When is the right time to plant garlic, and can it be planted in July?
When is the right time to plant garlic? Can garlic be planted in July? The sowing time for garlic varies by region, and garlic needs a fairly large amount of water during its growth; across the whole growing period it generally needs to be watered 4 times. Today I will share in detail when to sow garlic and the garlic planting time.
When is the right time to plant garlic
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°C. Before sowing, the garlic cloves should be sun-dried for 1-2 d.
The garlic cultivation season varies with the climate in different parts of the north and south. In areas south of 35°N, where the average minimum winter temperature is above -6°C, the seedlings can overwinter in the open field, so autumn sowing is possible, with the bulbs harvested in early summer the following year; but in high-altitude cold regions such as Tibet and Xinjiang, spring sowing is still required, with harvest in summer and autumn. In areas north of 38°N, where the average winter temperature is below -10°C, garlic cannot overwinter in the open field, so early spring sowing is advisable, 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 is possible in both spring and autumn. Because autumn sowing has a longer growing period and accumulates more nutrients, the yields of both garlic scapes and garlic bulbs are higher than those of spring-sown garlic.
When to sow garlic
The most suitable time to sow garlic is when it allows the plants to grow to 5-6 leaves before overwintering; at this point the plants have the strongest cold resistance, will not be killed by frost in the severe winter, and will have a good foundation for successfully passing through vernalization. In the Yangtze River basin and areas to its south, sowing is generally done in mid to late September.
In September the weather in the Yangtze River basin is cool, which is suitable for garlic seedlings to emerge and grow. If sown too early, the seedlings grow too vigorously before overwintering and consume nutrients, which lowers their overwintering ability; they may also undergo vernalization again, causing secondary growth and the formation of multi-cloved garlic the next year, reducing garlic quality. If sown too late, the seedlings are small, with tender tissues and weak root systems, accumulate fewer nutrients, and have lower cold resistance, so many die during the winter. Therefore, the sowing time of garlic must be strictly controlled.
Garlic likes cool climate conditions. The suitable temperature for the growth of aboveground stems and leaves is 12-16°C. The best 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°C. Seedlings are highly cold-resistant and can withstand low temperatures of -7 to -10°C. Under conditions of 0-4°C, they can pass through the vernalization stage after 30-40 days. The suitable sowing period for open-field autumn-sown garlic is late September to early October (around Cold Dew, after the Autumn Equinox). If sown too early, it is prone to frost damage; if sown too late, it is affected by the high temperatures later on, the production period is shortened, and the yield is low with poor quality.
Can garlic be planted in July
1. Garlic has a relatively long dormancy period, around 60 days, and there are requirements for choosing seed.
2. The most suitable temperature for germination and emergence is around 20°C. Under normal natural conditions, mid to late September is chosen as the sowing period; in July-August the temperature is still high, making germination and emergence difficult. To promote early germination, sprouting treatment can be carried out. The method is: 15-20 days before sowing, break apart the garlic, soak the garlic skins in clean water, and place them in a cool, damp place at a temperature of 15-18°C and an air humidity above 80%, spreading the cloves thinly and turning them over once every 2-3 days (a cellar can be used). Once most have sprouted roots, sow immediately.
How to plant garlic in July so that it sprouts
To plant garlic in July in summer, the seed garlic needs low-temperature treatment at 0-10°C for generally no less than 30 days to break the dormancy of the cloves so they can sprout. When garlic is sown in summer, it can generally only produce garlic sprouts (green garlic), not garlic scapes or garlic bulbs.
Garlic is an overwintering crop and needs to go through a certain low-temperature period in winter to complete vernalization. The seedling stage requires 30-40 days, and only low temperatures of 0-10°C allow flower buds to differentiate, after which scapes are produced normally and garlic bulbs form. If it encounters high temperatures and long-day conditions, the flower buds and bulbils do not receive enough low temperature, so they cannot differentiate normally, producing plants that do not bolt or bolt incompletely, and no garlic bulbs form.
Can garlic be planted in July? How to plant garlic in July so that it sprouts?
How to plant garlic in a flower pot
1. Hydroponically grown garlic sprouts do not grow strong; although they can grow fairly tall, they can never achieve the effect of those grown in soil, so friends who like hydroponics might as well try planting garlic in the soil of a flower pot.
2. If you plant garlic sprouts in a flower pot, the soil is key. If the soil is too poor and compacted, they will not grow large. The more fertile, the more breathable, and the softer the soil, the thicker and stronger they grow. Also, they need sunlight.
3. Garlic sprouts planted too late do not grow sturdy. September is the best time to plant garlic. Say you miss the September garlic-planting season and plant in November, then it is very difficult for them to grow into large plants.
Can garlic be planted in July? How to plant garlic in July so that it sprouts?
4. Before planting, you can put the garlic cloves in water and soak them for a few hours; this speeds up their germination rate. After soaking for a few hours, plant them in the soil, and the garlic sprouts that grow will be neat, even, and relatively fast.
5. To eat more garlic sprouts, you can plant several times; for example, after finishing the first planting, plant again right away, so you can ensure a continuous supply of garlic sprouts at home.
6. In winter, garlic sprouts can still grow. At this time you can use some dry grass or cover them with a plastic bag, or cover them with film to keep them warm, so they can grow faster and larger.
7. There is also a little trick. That is, when you want to eat garlic sprouts, do not pull them up by the roots. You can harvest several times; just pinch them off at the stem and eat them, and new sprouts will grow from below, and by then you can also harvest garlic bulbs.