Which garlic is better stored in spring or winter: what is the difference and differences from the photo

Garlic is considered the most common and multifunctional vegetable crop. It is used not only in the culinary field, but also in medicine when creating medicinal decoctions and mixtures. There are two main types of garlic - spring and winter. Before you start planting such a vegetable, you need to figure out exactly how winter garlic differs from spring garlic.

Features of spring garlic

Among vegetable growers, spring varieties of garlic bushes are popular, which are suitable for growing in open ground and in greenhouses. Rounded garlic bulbs have a complex structure that distinguishes them from winter varieties.In the squamous sinuses, several small teeth form, which eventually become large lobules. They are triangular in shape with a slight thickening towards the middle. Garlic cloves are combined into one whole head, which is covered with purple, yellow or white scales on top.

The leaves of spring varieties have an oblong shape with a pointed tip. The width of each leaf is 1-2 cm, and the length reaches 30-35 cm. Subsequent leaves grow from the axils of the previous one, due to which a false stem is formed over time.

Also, a flower arrow is formed on the bushes, which grows up to one and a half meters. After flowering, its tip is twisted into a spiral and covered with a thin film.

It is in the flower arrow that seeds are formed over time, which in the future can be used to plant garlic. Spring varieties are planted in the first half of spring, when the soil warms up to 5-10 degrees.It is not recommended to plant a vegetable earlier, as it will not take root in cold soil.

Features of winter garlic

To get a large amount of harvest, gardeners advise planting winter varieties of garlic.

The leaves of such vegetables are divided into two categories:

• Top. They are located above the ground. The main task of the top sheets is the absorption of beneficial trace elements.
• Scales. These are modified leaves that perform a protective function. They coat the garlic cloves and protect them from the elements.

The upper leaves are quite long and grow up to 60-65 cm. At least eight leaves are formed on each bush. First, lower leaves form on the bushes, from which a false stem then grows.

The main feature of most winter varieties is their large bulbs, the mass of which reaches 80-90 grams. Garlic heads have a flat-round shape. Their surface is covered with dense white scales that protect the teeth in the bulb.

Planting winter garlic is done not in spring, but in autumn before the first frost.

Most gardeners plant it in mid-October. Residents of the northern regions of the country start planting a month earlier. However, it is impossible to plant garlic too early, as it will begin to sprout, its roots will freeze due to frost.

How are they different?

To independently distinguish winter garlic from spring garlic, you need to familiarize yourself with their main differences.

By pick up time

The main difference between these species is the time of their planting. Spring garlic does not cope well with low temperatures, so it is planted no earlier than spring. The ideal time for planting it is considered the beginning to the middle of March, when the earth warms up normally.

Winter garlic copes well with temperature changes, so it can be planted even in autumn.

In appearance

The easiest way to tell different types of garlic is by their appearance. Spring varieties are distinguished by small onions, in which 25-30 teeth are located. Also a characteristic feature of such plants is that they do not have a stem. Winter garlic bulbs are much larger and consist of 5-10 cloves, which are evenly distributed near the stem.

Care care

The difference between different types of garlic can be seen in the particular care of the bushes. The spring type of garlic bushes needs fertile soil, which contains many nutrients.

Therefore, to get a good harvest, you will often have to add organic or mineral supplements to the soil.

Winter plants do not need careful care, as they grow well even in sandy loamy soil. It is necessary to fertilize such garlic much less often - 1-2 times during flowering.

By maturity

Spring varieties ripen by the second half of summer, so they are harvested in August. However, sometimes the dates may shift due to the climate in which the vegetable is grown. Ripe fruits of winter garlic are harvested a little earlier - in the first half of July. Determining that the bulbs are ripe is very simple. To do this, pay attention to the leaves, which should be yellowed and dry.

Based on keeping quality

The spring variety is distinguished by the longevity of harvested heads, since even at too low or high temperatures it is stored for about two years. Winter garlic bulbs are stored much worse, especially at temperatures above 10-15 degrees. Under such conditions, it will be possible to store the crop for no longer than six months.

Which is better to choose?

Before planting vegetables, many gardeners are faced with the problem of choosing garlic. People who have never grown it before do not know which variety to choose. There is no single answer to this question, since each variety has its positive and negative sides.

However, if you determine the purpose for which garlic bushes are grown, then making the right choice is much easier.

If you plan to plant a vegetable in order to store the harvested crop in the cellar in winter, it is better to give preference to spring garlic. This species is much better kept in almost any conditions.

To create winter preserves, gardeners advise choosing winter, as its fruits have a rich taste. Also, this variety is more productive, so it will be enough to create a large number of blanks for the winter.

Which garlic is better stored, winter or spring?

Many gardeners who grow garlic on their plots do not know what kind of vegetable is best stored in winter. For winter storage, it is better to grow spring bushes, as their fruits are distinguished by better keeping quality. Winter bulbs are not suitable for storage in winter, because due to low temperatures they quickly lose moisture and begin to deteriorate. This happens due to the fact that such bulbs are poorly protected from the effects of temperature.

Conclusion

Some gardeners cannot choose garlic to plant because they are not familiar with its main varieties. Therefore, it is recommended to familiarize yourself with the characteristic differences between winter and spring garlic in advance in order to choose the appropriate variety for growing in the garden.

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