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Growing different crops requires a different approach to preparing seedlings or seed. Garlic seeds are not at all like those of tomatoes or cucumbers, they are stored in bulbs, special “boxes” that form on the arrow. Planting such seeds is in a sense more profitable, since one plant can produce up to 100 cloves suitable for sowing, especially if you have a plot of 1 hectare. Learn how to grow garlic from seeds in this article.
Types of garlic and their features
It’s no secret that there are two types of garlic: spring, which must be planted in the spring and winter, which is planted in the winter.
In addition to the planting time, the structure of the bulb also differs. Spring varieties contain up to 20 cloves, which are arranged in circles around the stem from the smallest in the center. And winter crops, on the contrary, contain up to 9 cloves, which are located close to the stem.
They also differ in taste, although modern breeding brings out a variety of tastes in both varieties.
Spring garlic is better stored (sometimes it is possible to store the crop for a whole year), while winter garlic is stored for a maximum of 5 months.
Winter garlic differs from spring garlic in the presence of arrows, which must be collected for further reproduction. For large-scale plantings, especially industrial ones, when the size of the plot is calculated in hectares (ha), it is better to use winter garlic bulbs.
How to plant
Growing bulbs takes two years: in the first year, a single-toothed bulb grows out of it, and in the second, a full-fledged garlic head with 5-9 cloves. Single teeth can also be consumed, but it is preferable to leave them for reproduction.
Planting bulbs or, as they are also called, “sevok” is possible in two ways. In the first – they are sown for the winter. To do this, on a site previously disinfected and fertilized with phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen, furrows 5-6 centimeters deep are planned. Pure river sand is laid at the bottom of the furrow, and the seedlings are laid out in it at a depth of 3 centimeters. The distance between them should not exceed 6 centimeters. There should be at least 10 centimeters of free space between rows. Moisten the soil and close the furrows. From above, carefully mulch with plant residues, sawdust or peat, creating a pillow 2-3 centimeters high.
The second method is safer – this is planting in the spring. For the winter, bulbs should be stored in a dry, dark place, at temperatures up to +20 ° C. Around February, they are transferred to a cool place where the temperature does not rise above + 4 ° C in order to activate the vegetative processes. A week before planting, the seedlings need to be dried, ventilated and sprayed with a pink solution of potassium permanganate. When the land on the site warms up to at least +7 ° C, you need to plant sevka. Form furrows in the area so that the seedlings can be laid to a depth of 3-4 centimeters. The distance between them should be about 4 centimeters, and between the rows about 15 centimeters. When planting is complete, fill the furrows with earth, and then mulch.
Care
As with any plant in the garden, you must not forget about timely watering, removing weeds. In addition, the first few weeks you need to cover the beds with wet newspapers. How many newspapers will you need? At least 1-2 layers with ventilation holes. This will make it easier to grow as it will keep weeds from germinating.
Many are interested in the question of how much top dressing is needed to grow bulbs and when to carry them out. Three top dressings per year will be enough: the first – a month after the sprouts have hatched using saltpeter and superphosphate (15 grams per 0,001 ha); the second – after two weeks, but the mixture of fertilizers needs to be diluted; the third – at the end of June, you can simply take 1 glass of wood ash per 0,001 ha.
Harvesting
Growing bulbs ends in August, when the garlic leaves begin to turn yellow. Without waiting for the complete drying of the plant, start harvesting, since the sets overexposed in the ground are worse stored, and it will be much more difficult to plant them later.
Harvesting is best scheduled on a cloudy day, carried out in the morning, when the sun is not very active yet. Direct sunlight in a matter of minutes spoil the single-toothed, so that they can not be planted later. On a small plot, you can choose them from the ground with your own hands, but on a larger plot, especially more than 1 hectare, you will need special equipment.
Place harvested single cloves or full-fledged bulbs under a canopy to dry before further cultivation or storage.
The subtleties of growing garlic
How many bulbs are needed for planting depends on how much area (ha) is on your site. Sometimes 3-4 is enough, and sometimes 20 is not enough.
If you decide to grow garlic for sale, it is better to start a business with sowing cloves on a small area of u1buXNUMXbabout XNUMX hectare, and then grow and harvest bulbs for your own seed.
Keep in mind that every year it is necessary to observe crop rotation and not plant garlic in the same place.
You should not plant seedlings after potatoes, radishes, turnips, carrots. But if peppers, eggplants, pumpkins, cucumbers or tomatoes have settled on your land, then planting garlic after them will be the best solution.
In any case, we advise you to plan your landings in advance.
Video “Reproduction of garlic bulbs”
From this video you will learn why garlic is sown with air seeds, as well as how to do it correctly.
