Growing snake garlic: this is how it works

The aroma of garlic is in great demand in the kitchen. Because it enriches the taste of many dishes, especially in Mediterranean cuisine. But one or two connoisseurs are bothered by the intense fragrance. You could switch to the milder snake garlic, which is more modest with the flavors. When grown in the garden, it even looks good. With its meandering flower stalk and numerous small bulbs. This is how it is grown.

Snake garlic

The snake garlic, also known as rockenbolle, inspires with its unusual growth shape. Because the brood tuber grows above ground on a ringed flower stem. We'll show you how to grow the snake garlic yourself.

Location and soil

The snake garlic, offered. Allium sativum var. Ophioscorodon, loves the sun and the warmth that comes with it. Therefore, it is better not to plant it in a shady location. If possible, partial shade should also be avoided, but if necessary it is just tolerable for high-yield cultivation. The soil should be loose and therefore well permeable so that no moisture can accumulate. Soils with a high proportion of clay should therefore be mixed with sand before planting. A slightly higher pH value of 6.5 to 7 has proven to be ideal.

Seeds

Perhaps you already have a bulb of this type of garlic on hand, often referred to as Italian garlic. New bulbs can develop in the bed from the individual cloves of garlic. Traditionally, however, this garlic is propagated by the small bulbs that appear at the tip of the twisted stem instead of a flower. These bulbs are also ideal for planting snake garlic for the first time in your own garden. On the internet you can find cheap onions from Rockenbolle or Rocambole - two other common names for this type of garlic. And maybe they are on the shelves in some garden centers.

Planting time

Planting rocambole in the garden soil is usually done in autumn. It is perennial and hardy, so it can spend the winter outdoors. However, if the location of your property is very rough, you can alternatively grow it in the spring. However, this will result in smaller tubers, as the late planting date shortens the time for tuber formation by months. Or you can simply leave it in the bed for another year until harvest.

• Use toes or bulbs
• stuck from mid-September to mid-October
• Spring planting is also possible in rough locations
• then from March to April in frost-free soil

tip: In rough locations or On particularly icy days, it is helpful to cover the garlic that has already been driven out with spruce twigs to protect it from the cold.

Growing snake garlic: instructions

You can get Allium sativum var. Plant the Ophioscorodon in rows or tuffs, depending on the situation in the bed. Rockenbolle can even be planted between flowers. The snake garlic contributes to the beauty of the bed with its grouped bulbs. Here are the key data on planting:

• Put toes with pointed ends up
• approx. 4-5 cm deep into the earth
• Brood bulbs should look something out of the ground
• the ideal row spacing is 20 to 25 cm
• Maintain a distance of 10 to 15 cm within the row
• Information applies to autumn and spring planting

The small bulbs can initially be placed tightly in a pot and later, when they have grown, they can be planted out in the garden.

Good neighbors

Snake garlic also has his favorite neighbors among the other plants. A neighborhood is often in the interests of the other plant that benefits from the smell of garlic. In this way it is spared from some pests and fungal diseases. Since Rocambole does not take up much space in width, it can be easily placed between other plants. In general, nightshade, lily and rose plants are welcome in the immediate vicinity. These types of plants are particularly suitable:

• Strawberries
• Salads
• Cucumber
• Swiss chard

Rockenbolle, on the other hand, forms an unfavorable neighborhood with peas and beans.

care

The bed of the snake garlic should be kept weed-free. Also loosen the soil with a rake in spring. This should be done at least twice, preferably more often. Be careful not to damage the tubers. Rocambole also likes it when the base is covered with a layer of straw.

to water

Dry, well-drained soil is ideal for snake garlic to keep the tuber from rotting. However, since it cannot draw from abundant water supplies from such a soil if necessary, it has to be watered occasionally. Water only during the growing season and only when the weather is hot and dry. But then moderately and without wetting the green leaves with water.

Fertilize

Before you grow the snake garlic, you should enrich the bed with compost. It already has the nutrients required for the snake garlic at the start of growth. Two to three liters of compost should be sufficient per square meter of bed area. In spring, when the Rockenbolle begins to grow vigorously, it can also be supported with a natural fertilizer. The proven nettle manure is also good for this plant. It can be used 1-2 times until the end of May.

Diseases and pests

Garlic plants are resilient, but not entirely safe from diseases and pests. Wetness plays a decisive role here. It promotes rot and fungal diseases such as garlic rust. The focus must be on prevention by choosing a permeable soil when growing the garlic and only watering it sparingly during the growing season. Plants that have been badly affected must be pulled up and disposed of. This also applies in the event that gall mosquito larvae are up to mischief.

harvest

Harvest unripe garlic

As soon as the snake garlic grows green, you can enjoy its taste. Because the elongated leaves also have the garlic aroma. To harvest Fresh leaves from the plant as needed. Only harvest some of the leaves so that the snake garlic can continue to grow. You can also use an entire garlic plant in its immature state for cooking. Although the tuber is small and not yet as intense in taste, it is quite edible and tasty.

Instructions for the main crop

By the summer the tubers have reached a respectable size. You can then harvest it. But first we wait for the leaves to begin to wilt. This is usually the case in July or August.

1. Wait until the leaves turn yellow or about 2/3 of the time before harvesting. is withered.
2. Carefully expose the garlic bulbs and then remove them from the ground.
3. Gently remove any clinging debris from them.
4. Hang them up together with the leaves and the broiling onions in a dry and airy place so that they continue to dry and the taste of them ripen.
5. Cut off the useless leaves from the dried garlic bulbs. The brooding onions can now also be loosened.

Storage and use

Both cloves of garlic and bulbs can be eaten. They taste raw and cooked or fried. The area of ​​use is the same as normal garlic, but the aroma is milder. It should only be steamed gently, as searing it too spicy will make it bitter.

Depending on how many tubers you have harvested in the garden, the question of storage might arise. Compared to other types of garlic, however, snake garlic does not have a long shelf life. You should therefore use it up promptly. In the meantime, it should be stored airy, dry and cool. The refrigerator is too damp to store.

tip: Larger quantities of snake garlic can also be preserved by adding them.

Multiplication

Allium sativum var. Ophioscorodon does not flower or form seeds. Therefore, you cannot plant this type of garlic by sowing it. For this, each plant forms many bulbs at the top of the stem. A new garlic plant will develop from each individual bulb after planting. The cloves of the garlic bulb also offer a lot of propagation material.

You will only need toes or bulbs as a starting point for vegetative propagation if you are growing Rockenbolle for the first time. After the first cultivation, you can easily gain new seeds for the coming season. Until it is put into the ground in autumn, it should be stored in a dry, airy, cool and dark place.