A high and stable harvest of garlic, the favorite spicy vegetable of all housewives, is obtained by gardeners in the middle zone who wisely use organic and mineral fertilizers for the crop, not only when preparing the soil for sowing plants, but also during the active growing season. Moreover, the last time garlic is fertilized no later than 4 weeks before harvest.
In total, it is advisable to carry out 2-3 root feedings of plants per season. For winter garlic, liquid fertilizers rich in nitrogen are applied in April - early May, and for spring garlic - in May - early June. And compositions containing potassium and phosphorus are used for crops in the summer - in the first half of June for winter varieties and in the last days of June for spring varieties.
Strong garlic seedlings, provided with adequate nutrition, are much better able to withstand unfavorable factors, including drought, sudden temperature changes, pest invasion, the presence of phytopathogens, etc.This scheme of feeding onion crops in the middle zone leads to a significant improvement in the commercial quality of the heads, increasing their keeping quality, the biochemical composition of the pulp and, ultimately, increasing the yield.
As the experience of recent years shows, to increase vegetable yield by 10-15%, in addition to root feeding of garlic, it is advisable to apply leaf feeding (1-3 times). When spraying the above-ground parts of plants from a fine spray bottle with the nutritional compositions listed above, the supply of the necessary chemical compounds occurs almost instantly. Absorbed through the leaf blades, nutritional compounds with a current of plant juices penetrate into all parts of the seedling, effectively preventing mineral starvation of garlic and improving the development processes of underground bulbs.
Organic and mineral fertilizers for spring feeding of garlic
With a deficiency of nitrogen substances in the soil, the tips of the feathers and lower leaf plates of garlic acquire a characteristic yellow or whitish color. The introduction of additional portions of nitrogen at the beginning of the development of seedlings activates the process of leaf formation.
It is for this reason that at the beginning of the growing season both winter and spring garlic are fertilized with products rich in nitrogen compounds. Already 2 weeks after the appearance of mass shoots of garlic in the spring, the beds are watered with nutrient solutions of ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate or urea (20 g/10 l of settled water).
The complex “Nitroammofoska”, containing a complete NPK complex (nitrogen + phosphorus + potassium), as well as modern formulations enriched with additional chelated microelements (Plantafol, Kristalon, Partner Standard, etc.) are also suitable.
Fans of organic farming use solutions of bird droppings (1:25), rabbit excrement (1:30), slurry (1:4), mullein (1:10), horse manure (1:4) as a source of nitrogen, vermicompost, mineral salts and trace elements. 1:12), green fertilizer (1:5). It is advisable to apply these compounds under garlic in the spring, when plants vitally need nitrogen.
Spring fertilizing of garlic is carried out once. Its repetition after 15 days is necessary only if there are characteristic signs of mineral starvation: delay in growth and development, yellowing of leaves, too light color of the vegetative mass.
It is recommended to apply liquid nutrient solutions, both organic and mineral, to the garlic on moist soil. To do this, watering the seedlings at the root is carried out after rain or scheduled watering, which is carried out during dry periods once every 5-7 days.
Vegetable ash and ready-made mineral fertilizers for feeding garlic during the formation of heads
During the formation and filling of garlic heads, gardeners usually use herbal or wood ash, which contains practically no nitrogen, but contains the whole range of macro- and microelements that improve plant development.
Ash (without large coals) is scattered under the garlic bushes before loosening at the rate of 1-2 cups for each linear meter of planting, and then the beds are generously spilled with water. However, according to reviews from experienced summer residents, it is much more effective and easier to add ash infusion to the crop (1 half-liter jar per 10 liters of water, leave for 3 days).
Of the mineral fertilizers most often used for summer fertilizer of garlic is a mixture of superphosphate and potassium sulfate, as well as complex products: “Potassium Monophosphate”, “Kalimagnesia” or “Ecoplant”.The listed fertilizers are incorporated into the soil according to the instructions on the package before watering or dissolved in water, after which the seedlings are watered at the root along the damp soil.
Happy garlic harvest to you every summer!
