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You’ve planted some garlic in the fall hoping for a good summer harvest. But, it has begun to sprout way too early. If you’re new to growing garlic, this might cause you to panic. You may even think your crop is ruined. Fear not gardeners, there are some steps you can take now to save your harvest. In today’s blog post, we explain why garlic could sprout early after planting. We also walk you through the basic steps to help protect your garlic over the winter. So, grab your tools and let’s dig in!
What causes garlic to sprout early?
In colder climates, garlic bulbs remain underground over the fall and winter. This helps them to generate the energy they need to push through ground in early spring. This is true of hardneck garlic varieties. When the ground warms up in Spring, new shoots start to appear. While underground, the garlic is working hard to put down roots and prepare to emerge in the Spring. Sometimes, the fall and winter can be on the warmer side. Temperatures might be quite mild. If this happens, sometimes the garlic might wake up too early and begin to sprout. This can sometimes happen about 4-6 weeks after planting.
Garlic usually needs about 40 days of cooler temperatures to grow. If this doesn’t happen, sometimes the bulbs will be quite small. If the temperatures are too warm during the fall and winter, the bulbs will think that it is Spring. This will cause them to sprout too soon. You will see green leaves start to push through the soil.
Will the early leaves on my garlic ruin the harvest
If you are seeing early shoots emerge from your garlic, do not panic. Hardneck garlic can tolerate colder temperatures even if it has sprouted too early. When cooler weather arrives, your garlic will enter its dormancy. It will stop growing and stay this way until warmer weather arrives. Come Spring, it will begin the growing process over again. In Spring, it will put on significant new growth. If you’re garlic sprouted too early, there are some simple steps you can take. These steps will help to protect and insulate it over winter.
How to protect your garlic harvest over winter if it has sprouted too early
Fall and winter can be unpredictable. There might be temperature swings. These swings could cause your garlic to sprout too early. To help protect your garlic, mulching is always essential. Make sure to cover any exposed garlic shoots completely. Some good options are straw or shredded leaves. The mulch provides your garlic with the insulation and protection it needs . This will help your garlic to complete the growing cycle next spring and summer. Aim for 4-6 inches thick of mulch. You need enough to completely cover the shoots which have emerged.
Final thoughts
Growing garlic is one of the most rewarding tasks for home gardeners. If you’re new to growing garlic, seeing early shoots is bound to create a bit of fear. You may think you ruined your harvest. By following the advice in today’s blog, you will be well on your way to saving the harvest. Until next time gardening friends, we hope that you have given growing garlic a try this year. And, for more helpful tips on garlic be sure to visit our other blog posts all dedicated to growing and harvesting garlic.
Ty!!!!!