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: one planted in the fall or in the spring. Winter planting of onions and garlic has its advantages: earlier germination, hardening of the heads in winter frosts, a stable harvest, in addition, the gardener does not have to worry about storing planting material. In many ways, the processes of growing winter onions and garlic are similar, but there are also some nuances.
This article will talk about the features of planting winter onions and garlic, how to properly plant each of these crops and when is the best time to do it.
How to grow winter onions
Until recently, no one in Russia planted onions before winter; everyone did it 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 zone.
The secret to the success of winter planting is freezing the bulbs: a couple of weeks after planting, the onion sets will take root, but will not have time to germinate until the first stable frost. In this state, the bulbs will “sleep” until the spring warmth, after which they will immediately begin to grow.
The winter planting method has many advantages, including greater soil moisture after the snow melts, and a high ripening speed, which makes it possible to plant another crop in place of the onion in the same season.
How to determine the time to plant onion sets
The climatic conditions of the region play a big role in determining the timing of onion planting. The gardener must understand that The bulbs will need time to adapt - about 2-3 weeks. That is, there should not be frosts during this period. However, prolonged autumn warmth is also detrimental to planting material - onions will sprout feathers that will freeze even with minor frosts.
Therefore, the timing of planting winter onions should be selected so that after 3-4 weeks stable cold weather begins in the region. This is the only way the bulbs will overwinter well and begin to grow in full force under the spring sun.
In areas with not very frosty winters, it is recommended to plant onions from the end of October to the first days of 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, this is the only way they have time to take root, but do not sprout green shoots.In the north of the country, you should be guided by your own observations of the weather in previous seasons; sometimes winter onions in the North are planted as early as 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 ground should be dug up thoroughly.
It is recommended to plant winter onions in place of the following 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 done through sets - annual heads grown from seeds (nigella). The optimal size of the set is 1-1.5 cm in diameter. Larger bulbs are stronger, but that is why they most often shoot arrows, which leads to reduction or damage to the bulb itself.
A small set, up to 1 cm, does not have the strength to grow shoots, but small onions overwinter well in the soil and produce a high yield in the spring. That's why, When sorting out planting material, you should select small, dense bulbs covered with husks.
How to plant onion sets in the fall
When the soil on the site is fertilized and dug up, you can begin to form beds and plant seedlings. 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.
- Place the onions in furrows at intervals of 5-7 cm (depending on the size of the set), sprinkle with soil and compact it a little.
- Winter onions are not watered immediately after planting, but if there is no rain in the region, the beds can be moistened after 10-12 days.
- With the onset of frost, the beds need to be mulched, covering them with spruce branches, straw or dry leaves. To prevent the shelter from being blown away by the wind, it is pressed down with dry branches or boards.
Planting garlic in the fall
Unlike onions, garlic has long been planted before winter - this is the method of growing the spicy crop 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 first years, the seeds are divided, half is planted before winter, and the second part is planted with the onset of spring.
In regions with a harsh climate and snowless winters, it is also recommended to cultivate garlic using both spring and winter methods at the same time - this way there is a greater chance of getting a good harvest, because a lot depends on the weather.
Optimal timing for planting garlic
As already mentioned, garlic and onion seeds are very difficult to preserve - not all planting material will last until spring.Therefore, the garlic heads collected this year are sorted out, the largest and healthiest heads are separated, disassembled into cloves and planted before winter.
The timing of planting garlic should be determined based on weather observations. In recent years, the climate in most regions has changed slightly, experts advise sticking to this schedule - from September 25 to October 15. Later plantings may freeze, and earlier ones may germinate prematurely.
It happens that frosts begin suddenly, but the 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 radiator. In a couple of days, the beginnings of roots will appear on such cloves, 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 out all the cloves. It is better to choose a site on a southern or southeastern slope so that the garlic is warmer and 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 harvest. 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
The area for winter garlic is dug up using a spade 10-14 days before the cloves are supposed to be planted. Before this, the soil needs to be fertilized, since garlic loves nutritious and light soil. It is better to fertilize with rotted manure, humus or mineral complexes; using fresh manure is strictly prohibited - the risk of developing pathogens is high.
When the soil settles after digging (in a couple of weeks), you can make furrows and plant garlic cloves. If you do not wait and immediately plant the garlic in the dug up soil, the cloves will sink too deep, which will slow down the growth of the plant in the spring.
The planting material must be disassembled into teeth and dried thoroughly. Only strong, hard teeth without signs of rot or other damage are suitable for winter planting.
Planting garlic according to the rules
Growing garlic is a simple process, because this crop grows almost independently. You just need to plant the cloves correctly, and a good garlic harvest is guaranteed.
It is recommended to follow these rules for planting garlic before winter:
- Before planting, it is recommended to calibrate the teeth - sort them by size.
- The depth of embedding garlic is twice the height of the clove, 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 care for the beds, it is necessary to leave 25-30 cm of space between the rows.
- To prevent the bottoms of the garlic from rotting, it is recommended to sprinkle a little sand or wood ash on the bottom of the grooves.
- There is no need to press the cloves into the ground, as the frozen ground can push them to the surface, which will lead to the garlic freezing. The teeth are simply laid out along the grooves and sprinkled with dry soil.
- The top of the planting is mulched with a thin layer (about 1.5 cm) of peat or garden soil with leaves.
Conclusion
There is nothing difficult about winter planting. You just need to correctly determine when to plant onions and garlic before winter, so that the heads do not freeze and germinate prematurely. Then all that remains is to make the beds, plant onions and garlic, mulch a little and forget about planting until next spring.
You can learn more about winter planting onions and garlic from this video:
