Planting dates and rules for growing spring garlic

Growing and caring for spring garlic does not promise any difficulties, but the technology is slightly different from the classic method of planting in autumn. This method is optimal for Siberian conditions, where garlic planted before winter can die in severe frosts. In addition, spring garlic is stored for a long time, and there can be more than ten cloves in one head, but their size is somewhat smaller than that of winter garlic.

Dates for planting garlic in spring

When growing spring garlic, you should not be late with planting dates. The roots of the cloves begin to grow at a soil temperature of 4-6 ° C, and the leaves start to grow when the temperature rises to 8-10 ° C. In the same period, the bulb-head begins to form. If spring garlic is planted later, when the temperature is higher, leaves and roots will grow, but the head will not form. When harvesting, it will be possible to see that instead of a full-fledged bulb, only a thickening has formed, similar to one large clove.

It is necessary to plant the cloves in the garden when the snow has completely melted, and the soil only slightly dries up and warms up. At a depth of 5 cm, the temperature should be around 5 ° C. In Siberia, this period usually falls on the first half of May, while in central Russia it is possible to plant in mid-April.

Spring garlic is a cold-resistant crop, and return frosts are not afraid of it. The garlic beds won't need shelter, even if weather forecasters promise frosty nights.

Preparation of planting material

The cultivation of spring garlic will be successful if the planting material is prepared in advance.

The first stage of preparation is stratification. The heads of garlic are placed in a bag and put in the refrigerator, in the vegetable drawer. They do not need to be moistened, the chives contain a sufficient amount of moisture. Stratification lasts 1-1.5 months before planting in the ground. This procedure will speed up the start of the growing season.

The second stage is dividing the head into teeth and sorting them. It will be correct to do this one to two days before landing. If you separate the cloves earlier, then the bottom of them will dry out, and this will complicate the normal growth of the roots. The husk is removed only from the onion, and the cloves are left in the shell. A spring garlic bulb consists of 12-20 cloves. The largest ones are closer to the shell, the smallest ones - to the center. Only large or medium-sized ones are used as planting material, and small ones are rejected. The minimum clove weight that is suitable for planting is 3-4 grams. Sluggish, wrinkled, dried-up teeth are not suitable for planting.

Important!

If you come across a head of spring garlic, which consists of less than 5-6 cloves, you should not use it for planting: the harvested crop will most likely be just as scarce.

The third stage is disease prevention. Selected cloves for disinfection are soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate or an infusion of wood ash.

• The potassium permanganate solution should be pale pink. The garlic is placed in it for 20 minutes, and then washed in clean water.
• Pour 2 cups of wood ash with one liter of water and simmer for 20-30 minutes. The infusion is cooled, filtered. Dilute to the original volume with clean water. The teeth are kept in it for 1-2 hours.

It is not necessary to germinate the teeth before planting. If the garlic is planted correctly, at the right time, then the cloves will quickly start growing in moist soil.

Preparing the garden

Garlic grows well on sandy loam and loamy soils with a neutral reaction. Sand, peat, compost should be added to clay soils.Sandy soils are improved by introducing a large amount of compost, sod land, and clay chips into them. The place should be sunny, protected from cold northerly winds.

Important!

The cultivation of garlic should be carried out in an area where water does not stagnate. If the soil does not dry out for a long time after rains, the heads do not develop, but rot.

The garden bed is prepared in the fall. This is due to the fact that planting in the spring is carried out when the soil is not completely dry from the melted snow. At this time, fertilizing and digging the ground is difficult.

In the fall, fertilizers are applied to the selected area, dug deeply and leveled with a rake. 1 m² you need half a bucket of well-rotted manure or compost, 2 glasses of wood ash, 1 tablespoon of complex mineral fertilizers.

How to plant spring garlic

In the spring, when the time is right for planting, grooves 4-5 cm deep are made in the garden bed.It will be correct to deepen each clove so that it is 2 cm from its sharp tip to the soil surface.The planting pattern for large cloves should be 15x25, and smaller can be planted more often - 10x20.

Planting garlic in spring should be done in moist soil. If the ground is dry, then the grooves must be shed. Each clove is carefully placed in the furrow, being careful not to press on it so as not to damage it. It is also necessary to carefully cover it with earth, without compacting it.

Garlic care

Garlic maintenance should be regular. It includes watering, loosening and feeding.

Watering is important at the initial stage when the plant is growing. Water it 2-3 times a week if there is no rain. If it rained, watering is carried out less often. If the tips of the leaves dry out, this is an indicator that the garlic does not have enough moisture. The appearance of a peduncle arrow indicates that the bulb has begun to grow. During this period, watering is reduced.

Important!

The peduncle arrow must be cut when its length reaches 10-15 cm. If this is not done, all forces will be spent on flowering, and the growth of the bulb will slow down.

They are fed twice a season. The first feeding is done when the leaves appear. Prepare a urea solution: 1 tablespoon per bucket of water. This amount of fertilizer is enough for a 3 m2 garden²... In the second feeding, nitrogen is excluded, and phosphorus and potassium are added. These trace elements are found in wood ash. Pour 4 glasses of ash into one bucket of water, leave for 2 hours. The second time is fertilized in mid-June.

Harvesting

Spring garlic is ready to harvest when the lower leaves have dried up and the upper ones have begun to turn yellow. Usually this is the second half of August. If not harvested in time, the roots will start growing again and the bulb will crack. Such garlic does not last long.

Watering is stopped 2 weeks before collection. It is better to dig out the garlic with a pitchfork so as not to damage the heads. The bulbs are carefully cleaned of adhering soil and laid out to dry. In sunny weather, this can be done in the garden, and in the rain, it can be removed under a canopy. After 4-5 days, the remnants of the earth are cleaned and the roots are cut, leaving 2 mm. The bottom must not be damaged when cutting. The leaves are also cut off, leaving a stem of about 10-12 cm. If desired, the foliage can not be cut off, but braids can be woven and hung for storage.

Output

Spring garlic is easy to clean. To obtain a high-quality harvest, it is important not to miss the planting time, and to carry out regular watering during the growth period. To build up the mass, top dressing will be required, and the peduncles must be removed in a timely manner.