Content
Owners of small garden plots prefer to grow winter garlic. But among farmers who cultivate this vegetable on an industrial scale, the spring variety is more popular. The difference between winter and spring garlic plays an important role in this choice.
Garlic is one of the most common garden crops
What is the difference and how does winter garlic differ from spring garlic?
Garlic is a specific vegetable. Some people can’t imagine their diet without it, and some don’t like it because of its pungency and specific smell. To determine which species to plant in your garden, you need to compare them and determine the differences:
Appearance and taste
The difference between spring and winter garlic can be seen in the photo. At first glance they are almost the same. However, there are differences.
The taste of summer garlic is softer and more piquant than that of the hot and pungent winter garlic.
The first difference is the width of the leaves, each of which corresponds to one clove in the bulb.Winter leaves have wide leaves, and accordingly, the cloves in the bulb (6–8 pieces) will also be large. The spring variety is characterized by the presence of narrow leaves. There are more of them than the winter variety, so there are also more cloves (about 20 pieces). The size of the cloves of spring garlic differs from that of winter garlic: they are much smaller. In addition, the cloves are arranged in a spiral, unlike the winter lobes located around the flower shoot (hemp).
Considering that when planting, approximately the same planting material is used, the size of the mature bulbs of the summer and winter varieties will be approximately the same.
Boarding time
The next difference is the landing time. Winter vegetables, unlike summer ones, are planted a month before the first frost. This is approximately the last ten days of September or the beginning of October. Spring can be planted only when the soil has warmed up well enough. This is the beginning or middle of April.
Growing season and ripening time
The growing season of winter garlic is shorter than that of spring garlic. Its root system has been forming since autumn. Therefore, seedlings appear immediately after the snow melts. This differs from the spring variety, which will take at least 10 days after planting to take root, so you should not wait for germination before this time.
Summer garlic ripens by the end of the season, and winter harvest can be obtained at the end of July or beginning of August.
Arrows
You can distinguish winter garlic from spring garlic by the arrows, which, by the way, are one of the reasons for the discrepancies in the preferences of summer residents and farmers. During the process of growth and ripening of seeds, the flower stalks of winter garlic take a considerable part of the plastic substances, which significantly slows down the growth of the bulb. Therefore, they have to be cut off immediately after their appearance.But if in your own garden this is done without any problems, then on an industrial scale, removing flower stalks is a rather labor-intensive process, which requires additional human resources. That is why farmers grow in their fields mainly summer vegetables that do not throw out arrows.
Arrows are often eaten pickled.
Frost resistance
The winter variety tolerates low temperatures well. Summer yields may suffer if the summer is cold.
Care
Spring garlic needs more careful care than winter garlic. It requires fertile soil and frequent feeding. Winter crops are less demanding and need to be fertilized less frequently. But despite some differences in cultivation, both plants require regular watering and weeding.
Which garlic is healthier – spring or winter?
Garlic is not without reason called a natural antibiotic. The vegetable owes its bactericidal properties to the content of phytoncides in it. In addition, this representative of the Onion family is rich in vitamins A, C, E, PP and group B. The ripened cloves of the culture contain polysaccharides, vegetable proteins, fiber, and essential oils. They contain fructose and glucose necessary for the body.
Both types of garlic are equally beneficial. There are no differences here. Regular consumption of them in moderate doses:
- normalizes metabolic processes and strengthens the immune system;
- reduces blood viscosity, which helps prevent dangerous diseases such as thrombophlebitis and myocardial infarction;
- helps reduce blood cholesterol levels;
- Thanks to the action of the thiamine contained, it normalizes the functioning of the nervous system, increases resistance to stress, and helps fight depression;
- helps prevent colds and viral diseases;
- helps fight helminthiasis.
This representative of the Onion family helps prevent acute respiratory viral infections and acute respiratory infections
Which garlic is better stored - spring or winter?
The shelf life of winter garlic is about six months. Some varieties dry out and lose their taste at the end of winter. This is perhaps one of the most significant differences between the summer and winter species. Spring preserves its taste and smell much longer - about 1 year.
Store the harvest in a wooden container
Which garlic is better to choose for planting – spring or winter?
Despite all the differences, this question is not easy to answer. Each vegetable grower chooses the type at his own discretion.
For example, owners of personal plots are advised to give preference to winter as it is faster ripening and more productive. Whereas for farmers, given the differences in crop care, it is easier to cope with spring crops.
For those who prioritize a long shelf life, it is better to grow summer garlic.
The choice also depends on the growing region. For example, in the southern regions with a long warm period, a good harvest of summer garlic is obtained, while in the regions of central Russia it is recommended to give preference to winter varieties.
It is easier to cultivate spring garlic in large volumes
Conclusion
Knowing what the difference is between winter and spring garlic, every vegetable grower can, taking into account all the similarities and differences, choose the appropriate one. And for those who want to have this spicy and healthy vegetable on the table all year round, gardeners recommend growing both spring and winter vegetables.
