Garlic is one of the most beloved vegetable crops in the world. What is not surprising, given its versatility. After all, it can be used not only for its intended purpose - for food, but also to improve health and general well-being.
It is easiest to buy garlic in the vegetable department of a store or on the market, although it is much better to grow it yourself, especially since it is not at all difficult, and even a novice gardener can do it.
In our article we will consider in detail the features and differences between spring and winter garlic. You can also watch a useful video on this topic.
Definition
Garlic is a bulbous plant, divided into two types - spring and winter. What is their difference? It consists of the landing time (spring is planted in spring, winter - in autumn).
What is different from each other?
By landing time
Spring does not tolerate negative temperatures, so it is recommended to plant in early spring (late March - early April), when the earth warms to 5-7 degrees.
Winter garlic perfectly tolerates negative temperatures.therefore, it is planted in the fall, as a rule, closer to mid-October (depends on the climatic characteristics of the region; the main thing is to land 15-20 days before the onset of persistent cold weather).
Board: The recommended landing depth is at least 6 cm to prevent winter frosting.
In appearance
How to distinguish in appearance? Spring garlic has a small onion sizein which a large number of teeth (up to 30 cloves) are located in a spiral in several rows and there is no stem (flower arrow). The flesh is dense enough, because of which it is suitable for long-term storage, without losing its qualities. The lack of arrows due to only one breeding option - teeth.
Winter - an onion of a large size, consists of several teeth (6-10 pieces), which are located evenly around the stem (flower arrow, forming air bulbs). Can be planted in three ways - prongs, single-edged bulbs (grown from aerial onions) and aerial onions.
By care
For spring garlic, moisture saturation plays a very important role (drainage is also important, since rotting can be obtained from excessive moisture). It is very important to plant a bed of water before planting, and plant garlic in a damp ground. Light, loamy soil is best suited, it will be good to enrich it with organic matter, for example, using compost.
Rainy weather will accelerate ripening, while dry and hot weather will slow down the process.
Also, the yield is affected by the nature of storage in winter: if the bulbs are stored at a temperature of 18 degrees and above - the garlic will grow large, but it will mature longer. And when stored in a cool place (about 5 degrees) - the plant will be small, but the crop will ripen earlier. Therefore, some gardeners recommend putting saplings in a cool place a month before planting..
Before storing the crop, it is necessary to dry the crop, remove all the leaves and most of the stem. Learn about the best varieties of spring garlic, as well as see recommendations for growing and caring for vegetables, here.
Winter - best suited for planting loamy-like soil. It would also be nice to fertilize the peat or humus bed in a couple of weeks. In order to keep garlic in the future, it should not be planted in damp places and excessively nitrogen-containing fertilizers should be applied.
Virtually any type of winter garlic gives an arrow that takes a lot of nutrients, making the bulbs small. Therefore, it is desirable to break the arrows. Before harvesting, it is recommended not to water the beds for 2-3 weeks in order for the garlic to dry out faster before putting it to storage. About three weeks before harvesting beds, it is desirable to loosen.
In detail about the care of winter garlic, its diseases and feeding features, we told in this article.
By maturity
Spring garlic is harvested at the end of summer - beginning of autumn., depending on climatic conditions. A sure sign of ripening will be yellowing and lodging of most of the tops.
To finally be convinced of the readiness of the plant for harvesting, you can dig up one onion and carefully examine it. In a ripe fruit, the husk is easily removed, and the flesh is elastic and juicy.
Winter harvest time - end of July, beginning of August (This is the time when other vegetables ripen, and the hostesses are engaged in canning, in the recipe of which garlic plays an important role). On full ripening, the leaves will be prompted - the bottom ones are dry, and the top ones are yellowed. It is very important to harvest in time, not allowing to overripe, since the overripe plant is almost impossible to save.
By keeping quality
Spring garlic is highly preserved - from 10 months to 2 years, depending on the species, even at room temperature, which is very convenient if you plan to store it in an apartment.
Winter garlic is stored much worse than spring garlic - on average 5-7 monthsit is not always possible to keep it even until the end of winter, it dries out pretty quickly and loses its healthy and taste qualities. Storage in a cool place, such as a cellar or refrigerator, is recommended.
Which is better to choose?
There is no unequivocal answer to this question, each type has its own advantages, and it is only for you to decide which one is preferable.
- Obviously, if safety is a priority - plant spring.
- If it is important to make harvesting for the winter, using your garlic - take winter.
- In addition, winter gives a higher yield, the teeth and bulbs are large.
- However, spring garlic is believed to be more beneficial.
Conclusion
Any of these species is good in its own way, therefore knowing the differences of spring garlic from winter, you can easily choose the most optimal option for yourself. But it is best to land on their site and the one and the other.
