer regions of our country (Kuban, Crimea, Caucasus) this is October, in the Middle Zone (Black Earth Region, the capital region) - the last days of September - the first ten days of October, and in the Urals and Siberia - the second half of September or in good years the beginning October.
How to choose the time according to the lunar calendar to plant garlic before winter in 2020
In accordance with biodynamic farming methods and a focus on lunar cycles, garlic, like all other root vegetables, is planted on the days when the moon dies. However, it is also permissible to plant on the waxing moon if it is not possible to carry out the procedure on more successful days.
The main thing is not to plant vegetables on days when the moon is full or completely absent in the sky, as well as on the day before and after these phases of the moon.
Favorable days for planting in 2022
The most successful options for planting garlic cloves in open ground in 2022 will be:
- in September - 4 - 15.
- in October - 4 - 14.
- in November - 2 - 13.
Unfavorable days for planting in 2022
A bad time to carry out this type of work in the fall of 2020 will be:
- in September - 1, 2, 3, 16, 17, 18.
- in October - 1, 2, 3, 15, 16, 17, 30, 31.
- in November - 1, 14, 15, 16, 29, 30.
Features of planting in different regions
Planting garlic
The weather has a great influence on the timing of planting garlic. It differs in different regions, and from year to year it can present surprises. Therefore, many gardeners rarely manage to plant this crop at the same time.
Southern regions
In the Caucasus and Kuban, garlic is traditionally planted in late October and early November.
Middle lane
In the middle zone, the second half of September and the beginning of October are suitable for garlic.
BY THE WAY . In Central Russia, it is customary to plant garlic under Pokrov (October 14).
Landing time in Siberia
In Siberia, autumn comes quickly, so garlic is almost always planted in the second half of September.
Features of landing in the Moscow region
In the Moscow region, it is very important to pay attention to weather forecasts. If autumn is predicted to be cold, then it is better to plant garlic in early October. But there are cases when frosts do not occur until November. Then it is better to move the planting to the second half of October.
When to plant garlic in the fall in the Leningrad region
In northwestern Russia, there is no point in delaying planting garlic. As a rule, the best time is the end of September, the first days of October.
Planting garlic before winter in the Urals
In the Urals, it is optimal to plant garlic no later than September.
Features of agricultural technology
The choice of a specific technology for growing this crop will depend primarily on the climate in the region. In central Russia, late frosts are observed; accordingly, the gardener will need to not only choose the right planting time, but also subsequently perform high-quality insulation of the beds, which will protect young plants from damage by cold. Caring for winter garlic is not particularly difficult. Immediately after planting, the soil is mulched, and the protective layer is removed only at the end of April and May, when the danger of frost has completely passed.
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Spring garlic, which is planted in early spring, is distinguished by its taste , while the grown crop is characterized by maximum shelf life, which allows the grown bulbs to be stored for a long time. Winter - not afraid of frost, easily tolerates cold winters, and caring for it is not particularly difficult. Winter varieties are immune to pests and diseases, while spring garlic will need to be sprayed against bacterial infection and protected from numerous insect pests.
Interesting!
There are practically no differences in caring for spring and winter garlic. The gardener will need to regularly water the beds, feed them, loosen the soil, weed the garlic and remove all weeds. This vegetable crop does not require more complex care, so even a novice gardener can cope with growing vegetables.
Features of planting in autumn step by step instructions
The basic steps for planting garlic are relatively simple. Most gardeners prefer to first properly prepare the site:
- Choose a place where there will be enough light. Preferably not in lowlands and not after harvesting onions, garlic, and potatoes.
- 1-1.5 months before planting (August, early September) add fertilizer.
- The area is dug up to a depth of 20-30 cm. Garbage and debris are removed from the ground.
- The soil is leveled and watered periodically (if it rains, there is no need to water).
Next, the garlic itself is prepared and planted:
- Before planting, the bulbs are disassembled, collected and sorted according to the size of suitable cloves for planting.
- You can soak the cloves for 10-30 minutes in solutions: potassium permanganate, copper sulfate, salt or purchased fungicidal agents.
- Holes or grooves are prepared on the site. Between the rows you need to maintain about 30 cm. Between the cloves on the beds - up to 10 cm.
- The cloves are carefully manually planted with the bottom down. It is important to maintain approximately a planting depth of 10-12 cm under the top layer of soil.
- The beds are filled and watered.
- From above, the area is mulched with straw, tops or leaves until spring.
Planting garlic cloves
How does winter garlic differ from spring garlic?
Winter garlic
A few words about the differences between spring and winter varieties of the vegetable.
Winter garlic tolerates cold better. This variety has a central stem around which large cloves are located.
In spring, the cloves are arranged more closely, in concentric circles.
Also, in winter varieties the number of cloves is noticeably smaller, but they are larger.
Spring varieties do not bolt and are better stored.
Do I need to water garlic when planting?
If garlic was planted in dry soil, then it must be watered.
Also, the first 10-15 days after planting, the crop needs abundant watering for the roots of the cloves to occur.
However, if the temperature is close to zero, or frosts occur, then you should refuse watering so that the vegetable does not freeze.
How to plant bulbs?
One way to obtain seed material for garlic is to grow aerial bulbs. These are the same seeds that are formed on the air shoots of the plant.
The advantage of this method: there is no need to save part of the bulb harvest as seed material for the future.
The bulbs are planted in the fall, before winter. The basic requirements are approximately the same as when planting garlic with bulb cloves.
- First of all, you need to choose the largest bulbs.
- For them, beds or holes are prepared at a distance between the rows of 10 cm and between the bulbs themselves - 2-3 cm. The depth of the seeds is 2-3 cm. If the winter is cold, then the area should be covered with straw, tops, leaves before the first frost.
- Planting dates are the same: September, October or in warm climates - November.
In the spring, the bulbs will form a bulb of one clove. This root must be dug up, the best specimens selected, dried and then used to grow full-fledged garlic bulbs for the next season.
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When to dig up garlic. Harvesting winter garlic
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How to choose planting depth
An important issue lies in choosing the optimal planting depth for garlic cloves. There are several simple rules.
- Planting material should be planted strictly with the bottom down.
- Before planting, you should prepare the beds or holes. Their depth should be 10-12 cm. Between rows it is necessary to maintain approximately 30 cm, and between each clove - about 10 cm.
- It is advisable to shed the beds with water before planting garlic, or even better, with a one percent solution of copper sulfate or phytospirin.
- The cloves are carefully sunk into the ground, after which they are sprinkled with earth, and the area is leveled with a rake or harrow.
ADVICE . The optimal depth for planting garlic is also usually calculated based on the size of most cloves. For example, experienced gardeners have noticed that you can calculate the depth of the bed by adding 5 cm to the size of the clove. Or multiply the length of the clove by 3.
It is important to plant by hand so as not to damage the protective layer of the garlic cloves. In no case should you plant bare cloves without husks, as they will not be able to effectively withstand cold weather and the development of diseases.
In fact, a lot really depends on the correctly chosen planting depth. Garlic buried too deeply may not germinate and rot in the ground, not yielding any harvest. Also, you should not press the cloves, as in dense soil it will be difficult for them to take root (and for this the crop does not have much time before frost). On the other hand, garlic planted close to the surface can easily beat frost.
Sheltering garlic for the winter
