One of the most healthy vegetables is garlic. And it is useful not only for its dietary properties, but also for its benefits, because you can earn money by growing this culture. No wonder many gardeners love garlic so much : planting and care in the open ground do not require special knowledge, for this vegetable you do not have to build greenhouses and greenhouses, and you need very little storage space.
A bountiful harvest
First of all, let's figure out what is the yield of garlic from 1 hundred parts. With proper care, you can collect up to 150 kg of this vegetable, and at the same time plant only 10 kg. Productivity also depends on the time of planting. The greatest weight gain comes from winter garlic, due to a longer growing season. But the vegetable planted in the spring is better stored, its cloves are denser and more fragrant.
Of course, you always want to get the maximum yield of garlic from 1 hundred parts, but here the climate plays a significant role. If the winter is cold, some of the plants may simply not survive it, and in the spring you will not receive seedlings, but the loss of seed. Before planting garlic, make sure that the climate in your area is well suited for this crop.
Soil preparation
Garlic prefers good light and does not tolerate acidic soils, preferring neutral ones. In addition, it conflicts with legumes, which must be considered when choosing a place to grow. As for fertilizers, before planting it will be useful to make a little complex mineral fertilizing or compost.
One of the reasons that the yield of garlic from 1 hundred parts is low is the improper preparation of the soil. Thin arrows can not break through solid soil, so it is very important to dig it before planting. The cloves of the garlic are small, and it is enough to cultivate the ground to a depth of 8 cm. Next, immediately before planting, the surface must be carefully leveled with a rake and generously sprinkled with river sand (about 4 cm layer).
Sowing
So, in order to get the maximum yield of garlic from 1 hundred parts, it is better to use winter varieties, but if you expect winter frosts under 30, it is more profitable to take spring (those that are planted in spring). Before sowing, seeds must be treated with a solution of ash (about 2 grams of water per 2 liters of water) for one to two hours to protect plants from diseases. As seed, you can use only dense teeth that have no damage to the skin.
If you use winter garlic, planting and care in the open ground begin in September or October, so that before the frosts, the cloves have time to take root. Spring varieties are planted in early spring, as soon as the temperature reaches 5 degrees. Sowing is very simple: grooves are made on the prepared bed in increments of 20 cm, denticles are pressed into these grooves at a distance of 10-15 cm from each other so that they are completely hidden in the soil. There is an opinion that garlic should be planted to a depth of 20 cm, but this is useless: taking root, the plant itself will gradually begin to go down. After planting, the soil must be leveled with a rake.
In the case of winter crops, along with garlic, you can plant grass seeds, such as rapeseed. Its roots will not allow the soil to clump, and the green mass will become additional shelter for the winter. In addition, before frosts, winter crops need to be reliably wrapped with mulch; tops of potatoes and tomatoes are suitable here. During spring planting, such measures are not required.
First shoots
As soon as the snow has fallen, winter garlic must be freed from mulch. Part of it can be left - it will not allow weeds to break through, and over time it will become fertilizer. If the top layer of the earth was caked, it must be loosened, but very carefully. Dry soil must be watered.
Regardless of the time of planting, garlic in the spring, when the temperature has not yet risen above 7 degrees, is already beginning to grow rapidly. When the first arrows appear, you can immediately apply mineral fertilizer: 1 tablespoon of urea per 10 liters of water. It is necessary to water carefully, under the root, so that the solution does not fall on the greens, otherwise burns may remain. In addition to fertilizing, it will be useful to loosen the soil and, of course, weed out the first weeds.
Basic care
Garlic - unpretentious culture, especially if planted in the winter in good soil. It is necessary to monitor mainly the soil moisture, and only three additional fertilizing is required. The first, as described above, is introduced in early spring. After two weeks, you can feed the plants with nitroamophos (2 tablespoons per 10 liters of water) or add a little humus if you did not add it before planting. For the winter variety, this is enough, and the spring one must be watered again with fertilizer (either organic or phosphorus-potash).
The choice often arises: how to feed garlic with manure or mineral fertilizer? Both must be used with caution. Organics can cause soil compaction and the appearance of various diseases, and chemical fertilizers easily lead to an “overdose” of one or another element. Therefore, the main thing is not to overdo it, but to apply all types of top dressing, but in moderation.
To increase the average yield of garlic, it is very important to remove the flower arrows as early as possible. If this is not done, the plants will spend a lot of energy on flowering and seed formation, and the bulbs will be small.
Treatment and protection
Garlic contains many biologically active substances and is almost not affected by parasites and diseases. However, one can often observe how the leaves of this plant turn yellow and even curl into a tube. The main reason for this is the dryness of the soil, and the problem is often solved by simple watering. Sometimes yellowness appears from a lack of nutrition. In this case, foliar top dressing should be performed, that is, spraying with a nutrient solution.
Such procedures can be carried out only during the period of active growth and in no case in the sun. For foliar top dressing, it is better to use complex mineral fertilizers containing trace elements.
Useful neighborhood
Garlic is not only not eaten by insects, but also scares them away, so it can be planted along with other plants. This neighborhood is very useful. So, garlic on a bed with strawberries or cabbage will help get rid of snails and caterpillars, and roses, thanks to such a partner, will be protected from spotting. Even to the bushes you can plant this wonderful vegetable! With such a combined cultivation, the problem will also disappear than to feed garlic, as each plant takes different elements from the soil, avoiding over-saturation.
It is very useful to plant a "garden doctor" and along with green crops such as lettuce or dill. The main thing is to ensure that garlic does not grow in one place for several years in a row, otherwise a good harvest can not be expected.
Briefly about the main thing
So, to summarize the small results:
- Garlic loves a bright place and loose moist soil.
- On one hundred square meters of land, you can grow up to 150 kg of garlic, while only 10 are needed for planting.
- The greatest yield is given by winter varieties.
- If in your area the temperature in winter drops below 25 degrees, it is better to plant garlic in the spring.
- Care for this crop consists of a proper planting, frost protection, two or three top dressings and the removal of flower arrows. In dry weather, watering may be required.
- Diseases and parasites of garlic are fearless, so it can be used for combined plantings.