Bogatyr garlic, described as a large vegetable, is a remarkable product, a storehouse of vitamins, a healer of many ailments, and rightfully considered miraculous. For hundreds of years, people have used the plant to strengthen the body, believing it prolongs life. A powerful antibiotic and natural antiviral, it slows inflammatory processes in the body. An antioxidant, it prevents the formation of cancer cells.
The crop is considered an excellent preventative and treatment for heart and cardiovascular diseases. And if you grow it yourself, without the use of chemical fertilizers, the harvest will be excellent.
Description of the variety
This garlic variety is no different from its relatives in its effects on the human body. However, its biological properties make it worthy of attention.
The characteristics are as follows. The name fully corresponds to its main advantage: it is very large. The flat, slightly rounded head can weigh around 85 g, and sometimes even 100 g. The variety has a distinctly spicy flavor. The leaves range from 20 to 60 cm in length; their width is 1-2 cm. A flower stalk develops and grows within the stem.
The massive cloves, typically 5 to 7 in number, are covered in fleshy, purple-hued scales that turn brown when dry. The pungent, aromatic cloves are rich in essential oils. Garlic can be eaten raw, preserved, and used in various dishes.
Planting dates
Since this is a winter variety, it should be planted in October-November, about a month to a month and a half before the onset of persistent winter frosts. The plant needs to take root before this period. The exact planting time can be determined by consulting the Lunar Gardening Calendar.
Sometimes, garlic has already been planted, but instead of a winter chill, warmer weather returns. In this case, the cloves sprout and root, but the yield may decrease slightly.
Reproduction of the variety
Bogatyr is propagated in two ways: by planting cloves and by sowing aerial bulbs that have matured into arrowheads:
| Method | Peculiarities |
| Propagation by cloves | Garlic cloves can be planted in both fall and spring, but in the latter case, they will not produce a typical head, but a single round clove resembling a bulb. This can be used for fall planting, where a single clove will grow into a regular head consisting of several cloves. This method improves the variety's productivity and increases the size of the heads in the next harvest. |
| Propagation by aerial bulbs | If you want to propagate the variety using air cuttings, wait until the seed coats around the future seeds crack. If this happens, it's time to harvest the bulblets. This propagation method helps maintain the purity of the variety. |
Disinfection of planting material is carried out before planting; the purpose is to prevent rotting processes and destroy fungal spores and mold. To ensure a good harvest, the largest heads are selected for seeding, separating the cloves.
To carry out disinfection, you need to prepare 2 solutions:
- salt, consisting of 2 liters of water and 1 tablespoon of salt;
- from copper sulfate, for the preparation of which you need to add 1 teaspoon of the substance to 2 liters of water.
The prepared cloves are first dipped in the first solution for 3 minutes, then in the second for the same amount of time. The planting material is then dried.
Correct fit
The quantity and quality of the harvest will depend on this. It's a good idea to plant the crop in a bed previously occupied by potatoes, zucchini, corn, tomatoes, carrots, or cucumbers. It's important to prepare the area where the garlic will grow in advance, approximately 7-10 days before planting. This is done to allow the soil to settle and prevent the cloves from becoming exposed.
To prepare the soil you should:
- Sprinkle compost or peat mixture, ash and superphosphate over the surface before loosening (can be replaced with complex fertilizers for autumn planting);
- treat the soil surface with a solution of potassium permanganate for disinfection;
- loosen the bed with a flat cutter or dig it up, leveling the surface.
There are several ways to plant a plant:
| Way | Peculiarities |
| Planting under a stencil | The stencil is easy to make by cutting a 50 cm wide rectangle out of cardboard or other thick material. The length can be anything, as long as it's easy to use. Punch round holes in the center of the rectangle, spaced 15 cm apart, into which the wedges will be placed. The planting depth is 3-4 cm. This results in three rows: one in the center of the template, two on either side. The distance between rows will be 25 cm. The advantage of this method is that there is no need to make trenching holes for the rows during planting. Only if the soil becomes compacted is a stake used to make indentations. |
| Funnel | It's important to make a deep enough hole. The garlic cloves will fit into it without being pressed into the soil. Due to the plant's powerful root system, the row spacing should be wide, 40 to 60 cm (16 to 24 inches, allowing 10 cm on each side for root growth). A 15 cm space between plants in a row is sufficient. Use a rake to cover the holes. |
Care and cleaning
Once planting is complete, you can cover the bed with hay, straw, or dry leaves. This will help retain moisture in the soil and prevent it from cracking.
In spring, Bogatyr begins to grow, so loosening the soil and watering are a given.
It's important not to miss the time to remove the stems. The exception is propagation by air cloves. All other stems are removed when they reach a height of 8-10 cm.
If this manipulation is not carried out in time, the flower stalks will draw nutrients from the plant, so in this case it will not be possible to grow large heads. Some amateur vegetable growers deliberately leave a couple of plants with arrows to determine the full ripening of the variety.
Harvesting should be done immediately, especially during the rainy season, otherwise the heads may crack and darken. The harvest stores well in a dry, ventilated area. Bogatyr winter garlic has excellent shelf life, lasting up to six months from harvest. This variety is productive, with large cloves.
But sometimes people think it's easy to grow. According to gardeners, good shelf life, successful storage, and the size and health of the bulbs are the result of hard work and proper farming practices.
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I like this garlic because even small fruits have large cloves, and it's very easy to peel. It can be grown both in a greenhouse and in the open ground. For a good harvest, I recommend using "BioGrow".