Gardeners are aware of a simple but extremely important agricultural technique called crop rotation. It consists in the fact that after one culture, another is planted in the vacated place. Often gardeners ask the question: what to plant after garlic next year? We will devote our article to the answer to it.
Expediency
Why is it so important to know what to plant after garlic next year? A correct understanding of the issue helps protect plants from pests. Indeed, many parasites are accustomed to lay larvae and hide for the winter among the beds of their favorite plantation.
Features of the behavior of insects have long been studied, and specialists are trying to resist them, offering their own methods of control. Just the annual redevelopment of the beds contributes to this. Change of garden crops on the beds gives the necessary delay in time. Insects simply do not have time to get to them, and in the meantime, the plantings gain strength and grow stronger.
Crop rotation principles
It is necessary to observe crop rotation rules not only in large farms, but also in small summer cottages. Proper use of the soil helps to prevent its depletion and lower yield levels caused by monoculture cultivation.
Growing the same plants on constant beds leads to a decrease in the volume of important components in the ground. Alternating crops helps restore the natural balance of the soil.
The basic rule of crop rotation is not to plant the same plant in the same place for two consecutive years. It is also important to follow these recommendations:
- Do not place plants from the same family on the same bed. This is due to the fact that toxins accumulate in the soil, leading to plant diseases.
- Plant alternately "tops" and "roots". This means that you should change the places of culture grown for the aerial parts, with those grown for the use of the underground part. For example, carrots are the “spine”, and dill refers to the “tips”.
The scheme of planting crops on the site can be drawn up several years in advance. The scheme also notes the introduction of manure and other fertilizers into the ground. It also determines what can be planted on the garden after garlic.
Then plant?
In garlic, both tops and roots are consumed as food. The plant is sown in autumn and spring. After which crop is it better to plant garlic? Let us dwell on this issue in more detail.
Garlic is considered an onion crop. He prefers enriched land, and the main part of the useful components should be in the upper layers of the soil, since the root system develops here.
So, then plant garlic in the winter? The best "ancestors" for spice will be plants with long roots. To improve the soil composition, green manure can be grown. They supply the soil with the necessary components and secrete substances that inhibit the growth of weeds.
All green plants are divided into three main groups:
- Legumes (peas, vetch, chickpeas).
- Cereals (wheat, rye, barley).
- Sacral (radish, mustard, rape).
The most successful garlic will grow after cereals:
- wheat
- arzhanets;
- polevole;
- black rice and others.
The exceptions are barley and rye. They should not be grown in front of garlic.
Well, garlic grows after legumes. The root system of these plants contains bacteria that feed the earth with nitrogen. Their powerful roots loosen even heavy clay soil and help plants produce oxygen. Legumes include:
- soybeans;
- beans;
- lentils
- peas.
Garlic can be cultivated after winter crops: goatskin, clover, clover. Also good predecessors will be: zucchini, plate pumpkin, tomatoes, cauliflower, turnips, berries.
Unsuitable predecessors
There are garden plants, after which you should not plant garlic. Otherwise, the spice will grow weak, susceptible to disease and bring little harvest. Of course, such a result will not please the gardener.
Do not plant garlic after vegetable crops, which draw a lot of nutrients from the ground. These are carrots, beets, potatoes.
Carrots excessively empty the soil. After it, it is impractical to plant various plants. It is better to wait a while until the soil can rest and gain strength.
Do not grow spice after potatoes and beets. Both vegetables can infect planting with a serious disease - fusarium infection. And other pathologies are also undesirable.
Garlic is incompatible with radishes, cucumbers and peppers. Garlic does not fit the earth after other herbs: basil, peppermint, coriander.
Any kind of onion will also not be successful predecessors for garlic. After onions, many parasites remain in the ground, which will lead to loss of crop. If nematodes are found in the beds, you can cultivate garlic after 3-4 years. It is important to let the earth recover.
Short roots of onion crops take calcium and other useful substances necessary for the growth of other plants from the ground. The beds are impoverished after the first season. And it takes more than one year to recover.
Offspring plants
What can be planted after garlic? After this spice grow well:
- Legumes
- Potatoes, cucumbers and zucchini.
- Strawberry.
- Tomatoes, cabbage, beets.
- Any sideral culture.
But to plant this spice after yourself is not worth it.
Now it becomes clearer what to plant after the garlic next year.
Good neighborhood
Garlic contains many biologically important substances that help kill infections. This property has a beneficial effect on neighboring crops. Species growing in the vicinity of garlic acquire a strong immunity, grow healthy and strong, resulting in an excellent harvest.
Potatoes next to garlic are much less affected by late blight and less likely to suffer from settlements of potato leaf beetle. In the rows of strawberries, he intimidates harmful insects. In the neighborhood with carrots, garlic helps fight the carrot fly. Close to tomatoes helps protect tomatoes from rust.
Favorable is the neighborhood with any berries. Garlic reduces the number of parasites on blackcurrant, raspberry and gooseberry.
After harvest
In the place where the garlic grew, you need to plant other crops. But how to make a choice right? What is better to plant after garlic?
In winter, green plants can be sown. This will enrich the earth and heal it. Rye, phacelia, oats are suitable - if cruciferous plants are planted.
If it is planned to plant tomatoes or pumpkins, then plant mustard, radish, and rape. These plants help clean the soil from rot.
Peat sand or compost mixture is added to the siderative cultures from above.
After garlic spices, a variety of annuals, potatoes, cucumbers, and beans are grown.
It is not forbidden, but not considered a good option, planting tomatoes, cabbage, beets. Strawberries grow well in the beds after garlic. Her bushes will gain strength and bring an excellent harvest.
Common mistakes
When deciding what to plant on the garden after garlic, gardeners often make mistakes:
- The same culture is grown in the garden for several seasons. This greatly depletes the soil.
- The predecessor belongs to the same family. This leads to the appearance of genetic pathologies.
- The incompatibility of neighboring plants is not taken into account. For example, on the site it is important not only after which crop it is better to plant garlic, but also their beneficial neighborhood.
Useful Tips
Experienced gardeners give these tips to beginners:
- No need to alternate cultures belonging to the same family. For example, garlic and onions. Similar plants absorb similar trace elements, are affected by the same pathologies, and emit similar elements into the ground.
- First “tops”, then “roots”. This rule is that root crops are planted after aerial plants. Perhaps the advice will not give lightning-fast results, but its constant application will bear fruit.
- The richer the variety of crops on the site, the stronger their resistance to disease. Therefore, it is worth planting as many plants as possible.
- No need to thicken the landing. This is especially true for crops that are similar in size and fluffy.
- It is useful to draw up a crop rotation plan for the year ahead, taking into account the recommendations of specialists. If you adhere to a well-designed scheme, you can analyze and predict the results of landings on the site. This invaluable experience will undoubtedly be useful to any gardener.
So, we examined what to plant after garlic the next year. Do not take this matter lightly. The selection of descendant plants is very important.
Taking into account all the recommendations, and taking into account the experience of other gardeners, you can get on your site a good harvest of many useful plants, including garlic.