2017 National Garlic Planting Times, Techniques and Fertilization Plans

China is the home of garlic. As the farming proverb says, “Plant garlic before the ninth month (September); if planted after the ninth month, it grows only single cloves”, and it is harvested in June when the leaves wither. So when should garlic be planted in various regions across the country in 2017? What planting techniques are there? Here is a summary for everyone.

“Suan ni hen” and “suan ni wan” - in recent years, although garlic prices have been fluctuating, people's enthusiasm for growing garlic has not diminished. As the largest garlic-producing country, what patterns should the sowing and planting of garlic follow in various regions of our country, and what connection do they have with the planting structure and temperature changes in each region?

The garlic sowing period needs to vary by region, and during the growth process, garlic requires a relatively large amount of water. The entire growth period generally requires watering 4 times. Today I will share in detail when to sow garlic and the garlic planting times.

When to sow garlic

The most suitable time for sowing garlic is to let the plants grow to 5-6 leaves before overwintering. At this time, the plants have the strongest cold resistance, will not be frozen to death in the severe winter, and will lay a good foundation for the plants to successfully pass through vernalization. In the Yangtze River Basin and areas to its south, sowing is generally done in mid-to-late September.

The weather in the Yangtze River Basin in September is cool, suitable for garlic seedlings to emerge and grow. If sown too early, the seedlings grow too vigorously before overwintering and consume nutrients, which reduces overwintering ability and may also undergo vernalization again, causing secondary growth and forming multi-cloved garlic the next year, reducing garlic quality. If sown too late, the seedlings are small, with tender tissues, weak root systems, less accumulated nutrients, and lower cold resistance, resulting in many deaths during overwintering. Therefore, the sowing period of garlic must be strictly controlled.

Garlic prefers cool climate conditions. The suitable temperature for the growth of aboveground stems and leaves is 12-16℃, and the optimal seedling age for overwintering is the 4-6 leaf stage. From sowing to 4-6 leaves takes about 40-45 days, and growth stops when the daily average temperature falls below 7℃. Seedlings have strong cold resistance and can withstand low temperatures of -7 to -10℃. Under conditions of 0-4℃, they can pass through the vernalization stage after 30-40 days. The suitable sowing period for open-field autumn-sown garlic is from late September to early October (around Cold Dew, after the Autumn Equinox). If sown too early, it is prone to freezing; if sown too late, due to the influence of later high temperatures, the production period is shortened, yield is low, and quality is poor.

Garlic planting time

Garlic should be sown at the right time. The planting time is at the end of White Dew and the beginning of the Autumn Equinox (late September to early October), when the temperature is around 17℃. Before sowing, the garlic cloves should be sun-dried for 1-2d.

2017 national garlic planting times by region, garlic planting techniques, fertilization plans!

Garlic bolting stage

The garlic cultivation season varies with climate differences between the north and south. In areas south of 35°N, where the average minimum winter temperature is above -6℃, seedlings can overwinter in the open field, so autumn sowing is possible, with bulbs harvested in early summer of the following year. However, in high-altitude cold regions such as Tibet and Xinjiang, spring sowing is still required, with bulbs harvested in summer and autumn. In areas north of 38°N, where the average winter temperature is below -10℃, garlic cannot overwinter in the open field, so early spring sowing is suitable, with harvest in summer.

But in Xinjiang, for example, Yining red-skin garlic can be autumn-sown. In areas between 35°N and 38°N, sowing in both spring and autumn is possible. Because autumn sowing has a longer growth period and accumulates more nutrients, the yields of garlic scapes and garlic bulbs are both higher than those of spring-sown garlic. The garlic cultivation seasons in various parts of our country are as follows.

Garlic harvest period

(1) Urumqi

Spring sowing period: mid-April.

Spring sowing garlic bulb harvest period: early to mid-September.

Autumn sowing period: mid-to-late October.

Autumn sowing garlic bulb harvest period: early to mid-August of the following year.

(2) Qinghai

Spring sowing period: early to mid-April.

Spring sowing garlic bulb harvest period: early to mid-September.

(3) Lhasa

Spring sowing period: early to mid-March.

Spring sowing garlic bulb harvest period: early to mid-September.

Autumn sowing period: early to mid-October.

Autumn sowing garlic bulb harvest period: late August to early September of the following year.

(4) Harbin

Spring sowing period: early to mid-April.

Spring sowing garlic bulb harvest period: mid-July.

(5) Changchun

Spring sowing period: early April.

(6) Shenyang

Spring sowing period: mid-to-late March.

Spring sowing garlic bulb harvest period: mid-July.