Planting onions and garlic before winter is an alternative solution for those who want to save their own time and try new agricultural techniques. In fact, there is no single correct answer to the question of which crop is better: planted in autumn or spring. Winter planting of onions and garlic has its advantages: earlier shoots, hardening of heads in winter frosts, a stable harvest, in addition, the gardener does not have to worry about storage for planting material. In many ways, the processes of growing winter onions and garlic are similar, but there are some nuances here.
There will be this article about the features of planting winter onions and garlic, about how to plant each of these crops correctly and when it is better to do it.
How to grow winter onions
Until quite recently in Our Country, no one planted onions before winter, everyone did this in the spring. But today there are a lot of varieties of winter crops, so you can plant bulbs in late autumn even in Siberia and the Urals, not to mention the south of the country and the middle lane.
The secret to the success of winter planting lies in freezing the bulbs: a couple of weeks after planting, the onion sets will take root, but will not have time to germinate before the first stable frosts. In this state, the bulbs will “sleep” until the spring heat, after which they will immediately grow.
The winter planting method has a lot of advantages, including high soil moisture after the snow melts, and a high ripening rate, which makes it possible to plant another crop in place of the onion in the same season.
How to determine the time of planting onion sets
In determining the timing of planting onions, the climatic conditions of the region play an important role. The gardener must understand that bulbs will need time to adapt – about 2-3 weeks. That is, during this period there should not be frost yet. However, prolonged autumn heat is detrimental to planting material – the onion will release feathers that will freeze out even with slight frosts.
Therefore, the timing of planting winter onions should be selected so that after 3-4 weeks stable cold begins in the region. Only in this way the bulbs will overwinter well and in full force will begin to grow under the spring sun.
In areas with not very frosty winters, it is recommended to plant onions from late October to early November. Experienced gardeners assure that if the thermometer has been showing +5 degrees for several days, it’s time to plant the bulbs in the ground.
In the southern regions, winter onions are usually planted at the end of November, only in this way does it have time to take root, but does not let green shoots. In the north of the country, one should be guided by one’s own observations of the weather in previous seasons; sometimes winter onions in the North are planted already at the end of September.
How to choose a place to plant onions
Winter onions love well-fertilized, loose and moderately moist soils. That’s why before planting, the beds must be fertilized using mineral supplements or humus. The earth should be dug up well.
It is recommended to plant winter onions in the place of such crops:
- cereals;
- corn;
- beet;
- mustard;
- tomatoes;
- beans;
- cucumbers;
- cabbage.
To prevent onion sets from becoming infected with nematodes, you should not plant them in place of potatoes, parsley or celery.
How to prepare planting material
Planting onions before winter, as in spring, is carried out by means of sowing – annual heads grown from seeds (nigella). The optimal size of the sowing is 1-1,5 cm in diameter. Bulbs of larger sizes are stronger, but that is why they often shoot arrows, which leads to a decrease or damage to the bulb itself.
A small set, up to 1 cm, does not have the strength to grow arrows, but small onions winter well in the soil, and in spring they give a high yield. That’s why, sorting through planting material, small, dense bulbs covered with husks should be selected.
How to plant onion sets in autumn
When the soil on the site is fertilized and dug up, you can begin to form beds and plant seeds. To do this, you need to do the following:
- Level and lightly compact the soil in the area.
- Make grooves about 5 cm deep so that the distance between them is 20-25 cm.
- Spread the onion into grooves at intervals of 5-7 cm (depending on the size of the set), sprinkle with soil and compact it a little.
- Immediately after planting, winter onions are not watered, but if there is no rain in the region, the beds can be moistened in 10-12 days.
- With the onset of frost, the beds need to be mulched by covering them with spruce branches, straw or dry leaves. To prevent the shelter from being inflated by the wind, it is pressed with dry branches or boards.
Planting garlic in autumn
Unlike onions, garlic has been planted before winter for a long time – it is this method of growing spicy crops that domestic gardeners use most often. If the owner has always used the spring method of growing garlic (spring planting of cloves), it is better not to immediately switch to the winter method: in the early years, the seeds are divided, half is planted before winter, and the second part – with the onset of spring.
In regions with a harsh climate and snowless winters, it is also recommended to cultivate garlic at the same time using both the spring and winter methods – this way you are more likely to get a good harvest, because a lot depends on the weather.
Best time to plant garlic
As already mentioned, the seeds of garlic and onions are very difficult to preserve – far from all planting material lies until spring. Therefore, the heads of garlic collected this year are sorted out, the largest and healthiest heads are separated, disassembled into teeth and planted before winter.
The timing of planting garlic should be based on observations of the weather. In recent years, the climate in most regions has changed slightly, experts advise to adhere to such a schedule – from September 25 to October 15. Later plantings may freeze, and earlier plantings may germinate prematurely.
It happens that frosts begin suddenly, and garlic has not yet been planted before winter. In this case, you can stimulate the root system by soaking the teeth for a couple of hours in a humate solution, and then drying them on a battery. After a couple of days, the rudiments of roots will appear on such teeth, and they can be planted even in frozen soil.
Where to plant winter garlic
The place for planting garlic before winter should not be in a lowland, as spring floods will wash all the teeth. It is better to choose a site on the southern or southeastern slope, so that the garlic is warmer, it is not blown by icy winds.
It is better not to plant garlic after potatoes and onions, since these plants have the same pests and diseases – there is a high risk of losing the entire crop. You should not grow garlic for more than two years in one place – the soil should “rest” from onion crops for at least 4 years.
Preparing beds for garlic
A plot for winter garlic is dug up on a shovel bayonet 10-14 days before the intended planting of cloves. Before this, the ground must be fertilized, as garlic loves nutritious and light soils. It is better to fertilize with rotted manure, humus or mineral complexes, it is strictly forbidden to use fresh manure – the risk of developing pathogens is high.
When the earth settles after digging (after a couple of weeks), you can make grooves and plant cloves of garlic. If you do not wait and immediately plant the garlic in the dug up earth, the teeth will fall too deep, which will slow down the growth of the plant in the spring.
Planting material must be disassembled into teeth and dried thoroughly. Only strong, hard teeth without traces of rot and other damage are suitable for winter planting.
Planting garlic according to the rules
Growing garlic is a simple process, because this culture grows almost independently. You just need to plant the teeth correctly, and a good harvest of garlic is guaranteed.
It is recommended to follow these rules for planting garlic before winter:
- Before planting, the teeth are recommended to be calibrated – sorted by size.
- The garlic planting depth is two clove heights, which is why it is more convenient to make grooves for pre-sorted material.
- The interval between garlic cloves is from 8 to 15 cm – it depends on the size of the garlic.
- To make it convenient to take care of the beds, it is necessary to leave 25-30 cm of interval between rows.
- So that the bottoms of the garlic do not rot, it is recommended to pour a little sand or wood ash at the bottom of the grooves.
- Do not press the cloves into the ground, as the frozen ground can push them to the surface, causing the garlic to freeze. The teeth are simply laid out along the grooves and sprinkled with dry earth.
- On top of the planting, a thin layer (about 1,5 cm) of peat or garden soil with leaves is mulched.
Conclusion
There is nothing difficult in winter planting. It is only necessary to correctly determine when to plant onions and garlic before winter, so that the heads do not freeze out and germinate ahead of time. Then it remains only to make beds, plant onions and garlic, mulch a little and forget about planting until next spring.
You can learn more about the winter planting of onions and garlic from this video:
