When Is Garlic Sprouts (Garlic Seedlings) in Season? Master the Growing Methods for Fast, Tall Growth

Garlic sprouts are the tender seedlings of garlic, have a certain edible value, and are also one of the more common home-style vegetables in our daily life. Garlic sprouts have a garlicky aroma when eaten, and are especially good for stir-frying with meat or pairing with other dishes to enhance aroma and cut through greasiness. So when are garlic sprouts generally in season? How can you grow them so they sprout quickly and grow tall?

1. When are garlic sprouts generally in season?

Garlic sprouts are a vegetable marketed from April to May, with a small amount marketed from June to July. With the development of growing techniques, delicious garlic sprouts can now basically be eaten all year round.

Garlic sprouts contain allicin, which can kill bacteria and is very effective against streptococci, Staphylococcus aureus and Shigella dysenteriae.

The fiber in garlic sprouts can promote intestinal peristalsis, so it can help prevent constipation.

Garlic sprouts can also protect the liver and block the synthesis of carcinogenic substances such as nitrosamines, but they should not be eaten in too large an amount, as too much can damage the liver.

2. How can you grow garlic sprouts so they sprout quickly and grow tall?

1. Choosing garlic seed

Garlic sprout cultivation has no strict requirements for garlic seed, and generally the extra-small cloves of other garlic varieties, purple-skin or white-skin garlic, or single-clove garlic can all be used.

2. Preparing the soil and applying fertilizer

Garlic sprouts have low soil requirements, and all kinds of soil can be used for planting. This is because the nutrients needed for garlic sprout growth come from the mother clove. When growing garlic sprouts in the open field, since the growing period is relatively long, in order to make the garlic sprout product tender and plump, it is recommended to use farmyard manure as base fertilizer. Before sowing, about 3000~4000 kg of decomposed farmyard manure can be applied per mu, and then the soil should be plowed, leveled and made into beds. When cultivating under other protective facilities, beds can be made according to the land conditions.

3. Sowing

When sowing garlic sprouts, first open furrows in the bed about 3 cm deep and 13 cm wide, with a furrow spacing of about 35 cm, and plant 2 rows in each furrow with a plant spacing of 4~5 cm; or plant a single row with a row spacing of about 18 cm and a plant spacing of 4~5 cm. Generally, 200~250 kg of seed is used per mu, and after planting the garlic, cover with 1~2 cm of soil, then press firm and water promptly. When sowing, plant with the skin on, and plant separately according to the size of the mother clove, so that the garlic sprouts emerge neatly, are easy to manage, and are also conducive to harvesting and marketing in batches.

4. Field management

For open-field garlic sprout cultivation, it is recommended to water lightly several times from after sowing to before emergence. On one hand, this can lower the soil temperature and keep the soil moist; on the other hand, it can promote root development of the garlic sprouts and earlier emergence. After the garlic sprouts have emerged completely, apply 1 topdressing of diluted manure water, or ammonium sulfate, along with irrigation to promote seedling growth. Before harvest, 1 topdressing of quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer should also be applied to improve the quality and yield of the garlic sprouts.

If the planted garlic sprouts are not harvested that year and are intended to be marketed the following year, overwintering water and fertilizer should be applied before overwintering, and straw mulching or small arched sheds covered with straw mats can be used for overwintering. After the garlic sprouts turn green the next year, remove the mulch and small arched sheds in 2 stages in good time, and apply green-up water and fertilizer. After that, according to market demand, they can either be thinned by pulling, or the whole bed can be harvested and marketed.