Rules for watering garlic in the open field
To increase the yield, you need to know how to properly organize the watering of garlic outdoors. Due to the poorly developed root system, garlic crops are planted at a shallow depth, therefore, during the development period, the plant needs moderate watering. Let's find out how often to water the garlic outdoors.
Rules for watering garlic in the open field
Watering frequency
The frequency of watering garlic crops directly depends on the weather conditions. In dry weather, abundant watering of the soil is necessary, approximately 12-15 liters per square meter. Under normal weather conditions, the volume of water can be reduced by three times to irrigate garlic crops. With prolonged rainy weather, the culture does not need additional moisture. For the soonest drainage of the soil, gardeners make grooves for drainage.
Moisture deficiency manifests itself on the tops of a bluish-white tint. Drying of the tips on the leaves of the garlic indicates the need to increase the frequency of watering. Garlic leaves turn pale green from excess moisture.
Watering methods
There are three methods for irrigating onion seedlings. The most common - manual, less used - sprinkler and drip irrigation.
Garlic is a moisture-loving plant, but excess moisture also negatively affects the quality of the grown product. Dry soil entails deformation and a decrease in the size of the root crop. To increase the yield of garlic crops, it is necessary to choose an appropriate irrigation method.
Sprinkling
This method assumes an even distribution of moisture over the entire soil surface and regulates irrigation rates. But due to the abundant evaporation of moisture, this method can contribute to the spread of some diseases of this vegetable crop. An increase in irrigation rates leads to an increase in the salt balance of the soil and a decrease in the quality of the cultivated product.
Drip method
The most effective technique for watering garlic is drip irrigation. With this method of watering, moisture not only directly gets to the root crop, but is also evenly distributed on the leaves of the plant.
The disadvantage of this method is expensive equipment. It is necessary to correctly calculate the growing schemes in order to recoup all the costs.
Currently, craftsmen themselves make such equipment from plastic bottles.
Garlic irrigation rules
Proper watering
To grow a high-quality harvest of garlic crops, you should remember a few rules:
1) When the average daily air temperature is below 13 °, watering cannot be carried out in order to avoid rotting of the plant.
2) Water heated in the sun above 18 ° is used for irrigation.
3) For irrigation, rain or artesian water is preferable, it is less hard than tap water.
4) The optimal time of day for irrigation is after sunrise and sunset
5) After watering, it is necessary to loosen the soil to a depth of two centimeters.
During the growing season
At the beginning of the growing season, garlic crops need sufficient moisture. It is carried out once a week at least 30 centimeters in depth. After watering, make a hole 20-30 cm deep and put your hand, the soil cut should be moistened. In the first days of May, watering is carried out with the addition of organic fertilizers.
During ripening
In July, with the active growth of root crops, the frequency of irrigation decreases to 5-7 times, and by the beginning of August it stops completely. Excessive liquid stops the growth of the heads, reduces the amount of nutrients in them and shortens the shelf life.
During the collection period
For long-term storage of the crop, experienced vegetable growers are advised to stop watering three weeks before harvest, for canning for 7 days.
Measuring soil moisture
You can determine the level of soil moisture with a moisture meter. Garlic crops require watering if the readings are below 70%. For this, the traditional method is used. From a hole, 10 cm deep, a handful of earth is collected by hand, squeezed, then unclenched and the result is checked. If a lump forms, but then disintegrates, the humidity is 70-75%, the ball does not form - the humidity is 60% (watering is required), the palm becomes wet from the formed lump - 80%.
To obtain a high and high-quality harvest of garlic, it is necessary to take into account not only the variety, the region of cultivation and soil characteristics, weather conditions, but also the irrigation methods at different ripening periods of vegetable garlic crops.