What to Do About Garlic "Jumping" Out of the Soil? Causes and Control Measures Explained

Garlic often shows a phenomenon called "jumping" during cultivation. This refers to garlic cloves being pushed by the growing root system, after sowing and rooting, so that they end up close to the soil surface or are pushed directly out of the ground. This phenomenon seriously affects the growth of garlic and can also affect its yield and quality. So what causes it? How should it be controlled? Let's take a look with Qinnong Web.

1. Causes

During the germination stage, garlic roots begin to grow and extend downward deep into the soil. If the land is poorly prepared, the plowing is shallow, or if the soil covering the cloves at sowing is too thin, not firmed, and watering is insufficient, the lower part of the soil layer becomes hard while the upper part stays loose. This leads to the root system pushing the garlic cloves up out of the soil surface, which is what is called garlic jumping. In recent years, with the development of mechanized planting, many regions have adopted mechanical sowing. Although mechanized planting is convenient and nimble and suitable for narrow plots, plowing generally does not exceed 10cm, which falls far short of what garlic root growth requires, so it is very likely to cause garlic jumping. In addition, sowing too late, high soil temperature, and rapid germination and rooting also easily lead to garlic jumping.

2. Countermeasures

Once garlic jumping is discovered, measures should be taken promptly. The first thing to do is water, then replant the garlic cloves that have been exposed above the ground. If the cloves are a certain distance from the ground, the method of hilling up soil can be used to increase the distance between the cloves and the ground. Immediately after that, begin loosening the soil, appropriately loosen the soil below the cloves, then firm the soil on both sides of the garlic seedlings, being careful not to injure the seedlings by stepping on them. When the soil dries slightly, water promptly and keep the soil at an appropriate moisture level so the cloves do not dry out.

3. Preventive Measures

When choosing land, select a plot that is not continuous cropping, faces the sun, and has loose, fertile soil. Deep plow it before planting to create soil conditions that are loose below and firm above, and be sure to rake the soil fine when preparing the land. After sowing, firm the soil promptly. The soil covering should not be too shallow or too deep; too shallow easily causes garlic jumping, while too deep makes it difficult for the garlic seedlings to emerge. If the soil is too acidic, adjust it promptly with quicklime or plant ash. When sowing, remove the basal plate and skin from the garlic cloves to help them germinate and emerge quickly. However, if planting in saline-alkali land, there is no need to remove the basal plate and skin, so as to avoid corroding the cloves and causing seed rot. Strengthen fertilizer and water management to promote rapid root growth. In rainy seasons, do a good job of drainage and waterlogging prevention to avoid root rot.

The above are the causes of garlic jumping out of the soil and the control measures brought to you by Qinnong Web. We hope it helps you. To learn more about garlic cultivation techniques, please stay tuned to Qinnong Web.