Detailed Explanation of Garlic Cultivation Systems and Cultivation Seasons

For autumn-sown garlic, rice, corn, sorghum, @#@245@#@, beans, cucurbits, tomatoes, and potatoes are better; for spring-sown garlic, autumn snap beans, pumpkins, solanaceous vegetables, cotton, and legumes are preferable. Garlic requires large amounts of fertilizer during its growth period, and garlic roots can secrete substances with a certain bactericidal effect, so it is also an ideal preceding crop for other vegetables. At the same time, it can also be intercropped and relay-cropped with corn, cotton, medicinal herbs, and various vegetables. In Northeast and Northwest China, garlic is mainly grown as a sole crop; in North China, the customary practice is intercropping and relay cropping with other vegetables and grain crops. In the cotton-producing areas of Hebei Province, garlic is intercropped between cotton rows; in many suburban communes and production teams, broad beans and dwarf peas are intercropped on garlic bed ridges. On pumpkin border beds, garlic and green garlic are planted, as well as garlic intercropped with other vegetables in alternate rows or alternate beds.

The determination of the garlic cultivation season mainly depends on the overall requirements of garlic at different growth and development stages for external environmental conditions, varietal differences, and the climate conditions of each region. Garlic can sprout at low temperatures of 3-5°C, sprouts rapidly at temperatures above 12°C, the suitable temperature for seedling growth is 12-16°C, the suitable temperature for bulb formation is 15-20°C, and above 26°C the root system withers, leaves dry up, the pseudostem softens and lodges, and the plant enters dormancy.

The sowing period of garlic varies by region and variety and can be divided into autumn sowing and spring sowing. The line dividing spring sowing and autumn sowing of garlic is at 35-38°C north latitude; south of 35°C, winters are not very cold, garlic seedlings can overwinter naturally in the open field, and autumn sowing is predominant, with harvest in early summer of the following year. North of 38°C north latitude, winters are severely cold, seedlings cannot safely overwinter, autumn sowing is prone to frost damage, and early spring sowing is preferable, with harvest in mid-summer or late summer. In areas between 35-38°C north latitude, both spring and autumn sowing are possible. Although the specific sowing periods vary greatly from place to place, the daily average temperature at spring sowing is generally between 3-6°C; the daily average temperature at autumn sowing is about 20-22°C. The growth period of spring-sown garlic, especially the seedling growth stage, is significantly shorter than that of autumn-sown garlic, so sowing should be done as early as possible to meet the low-temperature requirements of the vernalization process and enable garlic to bolt and divide into cloves. If spring sowing is too late, it will inevitably affect product formation and reduce yield.