If you’re not sure when to plant garlic in Nebraska, you can mark your calendar in early October. That is why among the best vegetables to grow in Nebraska, fall planting is recommended for this Allium species. It’s also worth mentioning that the cornhusker state is under growing zones 4 to 5, which is a significant factor of your planting dates for crops.
Garlic production can be a profitable endeavor or a simple habit that will give you vegetables full of cardiovascular benefits. But because Nebraska is prone to experiencing extreme environments, gardeners must study practices and plans before planting garlic. One of the drawbacks you want to avoid is frost damage, and a greenhouse is an easy solution for this.
How To Know When To Plant Garlic In Nebraska
Knowing when to plant garlic in Nebraska is key to a successful and fruitful harvest. According to the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources of UNL, it’s best to plant garlic in early October or very early in spring. This date is ideal because you have finished planting before the ground freezes.
It’s best to plant your crops six weeks before the ground reaches low temperatures. Simultaneously, the extension mentioned that planting garlic in fall leads to a significant yield compared to planting in spring. However, because you’re planting in fall, remember to monitor the conditions.
You can refer to Krostrade.com and read more about greenhouse gardening. This method is excellent for states like Nebraska that are prone to having harsh winters. This way, you can protect your garlic crops from damages.
What’s The Best Month To Plant Garlic?
As previously mentioned, October is the best month to plant garlic in Nebraska. This will give you the best yield so that the young plants get exposed to the cold temperatures. When the dormant cloves experience 32 to 50°F for one to two months, they start forming bulbs.
If you get late and start planting in mid-September, you can expect drawbacks. The main point here is that the cloves should start growing early, so when the cold temperatures start, they will undergo dormancy.
When planting garlic at this time, use small bulbils in top-setting types or individual cloves. With the latter, remember that the larger the clove you use, the larger the bulb you’ll also get. However, it’s crucial to plant garlic in an area where you haven’t planted onions to prevent diseases.
When Can You Start Planting In Nebraska?
While you can start planting garlic in early spring or October, the planting season in Nebraska can be as early as March. The weather during this month until May is beneficial for most landscape plants because the state experiences rains. However, this also means some challenges if your area has poor drainage.
Another challenge in spring is the dry conditions, which isn’t feasible for younger plants. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has mentioned that more gardeners are interested in fall planting during mid-August to mid-October.
The air and soil temperatures and moisture are less harsh and more stable at this period. Still, it would help if you treated planting until November to December with caution because you might encounter problems in root establishment from cold temperatures. You can use the greenhouse at this time to protect crops.
Should I Soak Garlic Before Planting?
A practice that you have probably heard of in garlic planting is soaking them beforehand. This will be beneficial for your crops because it promotes healthy growth. Also, you’re avoiding fungal infections when you soaked the cloves before planting.
How Long Does It Take A Garlic To Grow?
It will take up to 40 days for your clove to form a bulb, but different types of garlic also affect the duration of growth. If you plant in October to November, you can expect that garlic is ready by May or June. However, garlic variety and meeting the requirements will factor in this.
Does Garlic Multiply?
Garlic multiplies in a sense that each clove forms a new bulb. This new bulb will consist of up to 10 cloves. This type of vegetative reproduction is similar to potatoes, where you won’t need seeds for the crops to reproduce.
Therefore, the bulb from an individual garlic clove will have cloves with the same genetic makeup.
How Do You Know When Garlic Is Ready To Pick?
You can harvest garlic when 60% of its leaves have turned yellow. The tops are also dry, and this happens seven to eight months after you planted them. Typically, harvesting garlic is in late spring or summer, and most varieties are ready in the middle of July.
Conclusion
Garlic can be a profitable crop, but knowing when to plant garlic in Nebraska is crucial. The vegetable has condition requirements, and the best yield will happen if you plant in early October. Besides, you can use a greenhouse to protect the crops from extreme temperatures in Nebraska.
Overall, garlic is ideal for fall planting to avoid drawbacks in spring and summer. This will also allow the bulbs to experience 32 to 50°F that is necessary for growth. It will take 40 days for the clove to form a bulb while harvesting after planting usually happens after eight months.