When to dig garlic in the Moscow region in 2020

Many gardeners are engaged in the cultivation of garlic, as this vegetable is considered indispensable in the preparation of many home canned food and vegetable dishes. The quality of the garlic crop directly depends on when it was harvested. Therefore, it is recommended to figure out in advance when it is better to dig up garlic in the Moscow region in 2020.

Spring garlic varieties for the Moscow region

Many residents of the Moscow region are engaged in the cultivation of spring varieties of garlic in the open field. The distinctive features of such garlic bushes include the duration of storage of the harvested fruits and yield. People who grow spring garlic on their plots manage to collect more than 10 kg of fruits. The harvested ripe bulbs can be stored in optimal conditions until the beginning of the next season.

Moscow

This garlic variety is a mid-season vegetable that ripens within a month and a half. Its main advantage is considered to be a high yield level, which allows harvesting 2-3 kg of ripe bulbs from ten square meters. The fruits of Moskovsky garlic have a rounded shape, their surface is covered with a dense skin. On average, a ripe head weighs about 15 grams.

The variety is rather whimsical to the soil, therefore, areas with soil that are rich in mineral components are selected for its cultivation.

Also, when choosing a site, pay attention to the acidity of the soil, which should not be too low or high.

Degtyarsky

This variety was recently bred specifically for cultivation in the Moscow region and other regions with similar climatic conditions. It belongs to the types of garlic with an average bulb ripening period. A characteristic feature of Degtyarsky is the color of his leaves, which are painted in a bright green color.

When growing garlic in optimal conditions for it, more than 3 kg of bulbs can be obtained from ten square meters. Ripe fruits consist of 15-16 teeth and weigh about 40 grams. They are covered with reddish scales with small white stripes.

Gulliver

Gulliver is considered the largest garlic variety that can be grown in the Moscow region. The leaves of an adult bush are 45 mm wide and 50-60 cm long. Moreover, more than ten leaves are formed on one plant.

However, Gulliver is famous not only for its large leaves, but also for its bulbs.On average, the weight of one ripe fruit reaches 100 grams. If you grow a vegetable in fertile soil, the weight of the bulbs increases to 200-300 grams.

Each Gulliver's head is covered with three layers of gray scales, under which there are 3-4 garlic teeth.

The best varieties of winter crops for the Moscow region

Some gardeners prefer to grow winter garlic varieties. They differ from spring crops in the uniform arrangement of teeth in the head, large fruit size and resistance to common diseases.

Take a look also

Description of the Gulliver garlic variety, features of cultivation and care

Moscow Region variety of winter garlic

A fairly young species, which was bred specifically for cultivation in the Moscow region and in other regions of the middle lane. Adult leaves grow up to 50 cm in height. They are colored bright green and covered with a thin wax layer. The main advantage of garlic near Moscow is its fertility. More than 2 kg of bulbs can be harvested per square meter.

The fruits are covered with light scales, on the surface of which purple thin stripes are visible. Each head of garlic consists of 6-8 teeth weighing about 13-15 grams.

Gribovsky 60 and anniversary varieties

Gribovsky 60 and Gribovsky Jubilee belong to the rapidly ripening varieties of garlic. Their distinctive features include resistance to bacterial diseases and the most common pests.

The bulbs in these varieties are very large, as their weight reaches 50-65 grams. Subject to all agrotechnical rules during cultivation, the weight of the fruit can increase up to 100 grams. Bulbs consist of 7-10 cloves weighing 5-12 grams. All teeth are covered in several layers with dense, reddish scales.

Winter Komsomolets

The variety is frost-resistant and therefore ideal for planting outdoors. In the process of growing Komsomolets, the bushes form dense and large bulbs weighing 30-40 grams. They are covered with white scales, which eventually acquire a faint shade of purple. It will take at least three months for the bulbs to fully ripen.

Terms of planting and harvesting garlic in the Moscow region

It is recommended to plant winter varieties of garlic in the fall, at the end of October. This is the most favorable time for planting, since the ground will still be warm enough and the planted garlic teeth will have time to take root by winter.

The harvesting time for ripe bulbs depends on several factors, which include the climatic features of the region and the chosen planting method.

Of course, the ripening time of the heads in many varieties is approximately the same. However, sometimes, due to warm weather, the fruits ripen much earlier. Therefore, before planting a vegetable, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself in more detail with the timing of planting and harvesting the main types of garlic.

Winter garlic

In moderate climatic conditions, the ripening of winter crops begins in the second half of summer. Therefore, the bulbs are dug out of the garden in late August or early September. If the summer is very hot, it is best to harvest a few weeks earlier.

Spring garlic

Such garlic is harvested a little later - in the second half of September. Experienced gardeners are advised to harvest 10-15 days after harvesting winter bulbs. However, the exact date of harvesting garlic cannot be determined, since everything depends on weather conditions.

Ripening signs

Before you start harvesting, you need to make sure that it is fully ripe. To do this, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the main signs of full ripening of garlic bulbs.

To determine the level of ripening of fruits, you need to carefully examine them. In ripe garlic, the leaves on the bushes fall and gradually dry out.

Most often, signs of maturation begin to appear at the end of July. If they appeared much earlier, then this indicates the presence of a disease or pests. Also for determining the ripeness of garlic examine the arrows that appear on the bushes in early summer. In the process of ripening, they, like the leaves, begin to dry out.

Some gardeners dig several bulbs from the soil to check ripeness. They are considered ripe if:

• the film is removed from the surface of the teeth without difficulty;
• the head is covered with several layers of scales;
• the bulb is hard to the touch.

Take a look also

Do I need to scoop up the soil from the heads of garlic before harvesting?

If the dug fruits are too soft or there are no scales on their surface, this indicates the immaturity of the garlic.

Harvesting and storage

It is recommended to completely stop wetting the soil three weeks before harvest in order to accelerate the ripening of the bulbs. After the heads are completely ripe, you can start harvesting.

The process of harvesting garlic heads is carried out in several stages:

• Digging in bushes with a shovel or pitchfork. Do not pull out the heads with your hands, as this may damage the teeth.
• The sticky soil is carefully removed from the dug out fruits by hand. You cannot beat the heads on the ground or shake them strongly.
• The dug crop is carefully laid out in a row in the sun for further drying. It will take at least four days for the garlic to dry completely.
• The dried leaves and stems are separated from the heads.

Winter varieties of garlic are advised to be stored in rooms with low temperatures, since in such conditions the harvest will not deteriorate longer. Spring garlic is not so demanding in terms of temperature, so it is well stored in warm rooms.

What can you plant after garlic

Garlic is considered an excellent precursor for most vegetables, but not for itself. Gardeners with many years of experience do not advise growing garlic bushes in the same place for two years in a row, since after replanting, the yield deteriorates several times.

On the site where garlic used to grow, it is advised to plant the following vegetables:

• early varieties of potatoes;
• carrot;
• cabbage;
• bell pepper;
• blue;
• tomatoes;
• beet;
• parsley;
• dill.

Plants belonging to the Solanaceae family grow best after garlic. Such vegetables make full use of the nutrients that remain on the site, and gradually restore the fertility of the soil.

Moon calendar

Some gardeners prefer to harvest the garlic harvest according to the lunar calendar. With its help, you can not only find out information about the timing of planting vegetables, but also figure out when it is better to start picking a ripe crop. The lunar calendar takes into account the cycles of the month, its phases and even the signs of the zodiac.

Thanks to this, you can find out all the necessary information about new moons, full moons and the timing of the transition of the moon to a new phase.

According to the lunar calendar for 2020, harvesting can be done throughout August and July. Auspicious dates in July are 15, 16, 21, 23, 25 and 27. In August, it is better to pick garlic on the 10th, 14th, 17th, and 21st. June is considered an unfavorable month for digging out bulbs. Harvesting in early summer will cause it to deteriorate and dry faster.

Conclusion

Garlic is considered a fairly popular vegetable that almost every gardener grows. To grow such a plant in the Moscow Region, you need to familiarize yourself with the most suitable varieties for this region and the features of harvesting a ripe crop.