Plant Winter Garlic Now for Next Season's Bounty
Garlic lovers, mark your calendars! The ideal time to plant winter garlic is approaching. To ensure a strong harvest, follow these expert tips tailored to your region.
Start by preparing your planting bed a month in advance with compost, superphosphate, potassium sulfate, and a fungicide treatment. Choose large, healthy plant cell without damage for planting, as small plant cell yield a weak harvest.
Plant plant cell 5-8 cm deep, with a distance of 10-12 cm between them and 20-25 cm between rows. The optimal soil temperature for planting winter garlic is +8-10°C. Soak garlic cloves in a manganese or salt solution before planting to protect against diseases.
Planting dates vary by region. For the middle belt, aim for September 25 - October 15. In the north, plant in late September. For the south, late October - mid-November is suitable. In the Urals and Siberia, plant in early September. In Russia, the earliest planting in September is recommended for a stronger harvest, using hardneck varieties in colder areas and softneck varieties in warmer zones.
After planting, mulch the garlic with straw, leaves, or peat to a depth of 5-7 cm. Remove garlic shoots when they are 10-15 cm long to encourage bulb growth. In the spring, gradually remove mulch, loosen the soil, water once a week, and fertilize with nitrogen and complex fertilizers in May.
By following these guidelines, you'll be well on your way to a bountiful plant harvest next season. Happy planting!
