Planting garlic in late autumn: soil preparation and description of the process

Winter garlic is rich in phytoncides, which makes it very healthy. It is actively used for preparing various culinary delights and in the treatment of colds. Planting garlic in Siberia is practically no different from planting in other regions. Cold-resistant plants have zoned varieties suitable for growing in different areas.

Choose the desired variety

Types of winter garlic differ among themselves in the size of the head, the number of cloves, keeping quality, taste and even aroma. You can choose a variety with good keeping quality, the desired bulb size or number of cloves.

Criteria for choosing a place to plant garlic

Good lighting

Firstly, in the spring in this segment of the territory the soil will dry out faster. Secondly, this will have a positive effect on the early development of winter crops. But this is precisely the goal that summer residents pursue when they practice planting it in the fall.

Neutral acid-base balance

For garlic, the optimal pH value is from 5.8 to 6.2, no more.

Recommendations:

• If the place suitable for planting garlic is in a lowland, then it should be artificially raised. For example, build a raised bed. Otherwise, when water stagnates, the planting material will simply rot. Garlic is very sensitive to waterlogged soil, and this should not be forgotten.
• In areas where underground aquifers come close enough to the surface, it makes no sense to plant it. The reason is the same.
• If any crop is harvested in this segment in the fall, then the rules of crop rotation should be taken into account. Every plant has its good and undesirable predecessors. Garlic can be planted in winter after tomatoes, cabbage, eggplant, peppers, pumpkins, cucumbers and a number of other garden plants, the fruits of which ripen above the ground. But after root crops, especially from the bulbous family, it is useless to plant them. This group of predecessors consumes a lot of potassium, which is also necessary for winter garlic.

Carrying out appropriate agrotechnical measures to fertilize the soil in order to restore the balance of nutrients is quite a complex matter, and the required result is not always achieved. Especially if there is no special knowledge and experience. In addition, the pests for these plants are practically the same. Consequently, the risk of infection of winter garlic increases. More detailed information on the compatibility of crops “bound” to their site can be easily found in special tables; There are plenty of them on the Internet.

Cabbage should be dealt with in more detail. Comparing various tables, the author became convinced that in some it is noted as a good predecessor of winter garlic, while in others it is positioned as undesirable. In some sources, this discrepancy is explained by the peculiarities of growing individual cabbage varieties. In any case, it is worth clarifying this nuance.

The acidity level of the soil can be reduced, for example, by liming - the simplest and most affordable technology.

It happens that there is simply not enough space on the site to arrange the required number of beds for winter garlic. There is a simple solution to this problem - plant some of it in strawberry plots. By autumn they are already thinned out, and this “neighborhood” does not negatively affect any of these crops. On the contrary, the smell of garlic repels many pests from garden strawberries. It turns out that this technique has only one benefit.

How to plant garlic for the winter: recommendations

To plant garlic correctly in winter, you need to understand what kind of crop it is and what its requirements are. After planting the clove, the plant begins to grow its root system. For successful wintering, the roots must grow 10 cm, and green feathers must not appear from the soil.

The winter planting plan is as follows:

1. We take into account the landing dates.
2. Choosing a location.
3. Soil preparation.
4. Preparation of planting material.
5. Planting cloves or bulbs.
6. Care and feeding.

Now let's look at all the points in more detail.

How to choose the right time to plant garlic in Siberia

Choosing the right time for the procedure is very important for obtaining a winter crop next year.

If you plant ahead of schedule, the teeth will sprout and will be “killed” by frost.

If planted too late, the ground will already be too cold and the garlic cloves will not be able to take root properly.

It is generally accepted to calculate it so that 7-8 weeks pass from planting to frost. When planting cloves, the soil should be about 10 degrees Celsius.

In each specific year, the exact time varies depending on the prevailing autumn weather in Siberia, but on average, the right time for planting garlic is the last days of September - the first days of October.

When exactly to plant garlic in the fall: planting on time is the key to a good harvest

Experienced people believe that winter garlic should be planted some time before the onset of frost. If your planting material consists of bulbs, then they are planted 2 weeks, and if with cloves, then 3-4 weeks before frost. On average, you need to meet it until the last days of October. In Siberia, garlic is planted in September.

Sometimes inexperienced gardeners ask whether it is possible to plant garlic in November. We answer: it is possible, provided there is a long, warm, dry autumn. The deadline is considered to be the first days of November.

You should not focus on exact calendar dates; it is better to take into account weather forecasts and temperature drops below +10 degrees.

For those who like to work according to the lunar calendar: in 2021, the days from 11 to 15 and from 24 to 26 October will be favorable.

Garlic arrows are eaten

When not to plant garlic

Winter garlic planted early will definitely sprout. This sharply reduces winter hardiness and jeopardizes the entire future harvest. If, on the contrary, you are late with planting, then the plant will not have time to develop the root system. In this case, in the spring you will find completely empty beds.

Features of planting garlic in autumn in Siberia

The main feature of planting in Siberia is that the procedure is carried out much earlier than in the rest of Russia. Tentative dates: September 14 – October 14.

But in general it is believed that it is optimal to plant cloves 45-50 days before the arrival of frost.

The second feature of growing garlic is the choice of variety. Preference should be given to frost-resistant winter varieties. For example, Siberian shooter, Nadezhny, Alcor, Skif, Gribovsky Yubileiny, Elenovsky, etc.

Also, be sure to mulch the garden bed. This will create additional cover for the planted cloves.

If possible, monitor the level of snow in the garden throughout the winter and add more if necessary.

Choosing a place and predecessors

According to the rules of crop rotation, it is better not to plant such a crop after onions and garlic, since they have already taken the necessary substances and compounds from the soil. You should not choose a place where carrots, beets, turnips, or late pumpkins grew. After these crops, the soil will not have time to recover in time for autumn planting.

The best predecessors are zucchini, eggplant, cucumbers, and peppers. They have a short growing season, and they take up slightly different compounds and different concentrations of minerals from the soil.

Preparing the soil for planting

A month before planting garlic crops, cover a sunny open area or bed with humus or compost at the rate of 5-6 kg per square meter, add 20-30 g of superphosphate and potassium salt. You can sprinkle the ground with sifted ash at a rate of 100 g per 1 m². After these procedures, all the soil is dug up onto the bayonet of a shovel and leveled with a rake.

Non-acidic soil must contain sand.

RECOMMENDATION!

We did not indicate that the bed needs to be cleared of the remains of its predecessors, because by burying the green mass in the ground, you will enrich the soil with useful microelements.

Common mistakes

• Fertilizing garlic with manure before planting. Because of this, the vegetable begins to actively grow tops, which is completely unnecessary before winter.
• Planting cloves in hollows. Melt water collects in them, which leads to rotting of the heads.
• Planting too deep in the fall. Because of this, the garlic goes deep and the head turns out small.
• Planting too close to the surface in autumn. If in the Middle Zone it is not critical to make a mistake in planting by a couple of centimeters, then in Siberia the frosts are much stronger. The garlic will freeze.
• Planting garlic too early or too late. Garlic cloves should be planted in Siberia when the average daily temperature fluctuates between +10 +12 degrees Celsius.
• The cloves are planted too often. Because of this, adult plants lack nutrition and light. The bulbs turn out small. Plants often get sick.

Processing garlic before planting before winter

Planting garlic in the fall before winter is often done using cloves. But if you are rejuvenating a variety or want to get rid of diseases of this crop, then it is better to use bulbs (seeds collected in the summer from the opened arrows).

Processing of cloves and bulbs comes down to discarding the material: the planting material must be clean, medium or large in size, and must have a solid shell. It is preferable to disinfect in a solution (1 tablespoon of salt per 1 liter of water) for 3 minutes, and then rinse the teeth for a minute in a weak solution of copper sulfate (0.5 level tsp diluted with 5 liters of water).

How to prepare garlic for planting in the fall

Garlic is a popular food plant. According to its biological characteristics, it is a herbaceous perennial, a species representative of the Onion genus, and belongs to the huge Amaryllis family (Onion subfamily).

This is interesting. Florist and researcher of Central Asia Vvedensky A.I. claims that the forefather of garlic is the long-pointed onion. The first varieties of the culture were discovered in the mountains of Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and the Tien Shan mountains. In Egypt, Ancient Greece and Rome, the spice began to be cultivated in the 6th century. BC e.

How to treat garlic before planting before winter? In general, growing garlic does not require Herculean efforts and material costs. But culture has characteristics and preferences.

Differences between spring garlic and winter garlic

Both garlic can be planted in both autumn and spring. However, they are different.

Winter garlic has fewer cloves, but they are larger in size than spring garlic. It shoots, but stores well until spring.

Spring garlic has more cloves, but they are smaller in size. It does not shoot, is suitable for pickling and processing, but it is not stored in winter.

First – preparation and selection of seeds

Rules for preparing garlic seeds (cloves) for planting in the fall:

• The largest cloves in the head are selected for seeds, according to the varietal variety (a large clove yields a harvest of a large onion);
• small slices are planted, as a rule, for seeds;
• disassemble the bulb into slices no later than 2 days before planting;
• carefully remove the scales from each slice with a knife (thrips “live” behind the protective scales); some gardeners do not remove the covering scales;
• to facilitate the procedure, the heads are pre-soaked in water for 1-2 hours;
• Initially, the teeth should be smooth, clean, without damage, dents, stains or signs of rotting;
• for 1-5 days, the seed is placed in a disinfecting solution;
• The processing (soaking) procedure is carried out at room temperature, the containers are placed in a shaded room.

The second rule is disinfection procedures

To disinfect planting segments from fusarium (the main danger of the crop), gray rot, and aspergillus fungal mold, solutions of special protective agents for treating garlic before autumn planting:

1. Phytosporin or Bactogen (analog drug) - bacterial agents populate competitive microflora, completely cleans garlic cloves; not dangerous for plants and soil microflora; lasts for a long time, until spring;
2. Pharmaiod - a fungicide is used when there is a high level of contamination of seeds and soil; the drug is toxic. Just like hydrogen peroxide and brilliant green, it has an adverse effect on soil microflora;
3. Zelenka (brilliant green) - a weak solution is ineffective; for disinfection, use a concentrated mixture in a 1:1 ratio or soak the slices with a primary solution;
4. Hydrogen peroxide 3% - quickly decomposes in the soil, the treatment is effective, but the solution disrupts the function of soil bacteria;
5. The drug Maxim XL (protectant) and Chlorhexidine (antiseptic) are powerful agents used for obvious contamination of soil and planting bulbs; have an average level of phytotoxicity, it is not recommended to abuse “heavy” chemicals;
6. Phytoflavin for plants (from fungi and rot) - the product is non-toxic for plants, but copes satisfactorily with severe fungal infections, and is used to prevent healthy teeth;
7. Epin extra (growth stimulator with a protective function) - the solution is not suitable for eradicating gray rot; long-acting hormonal drug, beneficial accelerator substances are released gradually, a quick effect is unlikely;
8. Trichodermin, Trichovit (Trichoderma) is an extra-class biofungicide that destroys specific spores of plant fungi; minus - quickly destroys the protective shell (skin) of the planting teeth; accelerated decomposition of the peel provokes damage to the clove by harmful insects (for example, wireworms);
9. Folk remedies for treating garlic before planting are an alcohol solution of turmeric (5 g per 100 ml of alcohol), a solution with the addition of thyme essential oil.

Planting depth of garlic before winter

The teeth are planted in pre-prepared furrows. They are made no deeper than 20 cm. It is better to sprinkle the bottom of the grooves with an even, small layer of sand. In steppe and arid zones, many gardeners water the furrows with a small amount of water before planting. In the middle zone it is not necessary to do this, especially in rainy autumn.

Garlic is planted to a depth of no more than 20 cm.

At what distance should I plant garlic?

Let’s combine the data on planting depth and distance into a convenient table:

IMPORTANT!

If you are late with planting, increase the planting depth by 2-3 cm to prevent freezing.

Planting material is inserted into the grooves by hand, bottom down and gently pressed into the ground with your fingers. Sprinkle soil or mulch on top in an even layer. If the winter has little snow, then the beds are covered with plant debris, roofing felt or polyethylene. In conditions of abundant snowfall, no covering material is required.

NOTE!

The bulbs will produce a single-toothed large onion next year. Having dug up the clove at the end of summer and dried it, it is planted again in the fall. Next year, an updated variety with a large head will grow.

A useful video will tell you how to plant winter garlic in the fall.

General advice for gardeners

Secrets of an experienced summer resident:

• garlic does not like it when the seed material has degenerated; the seeds are renewed after 3-5 years (maximum) by sowing bulbs (aerial bulbs) or cloves;
• For planting, select a large head, at least 4 cloves, preferably 5-6 cloves;
• deep-planted garlic does not produce large bulbs; the ridges on the ridges in the spring, when the first shoots appear, are slightly leveled;
• As a rule, only winter garlic shoots; as soon as the arrow stretches out and makes a loop, it is removed;
• The need for nitrogen in garlic is only at the very beginning of the growing season; an excess of nitrogen affects the yield; the heads grow damp and loose and are poorly stored;
• Organic matter (manure, fermented green grass, bird droppings) is contraindicated for garlic during active growth.

is harvested based on complex signals and signs:

• calendar date stated in the varietal characteristics; the optimal period is the end of July-beginning of August;
• cracking of bulbs (air bulbs);
• the neck becomes soft;
• cracks appear in the soil along the planting – the head has grown sufficiently;
• the main marker of physiological maturity is yellowing of the lower leaves by 60% (5-6 feathers).

What to plant after garlic next year?

To get good yields, you need to take into account the nuances of crop rotation. We suggest you watch what to plant after harvesting garlic in the next video.

Simple rules for caring for winter garlic

It’s not enough to know how to plant winter garlic correctly, you also need to know how to care for it!

Care begins in April. As soon as the snow melts from the garden bed, you need to remove 2 cm of mulch. This will make it easier for the feathers to germinate. Why can't you remove all the mulch? Mulching material protects young shoots and helps retain heat. The first watering is done in May, when all that remains of the snow is memories, and the soil will obviously need moisture. Water the seedlings regularly. Garlic is fed three times: after the first greenery appears, urea or a weak solution of bird droppings is added in liquid form. The second time, the culture needs a nitrophoska solution (2 tablespoons per 10 liters of water). The last feeding in June consists of ash (a glass per bucket of water) or superphosphate (2 tablespoons per 10 liters of water).

IMPORTANT!

Before applying fertilizer, the bed must be moistened to avoid chemical burns!

In summer, watering is gradually reduced. If the arrows have reached 10 cm, they are broken out, leaving a few pieces to determine the timing of ripening or seed propagation.

NOTE!

Fried arrows with sour cream are considered a delicacy.

Garlic crops are regularly loosened throughout the growing season.

The planting distance between the bulbs is 15-20 cm.

Planting garlic

We form beds on a previously developed area. To do this, use a stick to make shallow holes (10 - 15 cm) at a distance of 20 cm from each other. The base of the recesses is covered with coarse sand (2-3 cm) to protect the cloves from rotting.

Planting garlic cloves

Place the garlic cloves ready for planting perpendicularly into the holes, bottom down. Teeth placed incorrectly may not emerge; it is also not recommended to press them in, so as not to disrupt the formation of roots. Then the holes are filled with compost, the soil is leveled and mulched. In dry autumn, garlic should be watered every 4-6 days.

Planting garlic bulbs

Constantly planting garlic with cloves causes it to age and increase various diseases. Therefore, from time to time the plant needs to be rejuvenated. This can be done using bulbs. For this purpose, several mature inflorescences are left, which are cut off along with the stem and stored in a dark place.

The bulbs are planted to a depth of 2 cm and a distance between them of 2-4 cm, and the gap between the rows is 10 - 20 cm. In the first year, the bulb will grow into a single-toothed bulb, which, after drying, is planted again in the ground in the fall. The head with teeth will appear in the second year.

Planting garlic heads

There is another method of planting winter garlic - with heads.

This method is useful when you need to save sown area and simplify crop care. From such a garlic “bush” you can get up to 7 heads of this vegetable.

For planting, use the largest heads, which, just before sowing, should be soaked for 15 minutes in a salt solution (3 tablespoons of salt per bucket), and then rinsed with water. It is advisable to add a little humus to each hole. The bulbs are planted to a depth of 15 cm, at a distance of 20-30 cm from one another. After planting, garlic needs abundant watering (once every 5 days).

Rules for harvesting winter garlic: harvest on time

This crop is harvested in mid-summer. A good advisor here, oddly enough, is raspberries. The time when raspberries are actively collected in baskets for jam is considered the best time for harvesting garlic. But in order not to make a mistake, it is recommended to follow the left arrows. As soon as the arrow opens and the opened bulbs appear, and the lower leaves of the plant turn yellow, it’s time to harvest.

Garlic is harvested strictly in dry weather!

The plant is carefully dug up with a pitchfork and easily removed from the soil, being careful not to damage the roots. It is better to shake off the entire crop from the soil and place it in a spacious, covered place to dry.

How to distinguish winter garlic from spring garlic?

Novice garlic growers may have difficulty distinguishing between winter and spring varieties of garlic. In order to avoid an annoying mistake that could result in loss of both seeds and harvest, we suggest that you consider this here.

Winter garlic

• The head contains from 4 to 12 large lobes covered with a pink shell.
• The cloves are arranged in only one row around the garlic stem.
• Winter garlic has a very characteristic burning taste.
• It cannot be stored in winter.

Spring garlic

• The head of spring garlic does not have a stem-rod and consists of more than 20 cloves.
• The cloves are small in size, arranged in several rows.
• The taste of spring garlic is much milder than that of winter garlic.
• Can be stored all winter.

Spring planting garlic has its pros and cons. Let's start with the advantages: the bulbs of this garlic are stored longer in a dry and cool place, naturally. Possible advantages include less bolting of some of its varieties.

Some disadvantages of this group of garlic: natural loss of planting material due to drying out of seedlings; selection of planting material only from the cloves of the outer circle of the garlic bulb; the hassle of spring planting and care - the delicate feathers of spring garlic shoots are vulnerable to weather temperature changes; For some, a significant disadvantage can be considered the poor harvest of spring-planted garlic.

How to cover garlic for the winter

After planting garlic in the fall, you definitely need to worry about covering it. There are many materials suitable for insulating beds:

1. Sawdust. This is one of the optimal protective agents that provides high thermal insulation and moisture retention. But when wet, they impede the passage of air and increase the acidity of the soil.
2. Plant stems without seeds or inflorescences. They serve as a good snow retention agent and maintain the level of moisture in the soil. But mold may form, which can lead to illness.
3. Peat. Excellent protection from severe frosts, moisture resistant, retains heat well. The disadvantages of peat are the ability to increase the acidity of the soil and the formation of a crust during frequent thaws.
4. Snow is a good helper in growing a good harvest, so if the beds are not heavily covered, it needs to be heated up. During snowless winters, garlic should be covered with polyethylene or roofing felt.

In spring, all types of shelters must be removed from the garden bed so as not to interfere with the growth and development of seedlings.

Growing winter garlic is an interesting and uncomplicated process. Timely planting, a suitable place, proper care, regardless of the chosen technology, will help any gardener create optimal conditions for a given crop and get a high-quality and rich harvest.