Winter garlic sprouted before the cold weather: what should a gardener do?

Winter garlic is planted in the fall to get an early harvest. But sometimes it can germinate before winter due to warm weather.

This worsens its winter hardiness and productivity. How to save winter garlic from frost?

Anastasia Kovrizhnykh, an expert of the online publication "BelNovosti" - a scientist, agronomist, landscape designer, told how to act in such a situation.

Reasons for the germination of winter garlic

Winter garlic can germinate before the cold weather if:

• air temperature above 10 degrees;
• planting too early;
• the variety is not winter-hardy;
• the soil is too wet.

Methods of protecting winter garlic

If the garlic has sprouted, do not pull out or cut the sprouts. Do the following:

• Mulch the garlic with hay, straw or leaves. This will warm it and prevent it from freezing.

• Cover the garlic with agrofibre or film during severe frosts. Remove the cover on warm days to avoid rotting.

• Feed the garlic with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. This will strengthen its immunity and winter hardiness.

Prevention of germination of winter garlic

To avoid garlic sprouting in the future, keep the following in mind:

1. Choose winter-hardy varieties of garlic for your climate.

2. Observe the optimal time for planting garlic: 3-4 weeks before frost.

3. Prepare the soil for planting garlic. Fertilize it with compost, ash or mineral fertilizers.

4. Choose high-quality planting material. Treat the cloves with a solution of potassium permanganate or phytosporin.

5. Follow the rules for planting garlic. Plant it at a depth of 5-10 cm and at a distance of 10-15 cm from each other.