Is it necessary to water garlic during the winter?

Like overwintering crops such as garlic and wheat , watering the garlic during the winter can ensure its safe overwintering. Since garlic has shallow roots, watering it during the winter can ensure sufficient moisture, alleviate the huge changes in ground temperature, promote root growth and seedling growth, prevent frost damage, and also avoid water shortage in early spring that affects growth. So is it necessary to water garlic during the winter? Let’s take a look below.

1. Is it necessary to water garlic during the winter?

Watering garlic over the winter is the same as wheat, not all plots need to be watered. There is no need to water the land covered with plastic film, because the plastic film itself can keep moisture well, and drought and water shortage will not occur normally. If you water it at this time, it will affect the growth of garlic.

There is less rainfall and the soil is dry, so it is recommended to water the plants before wintering. As for when to water? It is recommended that the soil be thawed during the day (that is, it freezes at night and can thaw during the day). It is not advisable to do it too early or too late. The temperature will be high and the evaporation will be large, which is not conducive to moisture conservation. If you water it too late, the temperature will be low and the soil will freeze, so the water can't penetrate. Also, watering too late can easily cause frostbite on the garlic. In addition, when watering over the winter, you should control the amount of watering. Do not flood the plants with large amounts of water. Instead, use small amounts of water to water the plants lightly and keep the soil moist. This will have a good effect on the growth and development of garlic.

The soil moisture is good and there is no drought. In this case, it is not recommended to water the plants over the winter. Because the soil itself is not short of moisture, if you water it at this time to survive the winter, it will increase the soil humidity. When the soil humidity is too high, it will easily freeze the garlic seeds when it freezes in winter, which is not conducive to the normal growth of garlic.

2. Garlic winter management and cultivation technology

‌1. Cold protection measures‌

Before the arrival of low temperature and cold weather, you can use substances such as potassium dihydrogen phosphate and brassinolide for spraying to improve the cold resistance of garlic seedlings. In addition, spraying antifreeze agents can also significantly improve the frost resistance of garlic seedlings, which is usually done 7 days before the arrival of cold air. ‌

‌2. Irrigation and fertilization‌

Keeping the soil moist is key, but avoid standing water. Winter watering can be done in November to prevent root frost damage. When watering, ensure that the soil is well penetrated to avoid waterlogging caused by flooding. ‌

‌3. Ground film covering‌

Mulching can keep in heat and moisture, promoting the growth of garlic. When releasing the garlic seedlings from the film, be careful to protect the garlic seedlings to avoid damaging the leaves. Breaking the membrane in time can promote the growth of garlic seedlings.

‌4. Disease prevention

Garlic is susceptible to diseases in winter, so disease prevention work should be done well. Nutrients and regulators can be added when spraying to improve the stress resistance of seedlings. ‌

That’s it