Garlic Yield Secrets
The yield of garlic depends on many factors. There are 2 types of crops: winter and spring garlic. In many ways, the number of root crops depends on the selected variety and region. There are special zoned varieties that are adapted to a specific climate.
Garlic Yield Secrets
Average yield
Garlic is a popular culture all over the world. It has not only piquant taste, but also medicinal properties that have been used in folk medicine for many years. The quality of the crop depends largely on the type of crop.
- Spring varieties planted in spring give dense, small heads with straight, slightly pointed teeth. The shelf life is about 12 months.
- The fruits of winter garlic planted in autumn are much larger than spring garlic. The teeth are even, beautiful, with a spicy pungent taste. Shelf life from 3 to 9 months, depending on the variety.
The yield of garlic from 1 are from 100 to 500 kg. It all depends on the place of cultivation, variety and conditions. The average yield of garlic per 1 hectare is from 10 to 50 tons. To obtain a good harvest, you need to follow the rules of cultivation, crop rotation and provide the necessary care for root crops.
Growing
Growing garlic is a complex process in which it is important to take into account all the nuances of the variety and the climatic conditions of your region. The largest yields are observed in Ukraine on fertile black earth soils. In Russia, when growing garlic, it must be borne in mind that this crop adapts to climatic conditions for a long time. When planting a new variety, you need to understand that a good harvest can only be obtained for 3 years, when the culture is fully adapted, therefore it is recommended to use zoned varieties, especially in the northern regions of Russia.
Find a good area to grow your crop. Garlic is a light-loving plant, therefore, for planting a winter or spring variety, you need to choose a well-lit open area. Lands with a close occurrence of groundwater are completely unsuitable for growing these root crops. The culture grows well in the open field, so the construction of a greenhouse room will be an unnecessary waste of effort, money and time. 1 hundred square meters will be enough.
Soil preparation
It is very important to observe the crop rotation on the site. You should not plant root crops for several years in a row in one place. The culture can be returned to its original place after 3 years. The following plants can be the predecessors of the garlic culture:
- cucumbers;
- zucchini;
- legumes;
- cabbage.
Root crops should not be planted after nightshade crops. These include potatoes, sweet peppers, eggplants. Fertilizing the soil for winter garlic is carried out before planting the previous crop. For summer varieties, top dressing is usually carried out in the fall.
For heavy soils, it is recommended to apply 1 bucket of sand and peat per 1 m2. Plants respond well to nitrogenous fertilizing.It is not recommended to apply manure just before planting. A good harvest of garlic can be obtained on sandy loam and loamy soils. The yield of garlic from 1 are in such areas is 450 -500 kg.
Planting material
Reproduction in different ways
The choice and preparation of planting material has a huge impact on yield. Root crops can reproduce:
- teeth;
- heads;
- seeds.
The preparation of seed material begins at the stage of harvesting. Only the largest specimens should be selected, without visible mechanical damage. The larger the root crops for planting, the better the harvest will be. Increasingly, farmers give preference to such planting material as one-toothed. Such seed is equally well suited for manual and mechanized planting, while the teeth are only suitable for manual planting.
The single-tooth takes root exactly along the entire perimeter of the bottom, and at the tooth, roots appear only from the blunt end. Whatever the planting material, it must be disinfected before planting. To do this, use:
- saline solution;
- alkaline solution;
- potassium permanganate solution.
After processing, the heads are dried. You need to brush your teeth just before planting. One-teeth are not cleaned at all.
Agrotechnical adaptations and planting
The secret to a good harvest lies in choosing the right planting technique. In a small cottage, you can process the site manually. To cultivate a 1-hectare garden, you will need specialized agricultural technology. These include tractors with hinged structures for tillage and sowing or a walk-behind tractor.
Planting winter garlic is carried out 30-40 days before the onset of persistent cold weather. This is the period from late September to mid-October. Summer varieties are planted in April. Root crops, regardless of the variety, are planted in the furrows. The distance between the rows should be 25-30 cm.
The planting material is laid out at a distance of 10-15 cm from each other, slightly deepening into the soil. When planting winter garlic, after filling the furrows with soil, you must immediately mulch the soil with sawdust or humus. If the winters in the region are snowy, you can do without mulching.
Care
You can significantly increase yields by taking proper care of your plants. When the first shoots appear, they begin to feed with urea. When growing winter varieties, fertilizers are applied to the still unheated soil. After 2-3 weeks, mineral fertilizing is applied. When 5-6 leaves appear, phosphorus and potassium are added.
Root crops love abundant watering. During the active growing season, plantings are watered 3-4 times a month. Watering the plants should be stopped 2-3 weeks before harvesting. It is very important to look after properly. It needs to be loosened regularly so that the root system receives a sufficient amount of oxygen. In order for the garlic heads to grow larger, you need to shorten the arrows on the plants by at least 15-20 cm.
Harvesting and storage
Planting and care is only half the battle, you still need to properly remove the roots in order to be able to save the seed for the next year. The timing depends on the weather in the region. Usually, winter varieties are dug up in early August, and summer varieties in September. A sure sign that it's time to harvest the roots is the yellowing of the tops. On small plots, vegetables can be harvested by hand; on plots of 1 hectare, it is better to use a mechanized harvesting method.
The next stage is treatment. To do this, the roots are left in the sun for several days so that they dry well. After that, they are folded under a canopy for 15-20 days and stored at a temperature of 25 ℃. After that, you need to cut the tops. The leaves are not completely cut off, leaving a tail of 3-5 cm.
For storage in braids, the garlic is not trimmed at all. In a city apartment, summer varieties can be stored at room temperature, winter varieties only on the balcony. The average storage temperature of winter varieties is 2-5 ℃.The best way to store root vegetables is in wooden boxes or linen bags. In this form, vegetables are perfectly stored until spring, without losing their quality indicators.
How long your garlic harvest will be stored directly depends on the variety and compliance with the rules. Throughout the winter period, you need to sort out root crops, discard rotten and empty heads. The seed should be stored separately. It is recommended to put it in boxes and sprinkle it with salt or ash.
Final part
How much root crops you collect from 1 hectare of your plot will depend on several factors:
- soil composition;
- climatic conditions;
- correct cultivation and care;
- correct storage of planting material.
The average yield per hectare on chernozems is 45 tons, on heavy soils, subject to all agricultural rules, it is 10 tons per hectare. The introduction of peat and sand will help improve the quality of the soil.
To grow a rich harvest, you need to choose the right crop for growing in your area because these root crops have a rather long adaptation period, at least 2 years. The culture responds well to regular feeding, abundant watering and loosening. To grow large heads, you need to cut the arrows 15-20 cm in time.
When growing winter varieties, the soil must be mulched to protect the planting from freezing. Garlic is considered the most fertile and unpretentious crop. It is grown all over the world.