Garlic is one of the most popular onion crops. Today, many gardeners are concerned about the safety of this useful plant, so they ask themselves: what is the best way to keep garlic for winter?
Do I need to cover garlic for the winter?
Many gardeners plant garlic for the winter, but no one knows for sure if it is necessary to cover garlic for the winter.
Experienced agronomists distinguish several reasons, because of which you should take care how to properly cover garlic for the winter:
- temperature changes in the winter plantings will not be terrible;
- favorable effect on the level of yield;
- presence of snow-retaining properties;
- prevents subcooling of the soil.
How to hide garlic for winter?
Planting a favorite plant, truck farmers think, the better to cover garlic for the winter? Experienced gardeners are advised to pre-cover the beds with a small amount of a useful mixture consisting of sand and ash. There are such materials that help to decide what to cover the garlic planted for the winter more thoroughly, after the onset of the first frost:
- peat . It perfectly keeps heat, so the plant will not be afraid of even the worst frosts. It is ideal for mulching soil with its help. Peat fills the soil with a sufficient amount of moisture. However, with all the merits of this material, it is characterized by shortcomings. So, it contributes to the fact that the acidity of the soil rises. Because of excessive moisture peat can be caked and become wet, which will have a detrimental effect on garlic;
- fallen leaves , and the most suitable are the leaves of birch, oak and maple. Advantages of this affordable insulation are excellent thermal insulation and air permeability;
- sawdust is the most versatile and demanded material with all the necessary qualities. Therefore, they will be an ideal option for solving the problem, than to cover winter garlic for the winter. Sawdust perfectly absorb moisture and keep it inside, provide heat insulation, serve as an excellent material for mulching. The downside is that they can lead to an increase in the acidity of the soil, as well as poor air permeability when wet;
- stems of plants - corn, amaranth. To their indisputable merits is the ability to protect garlic from frost. It is important not to allow them to become densified, since air will not be supplied to garlic.
Choosing one of these means, you can decide what to hide garlic for the winter.