garlic is a harvest that should not be missed in any good orchard for many reasons. In addition to being excellent in the kitchen and rich in beneficial properties for the organism, it is also an excellent companion for other horticultural plants. Indeed, many insects and bacteria that can attack our crops find the presence of garlic in the garden inappropriate and stay away from this crop.
Let’s see then how best to plant cloves in the garden , highlighting all the important information: planting depth, correct period and also the moon phase indicated by the peasant tradition. For those who want to have a broader view of the whole cultivation, even after planting, I suggest reading the garlic cultivation guide.
Talking about planting garlic would not be very correct, because the cloves are usually put in the ground instead of the seeds, but in common parlance it is usually said about planting garlic. To be precise, one would have to say plant garlic “.
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How to plant cloves
The most common planting method for garlic is clove propagation. , the garlic plant is usually not able to produce fertile seeds, but at the end of the article we will also talk about the exceptions. The multiplication of teeth also has the advantage of being asexual and therefore each clove of garlic propagates a plant exactly like the parent plant keeping the variety unchanged.
When the plant is harvested, a whole head of garlic (the so-called bulb of garlic ), which can be easily divided into several small teeth. Each of them can be planted the following year and is capable of giving rise to a plant, which in turn will produce a whole new head of garlic at the end of the harvest.
how to sow . The garlic clove should be placed on the ground with the tip up. The sprout of the plant comes out from the top, while the roots come out from the opposite end, placing the garlic in the right direction saves the young plant a lot of effort, immediately promoting vigorous development. The garlic that is going to be planted does not need to be peeled: the whole clove is put on with the tunic that covers it, in this way it will be less prone to rotting and pests, since the tunic will provide natural protection. .
Planting depth and distances to put the garlic
garlic is placed about three centimeters underground where the climate is more rigorous, it can be buried up to 4 cm, especially if it is sown in November and must therefore spend the whole winter in the field.
These measurements are already included in the length of the wedge. In some cases you can also put the garlic with the tip of the earth but a “blanket” of a few millimeters of soil is useful to protect the garlic from the cold although the tine is very frost resistant and can even withstand -15 degrees below zero.
Distances to put garlic
In order for each seedling to have enough space to develop properly and all the nutrients available, it is necessary to leave a minimum of 10 centimeters between the segments .
The rows must be separated by at least 20/25 centimeters. If we create a meter wide bed in the garden, we can make 4 parallel rows of garlic. This planting pattern is optimal both in the home garden and in professional cultivation.
Garlic Planting Time
Garlic can be planted in the fall (October or November) or at the end of winter (January, February or early March). The best time to plant cloves depends on the local climate and the type of variety chosen.
The clove tree is very resistant to low temperatures and can withstand -10 and even -15 degrees Celsius, where however the winter is very harsh, it is better to avoid planting in the fall.
Better to plant in November or January?
A popular proverb says:
“If you want a good garlic bread, put it in January.”
There is also an answer:
“If you know anything about it, wear it in November.”
There are countless dialectal variations of these two proverbs. An example:
“By a good ajée… Put it beyond gender!”
The truth is that there is no single answer : It depends on the variety of garlic we plant and especially on the climate of our region. In extremely cold places it is better to wait until January, if not February, in other cases it is better to have garlic in the field in November.
What is the lunar phase to plant the segments
Be a bulbous vegetable, which grows below ground level, if you want to follow the peasant tradition you have to plant garlic during the waning moon .
The waning moon phase is the one that begins after the full moon and precedes the new moon, it is said that in this period the development of the underground part of the plant is favored, of which the garlic bulb is obviously an integral part. The growth phase, meanwhile, would favor the aerial part, as well as the leaves and seeds.
You have to remember the lunar influence on agriculture is not scientifically proven but it is based on the centuries-old experience of farmers, everyone decides whether or not they believe in the value of the lunar calendar in planting and transplanting.
Before planting: soil and tillage
ideal ground . Garlic requires soil that is not too compact: if the soil is light and loose, the bulb will have no difficulty in developing and will obtain a good-sized crop, in heavy soil the pods remain small. Good drainage is also important, as too much moisture and stagnation can lead to fungal diseases.
Fertilization. This plant is content with a small dose of nitrogen, so it does not require much fertilization and care must be taken not to overdo it with manure or compost. If nutrient-intensive and therefore richly fertilized plants are planted, the garlic will be satisfied with the residual fertility. Alternatively, mature compost can be spread and incorporated into the soil at the time of processing.
Pursuit. Since garlic likes loose soil, it is good to dig deep, move well, and break up clods. You can also make two pickings before planting the cloves. The seedbed does not need to be very thinned, the nail being a good size, it is enough to level it. It is best to remove large stones from the ground as they can hinder the development of the bulbs.
Are there garlic seeds?
Garlic growers almost always use planting cloves, in fact there are two other methods of propagating the plant, although most garlic grown today can only be propagated with cloves. clove.
Some Garlic Varieties Produce a Floral Landscape which develops a flower which contains both the seed like light bulbs . The bulb is placed in the ground in the same way as the clove tree, the seed in the ground can also give birth to a new plant. The difference between the modes of propagation is that when the garlic is born from the seed, sexual reproduction is practiced: therefore variations in the genetic heritage are possible, whereas the pods and the bulbs always give rise to clones of the parent plant. Propagation from seed is used in the laboratory to breed new varieties of garlic, while gardeners generally tend to prefer cloves, which are more practical and faster.
The floral landscape grows mainly in red garlic seedlings, those who do not want to take the seeds must cut it immediately to prevent the plant from losing energy to flower, decreasing the quality and size of the bulb. The young landscape is very good for eating and sought after for culinary use.