Growing Winter Garlic

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Garlic is one of the wonderful vegetables grown by people in different parts of the world since ancient times. For many years, the culture has been prized for its beneficial properties, in particular as a digestive aid, appetite stimulant and fatigue relief. Once upon a time, garlic served as an amulet that saved from various misfortunes and the actions of dark forces

Today the plant has not lost its relevance, it is still very popular, and is grown in almost all Russian, and not only, vegetable gardens. In addition to its valuable properties, garlic has a deterrent effect; it is often planted near vegetable crops in order to avoid the invasion of harmful insects.

Currently, two types of garlic are widespread - winter and spring. In general, the growing conditions, planting cloves and caring for them are similar, the only difference is in the timing of planting. Growing a culture is quite simple, even a novice gardener can do it, however, a number of specific requirements should be taken into account.

Growing conditions

Garlic is a light-loving culture, it prefers well-lit areas. The plant is not pretentious to the soil composition, although the best quality crop yields on cultivated fertile soils of loamy or sandy loam type with neutral or slightly acidic pH.

Only annual crops such as potatoes, cabbage or cucumbers can be precursors to garlic. Planting a plant close to raspberries, gooseberries, strawberries, onions, tomatoes, black currants and tulips is encouraged; proximity to peas and beans is not recommended.

Garlic is a cold-resistant plant; podzimny plantings can withstand air temperatures down to -30C. The optimum temperature for normal growth and development is 15-25 C.

Winter garlic: planting, care and harvesting

Planting winter garlic is carried out in the fall in late September - early October. It is worth remembering that early planting is undesirable, since the plant can start growing, which will significantly reduce winter hardiness and all crops will be doomed to death. With late planting, the cloves do not have time to take root before the onset of frost, which will also negatively affect the future harvest.

A plot for winter garlic is prepared for 2-3 weeks before the expected date of planting. The ridges are carefully dug, break up clods, apply mineral fertilizers and rotted compost. Before planting, the cloves are disinfected in a solution of wood ash (400 g of ash per 2 liters of water).

On the ridges, shallow grooves are made, the distance between which should be 20-25 cm. The bottom of the grooves is covered with a layer of coarse sand or ash, this procedure prevents the contact of the planting material with the soil and protects it from rotting. Then the cloves are buried (the distance between the cloves is 8-15 cm, depending on the size of the cloves), covered with soil and watered abundantly.

Ridges with plantings must be mulched with sawdust, peat or fallen leaves. In the event of severe cold weather in the complete absence of snow cover, the plantings are covered with plastic wrap, which is removed with the appearance of precipitation.

Winter garlic is characterized by increased winter hardiness. Well-rooted teeth can withstand severe frosts in the presence of shelter and a bulky layer of snow. Temperatures below -30 C are detrimental to crops, especially in winters with little snow.

In early spring, shelters are removed from the ridges, feeding is carried out with superphosphate, potassium salt and slurry. With the onset of stable warm weather conditions, wood ash is introduced into the soil. Weeding of weeds, watering, loosening and preventive treatments for diseases and pests are regularly carried out. The arrows formed on the plant are removed, but only manually.

Harvesting is carried out only when the leaves of the crop turn yellow and fall. Garlic is carefully pulled out of the soil, peeled and dried in the sun. After a few hours, the stem is cut off from the plants (2-3 cm above the bulb). Store winter garlic at room temperature, in a dark and dry place in wooden boxes, cardboard boxes or nylon stockings.

Common diseases of garlic, methods of dealing with them

During the growing season, garlic can be affected by the following diseases:

* Fusarium is a fungal disease, signs of damage are: yellowing of the leaves, white or pinkish bloom on the bulb, causing rotting.

* Bacterial rot is a fungal disease, accompanied by a change in the color of the garlic, the appearance of a strong rot smell and the formation of brown ulcers on the bulb.

* Peronosporosis (or downy mildew) is a fungal disease that manifests itself on the leaves and arrows of the plant in the form of a grayish bloom.

* White rot is a fungal disease that leads to yellowing and death of leaves, rotting of teeth, and subsequently to the death of plants.

* Stemphiliosis (black mold) is a fungal disease that manifests itself in the form of yellow spots on the leaves of garlic, which over time become covered with a bloom of black mold.

The main tasks of preventing and combating diseases of garlic are to acquire healthy planting material, take into account the rules of crop rotation and treat plants with medicinal preparations.