Step-by-step instructions for planting garlic bulbs for the winter: basic rules and secrets of experienced gardeners
Few people know that planting garlic bulbs before winter is the most economical and at the same time productive method of growing a plant. Winter varieties are also propagated by seeds and cloves, but this uses more material. The method of planting with bulbs is laborious, but it allows you to preserve all the useful properties of the plant and protect it from diseases.
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Bulbs of garlic - what is it
Bulb are small cloves of garlic that form at the very top of the arrow in a translucent box. They appear in early summer and are often removed by summer residents as unnecessary.
The photo shows what a box with air bulbs looks like.
These are the vegetative organs of the plant, which take part in the process of reproduction of garlic. Some gardeners call them seeds. This is not entirely correct from a botanical point of view, since the plant does not bloom. However, this definition is often used in the everyday life of summer residents.
Why use bulbs
Garlic is grown from bulbs to prevent degeneration of the variety. If you grow a plant from cloves for 3-4 years, every year the heads will be smaller in size and mass than the previous ones. They are also more susceptible to fungal diseases. As a result, the variety loses its positive qualities and becomes unsuitable for planting (degenerates).
Attention! One bulb weighing no more than 7 g grows from the bulb, it is called a one-tooth. After planting it, they will receive a large head of garlic next summer.
The cultivation of a garlic crop from the heads is associated with frequent plant diseases. A common pest is the stem nematode, which damages the head during its formation. This parasite does not touch the bulb, so the gardener gets high-quality seed from it.
This planting saves the gardener's finances. If you take 1 head of the winter variety, you get about 10 cloves for subsequent planting. The bulb contains about a hundred of them. When planted next year, they will give 100 single-cloves, and after another 12 months - 100 large heads of high-quality garlic.
How to grow and collect bulbs
The process of growing bulbs is simple. They form independently on the stem of a winter garlic variety. After the ovary appears on the arrow, you should wait until a box with airy "seeds" is formed and the protective translucent film bursts on it. After that, the shoots are cut and dried for 10 days.
It is best to do this 1-1.5 months before the intended planting. In the middle lane, this period falls on September-October.
How to store and sort
There is no need to create special conditions for storing the bulbs. They tolerate temperatures around 15 degrees Celsius well throughout the winter. About 2 months before the intended planting, it is necessary to transfer the "seeds" to a cool place.
It is ideal for subsequent storage to maintain a temperature not higher than 5 degrees Celsius. Under such conditions, the bulbs naturally harden.It is recommended to sort air "seeds" by diameter (large, medium and small). After the soil warms up to +7 degrees, they can be planted at a distance of 5-6 cm from each other.
Planting dates for winter garlic in autumn
When to plant winter garlic, it directly depends on the characteristics of the climatic zone. In the middle lane, it is recommended to do this about 14-21 days before frost. This time is enough for the plant to take root. In three weeks, the root system will form in garlic, but the aboveground green part has not yet hatched.
The outdoor temperature should be approximately + 10-12 ° C. Lower rates are also allowed, but it is forbidden to plant garlic in frozen ground.
If we make a distribution by region, then the landing dates are as follows:
- The middle band is from late September to mid-October.
- Southern regions - from late October to late November.
- Northern regions - from the second half of September to mid-October.
Experienced gardeners independently determine the optimal time for planting garlic, focusing on the weather conditions.
Can you plant garlic bulbs in spring?
It is possible to plant garlic bulbs in the spring, and then leave them in the ground for the whole winter. If the plant is not dug up, it will need to be thinned out so that large heads of garlic will form next year.
It is best to plant the bulbs in the spring, and in the fall to dig them up and store them in a room with a temperature of no higher than + 15 ° C. The next year, the "seeds" require transplanting to a permanent place. It is important to maintain an interval between the "seeds" of 5-6 cm.
Growing garlic from bulbs in the open field
Novice gardeners hardly know how to plant garlic from bulbs in the open field correctly in order to get a quality harvest. Airy "seeds" are placed in the ground in spring. Around early August or late July, the leaves of the plant will begin to turn yellow. Until the part located above the ground has dried up, the heads of garlic are dug out.
Advice... The vegetable should be left in the shade and wait until the husk begins to move away on its own from the stem, then tie it in bunches and hang it in the attic or in the shed.
Already in the fall, according to the recommendations regarding the climate in the region, one-tooth garlic is planted in the garden. In summer, arrows will go from the seedlings, and in August, boxes with bulbs will appear. It is important to consider all the "seeds" and assess their quality. Good garlic grows from healthy bulbs of large size, without browning, sweetness and mold.
Preparing the land and beds for autumn planting of garlic
With this cultivation technology, the crop becomes especially demanding on the composition of the soil.
To get a good harvest, three conditions must be met:
- Prepared soil.
- Healthy and hardened seed.
- Careful maintenance of the beds.
The land on the site where it is planned to grow garlic is dug up. In the process, weeds and the remnants of their roots are removed.
Preparation of planting material
Before sowing, the bulbs must be prepared. Initially, "seeds" are hardened. To do this, they are placed in a refrigerator, where the temperature is maintained at 3-5 degrees, for 20-30 days. To carry out disinfection, the planting material is treated with a solution of copper sulfate of 1% concentration.
Initially, the "seeds" are soaked for 2 minutes in a solution of sodium chloride (3 tablespoons per 5 liters of water), then transferred to a container with copper sulfate (1 teaspoon of the substance is diluted in 10 liters of water). The future garlic is left in the liquid for 30 minutes, then taken out and dried. The seeds are now ready for planting.
How to plant
Prepared and carefully sorted garlic bulbs are planted in rows. The row width should be about 10 cm. Large "seeds" are laid out at a distance of 4 cm from each other. 3-4 dozen bulbs are planted on 1 m².
It is not recommended to plant garlic in places where tomatoes or potatoes previously grew. After these crops, the risk of Fusarium infection increases.
It is better to choose a plot of land where pumpkin, cabbage, beans, beans, alfalfa or mustard grew. The decomposed bulbs are carefully sprinkled with soil, but not tamped, and watered.
It is recommended to feed the soil in autumn. For 1 m², a mixture of 5 kg of humus, 30 g of superphosphate and 20 g of potassium chloride is taken. If the soil has an acidic pH, it is limed. Limestone, ground into flour, is suitable for this purpose. Before planting the bulbs, 0.3-0.5 kg of limestone per 1 m² are introduced into the rows.
Practical experience of growing garlic from bulbs
Many gardeners have extensive experience in growing garlic from bulbs. But the works of Andrey Alexandrovich Panin, a gardener from the Kuban, deserve special attention. His technology was described in one of the specialized journals in 1997. He developed a method of growing a commercial garlic bulb in the second year by obtaining large bulbs.
Andrei Aleksandrovich grew garlic in aluminum tubes no more than 4.5 cm long. He put the tooth on one side, and immersed the other in the ground. In the spring, the appearance of arrows could be observed. The essence of the technique is that, due to the limited diameter of the tube, the head of garlic does not grow large, and the plant sends all the forces into the arrows.
After the leaves of the garlic turn yellow, and the shell of the box with the bulbs is almost cracked, the arrows are cut off. For subsequent ripening, they are suspended in the form of small sheaves in the shade. After about a month, the husks are removed from the "seeds" and only those bulbs that are at least as large as beans are selected for planting. The rest of the process of hardening, planting and harvesting is standard.
Pros and cons of the method
Like most agricultural technologies, growing garlic from bulbs has its own disadvantages and advantages. Among the advantages, the following is noted:
- the ability to independently grow planting material;
- preservation, renewal and rejuvenation of the garlic variety;
- getting healthy "seeds";
- direct sowing of bulbs in open ground;
- easy care during growth.
The main disadvantage of the technique is that you will have to wait two growing periods to get the harvest. In the first year, one-toothed teeth are received, and only in the next - full-fledged heads.
With the early onset of winter, the probability of freezing of planting material increases.
Some useful tips from experienced gardeners
Gardeners with rich practical experience in growing this crop recommend listening to these tips:
- Leave arrows on those bushes that have large heads.
- Harvest the heads together with the arrows.
- You can plant garlic from bulbs in spring and autumn, but it is better to give preference to the first option in order to prevent the seeds from freezing.
- Thoroughly discard glazed or dried out bulbs before planting.
- Dig up the cloves around mid-August.
Garlic is a crop that does not require specific care. After the shoots have appeared, you need to fertilize and water the soil.
Read also:
How to properly plant garlic before winter?
Onion or hairstyle onion - what is Rocambol garlic.
What to plant after garlic next year and which crops to avoid.
Conclusion
Growing garlic from airy "seeds" is an ideal technique for preserving a plant variety and preventing it from becoming infected with viruses, fungi or bacteria. However, in order to obtain a decent harvest, it is necessary to strictly observe agricultural technology, therefore inexperienced gardeners often refuse such a planting technique.