The harvest of winter garlic largely depends on the time of planting.
Soil quality (including predecessors), watering, fertilizing, pest control are also important. But it all starts with sowing.
Expert of the online publication TUT NOVOSTI, agronomist Anastasia Kovrizhnykh spoke about the most important nuances of this process.
When to plant winter garlic? In central Russia, the optimal period is September-October. You need to monitor the weather.
Garlic is planted in the fall, when the temperature has settled at +10°C. It is important to choose the moment when it is not too cold, but there is no hint of heat.
Winter garlic is sown 2-3 weeks before frost sets in. This will give it time to take root, but it will not sprout.
There is no need to rush because the garlic may start growing too quickly. Even before the frost, greenery will appear in the garden bed, which will freeze.
But you shouldn't delay either. Sowing right before frost is a real garden lottery. The cloves simply won't have time to take root and will most likely just die.
Note
Garlic is planted in the same bed no earlier than 4–5 years later. Cucumbers, squash, pumpkin, and tomatoes are considered good predecessors.
Expert: Anastasia Kovrizhnykh
