When to plant garlic in spring: what to do to get a rich harvest

Garlic seems to be a fairly unpretentious crop: as soon as the soil warms up and dries, you can plant it. But experienced gardeners know that there are important nuances that affect the quality of the harvest.

You need to choose the optimal planting time and carefully prepare the bed. Read the OBOZ.UA article to find out when to plant garlic in spring and how to get a generous harvest.

How to grow garlic

Spring garlic is grown from cloves. You should choose high-quality, undamaged, large or medium-sized, hard cloves from full heads with at least 5 teeth.

Winter garlic should not be planted in the spring, as it forms deformed, finely toothed heads. Frail garlic that has sprouted in the pantry will also not produce a good result.

When to plant garlic

Soil temperature is the main condition to pay attention to when planting garlic.

The soil should warm up to +5 °C. Garlic will take root well until the temperature exceeds +10 °C. Therefore, late planting in the spring should be avoided - otherwise, weak, small, poorly developed fruits will grow. Usually, optimal conditions are observed in early or mid-April, or even at the end of March.

How to prepare garlic

Experienced gardeners advise to stratify the garlic. A week or even a month before the estimated planting, put the garlic in the refrigerator to cool.

And on the eve of planting, the garlic should be warmed up to room temperature. Experts say that warming up for 8-12 hours on a battery or in warm water with a temperature of about +40°C will help to promote rooting.

The cloves should be planted without removing or cutting the scales. It is best to choose sunny beds with sufficient protection from drafts, at least on the north side.

Both sandy loam and loamy soil are suitable. The main condition is that it should be loose enough to allow air and water to pass through. If the soil is dense, you should install drainage or at least mix sand or compost into the soil. Mature, well-fermented organic matter can be added to a depth of about 30 cm. As for mineral fertilizers, 10-15 g of a complex mixture per 1 square meter is sufficient. Bone meal or ash is also suitable.

Do not neglect the rules of crop rotation. Garlic will grow well in the garden after legumes, grains, cucumbers, and all spicy herbs. Avoid direct proximity to chickpeas, beans, peas, and cabbage.

How to plant garlic

1. You need to make shallow rows, up to 4 cm, with row spacing of 20-30 cm.
2. You don't need to bury the garlic too deeply - the layer of soil above the top should be no more than 2 cm.
3. Experts advise spreading garlic every 8 cm for medium and 12 cm for large cloves.
4. Next, you need to wrap the beds with garlic, cover them with mulch or at least sprinkle them with sand and water them abundantly. There is no need to cover the garden with a film - garlic is resistant to frost, but not to damping.

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