One of the he althiest vegetables is garlic. And it is useful not only for its dietary properties, but also for its benefits, because you can earn money on growing this crop. It is not for nothing that many gardeners love garlic so much: planting and caring for it in the open field does not require special knowledge, for this vegetable you do not have to build greenhouses and greenhouses, and you need very little storage space.
Rich harvest
First of all, let's figure out what is the yield of garlic from 1 weave. With proper care, you can collect up to 150 kg of this vegetable, and you will have to plant only 10 kg. The yield also depends on the time of planting. Winter garlic gives the greatest weight gain, due to a longer growing season. But a vegetable planted in 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 weave, but the climate plays an important role here. If the winter is cold, some of the plants may simply not survive it, and in the spring you will not get shoots, but the loss of seed. Before planting garlic, make sure the climate in your area is good.suitable for this culture.
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, it will be useful to apply a little complex mineral dressing or compost before planting.
One of the reasons why the yield of garlic from 1 weave is low is improper soil preparation. Thin arrows cannot break through hard soil, so it is very important to dig it up before planting. The garlic cloves are small, and it is enough to work the ground to a depth of 8 cm. Further, immediately before planting, the surface must be carefully leveled with a rake and generously sprinkled with river sand (a layer of about 4 cm).
Sowing
So, in order to get the maximum yield of garlic from 1 weave, it is better to use winter varieties, but if you expect winter frosts under 30, it is more profitable to take spring ones (those that are planted in spring). Before sowing, the seeds must be treated with a solution of ash (about 400 grams of ash per 2 liters of water) for one to two hours to protect the plants from diseases. Only dense cloves that have no damage to the skin can be used as seed.
If you use winter garlic, planting and outdoor care begin in September or October, so that even before frost the cloveshave taken root. Spring varieties are planted in early spring, as soon as the temperature reaches 5 degrees. Sowing is very simple: on the prepared bed, grooves are made in increments of 20 cm, cloves 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: having taken 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, grass seeds, such as rapeseed, can be planted along with garlic. Its roots will not allow the soil to cake, and the green mass will become an additional shelter for the winter. In addition, before frosts, winter crops must be securely wrapped in mulch; potato and tomato tops are suitable here. For spring planting, such measures are not required.
First shoots
As soon as the snow melted, winter garlic should 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 is caked in a crust, 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 starting to grow actively. 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 get on the greens, otherwise burns may remain. In addition to feeding,it will be useful to loosen the soil and, of course, weed out the first weeds.
Basic care
Garlic is an unpretentious crop, especially if it is planted before winter in good soil. It is necessary to monitor mainly soil moisture, and only three top dressings are required. The first, as described above, is applied 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 variety must be watered again with fertilizer (either organic or phosphorus-potassium).
Often there is a choice: how to feed garlic - manure or mineral fertilizer? Both should 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 dressings, but in moderation.
In order to increase the average yield of garlic, it is very important to remove the flower shoots as soon as possible. If this is not done, the plants will spend a lot of energy on flowering and seed formation, and the bulbs will turn out to be small.
Treatment and protection
Garlic contains many biologically active substances and is almost immune to parasites and diseases. However, it is often possible to observe how the leaves of this plant turn yellow and even curl up into a tube. Dryness is the main reason for this.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 done, that is, spraying with a nutrient solution.
Such procedures can only be carried out 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 repels them, so it can be planted along with other plants. Such a neighborhood is very useful. So, garlic in a garden with strawberries or cabbage will help get rid of snails and caterpillars, and roses, thanks to such a partner, will be protected from spotting. You can even plant this wonderful vegetable on shrubs! With such combined cultivation, the problem of how to feed the garlic will also disappear, since each plant takes different elements from the soil, preventing oversaturation.
It is very useful to plant a "garden doctor" and along with green crops such as lettuce or dill. The main thing is to make sure that the garlic does not grow in one place for several years in a row, otherwise you can not expect a good harvest.
Briefly about the main things
So let's sum it up a bit:
- Garlic loves a bright place and loose, moist soil.
- On one hectare of land, you can grow up to 150 kg of garlic, while planting will require only 10.
- Winter varieties give the highest yield.
- If temperatures drop below 25 degrees in your area in winter, it's best to plant garlic in the spring.
- Care for this crop consists of proper planting, frost protection, two or three top dressings and removal of flower arrows. Dry weather may require watering.
- Diseases and parasites of garlic are not terrible, so it can be used for combined plantings.
