Garlic, belonging to the popular onion family, has long become a favorite culture in many countries of the world. Its sharp specific taste and aroma is a worthy touch to many dishes. Still Pythagoras at one time called garlic the king of spices. Since that time, little has changed, but today in almost every dacha area you can see the garden where this culture grows.
You can plant garlic in autumn and spring. The harvest obtained from the autumn planting is richer, but this garlic is not kept for long. This is why gardeners prefer to plant spring garlic in the spring. Winter garlic, ripening in spring, differs from spring garlic and head structure. At the first in the center there is a dense rod, and in the spring denticles in the head are pressed to each other tightly. Planting in the spring of winter garlic will give you a harvest faster, but, as already mentioned, the heads will not be stored for long. If we take into account the fact that the average family needs not so much garlic for the winter, it is more rational to grow spring wheat. We will talk about the peculiarities of its cultivation.
Rules of landing
We note at once that the reproduction of garlic takes place vegetatively. A new generation of culture requires the same environment as those in which their predecessors grew up. If garlic for planting is brought from regions with other climatic conditions, then a good harvest can not be hoped for. And it will grow poorly, and diseases with pests will be attacked more often. Even the death of culture is not ruled out. If you are planning a spring landing of garlic, stock up with local planting material.
Many gardeners are interested in the question of how to plant garlic in the spring. Take care of this from the fall. The harvested planting material does not differ in frost resistance, but the moderate cold tolerates well. You can store it in white sacks buried in the ground to a depth of about 50 centimeters. Warm up can be a layer of foliage and a film. Do not worry, this "coat" will save garlic from frost. If the bed is small, store the planting material in the refrigerator, and when it's time to plant the garlic in the spring, treat it with salt solution (6 tablespoons of salt per bucket of water), placing it in the container for half an hour.
With the fact whether it is possible to plant garlic in the spring, everything is crystal clear. And what should be the soil on the site? First, warmed up, so the optimal time is mid-April. As for the type of soil, it is better to grow spring garlic on medium- and light-loamy soil with an acidity level of 6.5 to 7.0 pH. Remember, potatoes and onions are the worst predecessors, and cabbage, zucchini and cucumbers are the best . So, first the bed is digged up, loosened up the soil, abundantly watered with its saline solution (you can use the one in which you soaked garlic). On the prepared bed plant the cloves of garlic down, lowering them by 1-2 centimeters. The distance between them should not be less than 8 centimeters. When sprouts will appear, it is recommended to fertilize with ammonium sulfate. This will protect your crops from pests. In the middle of summer, repeat the top dressing to fix the result. Beginning in July, do not water the bed so that the heads can dry to harvest.
Optimal conditions
This culture is cold-resistant. Even at zero temperature, the roots begin to grow actively. As for the growth of the terrestrial part, active growth is observed at 8-12 degrees of heat. That's why spring planting is the best solution. First, while the earth is still not well warmed up, all the forces of the plant go to the growth of the head, and with the warming the growth of the terrestrial part begins. In this case, abundant watering is important. In its absence at first, the growth of the root system may slow down.
Regardless of whether garlic is planted in spring or autumn , adherence to the rules of planting and care guarantees a good harvest.