Garlic has great popularity due to the fact that it is a nutrient-packed pungent that proves to be vital in multiple recipes and also thanks to its easy-to-grow nature (if you happen to get the best possible timing). You may be wondering, ‘When to plant garlic in oregon?’
Since garlic is extremely affordable, many gardeners decide to avoid this kind of project and focus on other rewarding plants/fruits/vegetables, however, there is a beautiful thing about growing garlic that can not just be explained with words.
Keep in mind that you will need many details before thinking about planting garlic in your garden. First, it would be wise to discover and learn more about the climate zone and the first frozen date.
Normally, what would be discussed is the last frozen time, however, thanks to garlic’s unique composition and growing conditions, this time it is the opposite. This article will focus on discussing when to plant garlic in Oregon.
How to Determine When to Plant Garlic in Oregon:
1.- Oregon’s Climate Zone and First Frost Time:
Knowing the climate zone of your area and the first frost time proves to be rewarding as you will understand the reason why the best time to plant a certain plant is what it is.
In the case of Oregon, you can see that the western region of this state features a temperate oceanic climate that comes with wetter winters (meaning a lot of rain and snow) and cool summers.
On the other hand, in the easter region, the weather proves to be drier, meaning that fewer rains will be experienced during the hot summers and wet winters of this region.
Now when it comes to the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) growing scale, Oregon’s climate zone is between the range of 4a to 9b, showing how different the weather and temperatures are between western and eastern regions.
Normally, what would be required is the last frost time. However, thanks to garlic’s unique composition and natural requirements, this time you will be needing the first frost time.
Keep in mind that these kinds of dates are impossible to determine in an exact measure, that is why these approximations are made to help gardeners with their projects. In the case of Oregon, the first frost time is usually between November 6 – November 27.
Do not overstress yourself for not being able to plant your seeds at the first frost time, remember that it is an approximation, so waiting a little bit will not do any harm to your garden or plants.
Sometimes nature does its thing and decides to make the first frost time arrive early or later in comparison to other years, so keep calm and carry on.
2.- When is The Best Time to Plant Garlic in Oregon:
The best time to plant garlic is between late September and November to harvest in the next summer, which will be from June to August.
However, it is important to note that for those who live in the colder areas of Oregon, then garlic cloves should be planted at least 6 to 8 weeks before the first frost date before the ground starts to freeze.
The best temperatures for garlic is in colder weather when the environment reaches at least 40 degrees Fahrenheit, also, it would be recommended that these conditions last for at least 4 to 8 weeks.
The reason why this is the best time to plant garlic is for the fact that planting garlic at this time will make everything develop correctly by creating healthy roots. All of this has to be done before temperatures start to drop and the ground starts lowering its favorable conditions.
Do not be discouraged if you start seeing a slow development, as everything will start to develop faster once spring arrives when the bulbs start waking up and foliage will be gradually produced at a fast pace. Everything will be ready to harvest before the hot summers arrive in the state.
3.- Recommendations to Follow After Discovering the Best Time to Plant Garlic:
Once you have the weather and soil ready, it is the perfect time to plant the garlic. To do so, it would be wise to select the larger and healthy cloves that are free of any disease, remember that the larger the clover, the bigger the bulb will become the following summer.
Everything should be planted 4 to 8 inches apart and 2 inches deep, always note that the papery husk should stay on every individual clove. Also, never forget that the planting site needs to be well weeded, garlic requires all the available nutrients, and more.
When to Plant Garlic in Oregon: Final thoughts
Finally, never forget to water at least every 3 to 5 days during its bulbing period. On the other hand, when summer starts to get closer, taper off watering to increase the efficiency of the final product.
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