Feeding garlic: what, how and when to feed garlic

Feeding garlic (methods)

Garlic contains a bunch of vitamins and minerals, but this is only if all the basic rules (technologies) were followed when growing. But feeding garlic is one of those rules without which real success can never be achieved. The only exception is chernozem soils.

Organic fertilizers. This is the most popular method because it is completely safe for humans and the environment. Organic matter includes
: manure, compost, humus, ash and peat.
Complex mineral fertilizers are considered the second most popular. And this is because they contain 2 or 3 main elements at once. They may also contain microelements.
Single-component mineral fertilizers. For example, such as ammonium nitrate or superphosphate.
Folk remedies (ammonia, yeast, iodine, milk).
Also, fertilizing can be root (watered at the root) and foliar (sprayed on the leaf).

Find out everything about growing garlic here.

Fertilizers during planting

Fertilizer for garlic is applied during digging in the fall. Humus or compost, as well as mineral mixtures, are suitable. The soil should have a lot of potassium and phosphorus. Before the onset of cold weather, the seeds must have time to take root, and for this they need phosphorus. When planting garlic in the fall, organic or mineral fertilizers are used:

wood ash in the form of a solution so that it decomposes faster in the soil;

phosphate rock - applied once every 3 years;

superphosphate;

compost provides 40% of the need for phosphorus, so you can add some mineral fertilizer at the same time.

Organic for garlic

Organic fertilizers are created by nature itself, and that is why they do not pose a danger to people, wildlife and insects. The use of organic matter makes the soil more fertile, loose and light. Organic fertilizers have the ability to work in the soil for a long period of time. And this is explained by the fact that such fertilizers must first rot. After this, the organic matter begins to release nutrients to the plants. The following article will describe the main organic fertilizers.

On a note!
Organics can be called any waste products of cattle (manure), or products of plant origin (peat).

Manure

Manure is the oldest organic fertilizer, which in Russia until the twentieth century was considered the number one fertilizer. At that time, peasants fertilized their gardens exclusively with manure.

Manure can come from cows, horses, pigs, sheep and rabbits. There is also manure from poultry (chickens, geese and turkeys). By the way

, bird droppings are considered the most concentrated, and therefore the most useful. All these manures have different composition and smell. And any manure contains such basic macroelements as nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. Their quantity in different manure is different. And manure also contains microelements such as silicon, chlorine, magnesium and sulfur, which are also contained in different quantities.

Rotted manure is usually used because most often any vegetables do not like fresh manure. Important

: half-rotted manure can be applied in the fall when digging, but in the spring you only need to apply well-rotted manure.

On a note!
Fresh manure poses such a danger: it may contain various fungal infections, weed seeds and larvae of harmful insects.

Most often, manure is fertilized during autumn digging of the site. There is no need to embed manure deeply; 30 cm - 40 cm is enough. On average, per 1 square meter. m goes 1 bucket of manure. Alternatively, you can simply scatter manure around the area in the fall, and then the consumption increases to 1.5 buckets per 1 sq. m. m. And all because in the open air, manure loses some of its nitrogen.

Using fresh manure

Feeding garlic with mullein solution. It is diluted with water in a ratio of 1 to 5. Next, we infuse the solution for a week. And then dilute 1 liter of this solution with 10 liters of water and water it, being careful not to get it on the garlic leaves.
The second most popular is bird droppings, which are added 1 to 20 and allowed to ferment for a week. This solution is diluted 1 to 1.

Important point

: superphosphate or ash added to the solution improves the effect of its use.

Compost

One of the natural organic fertilizers is compost, which contains a bunch of macro and microelements. This fertilizer is completely safe for humans, animals and the environment, and all because compost is obtained through natural processes.

What is compost

?
Plant residues rotted together with manure. Compost is similar to soil, but unlike it, it is many times more nutritious. It contains nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum and boron. An important point
: composts differ strikingly from each other in terms of nutritional value. And also, the longer the compost is cooked, the more nutritious it becomes.

Properly prepared compost must burn out at a temperature of 60 ° C - 70 ° C. In this case, various pathogenic infections and larvae of harmful insects, as well as weed seeds, die. Combustion occurs only with the correct ratio of nitrogenous (1 part) and carbon-containing (3 parts) components. Nitrogenous substances include fresh mown grass and tops from various vegetables. But dry leaves and grass, straw and sawdust are considered carbon-containing.

On a note!
An excess of nitrogenous components can lead to rotting, in which case you just need to add dry carbon-containing components. This is the only way to start the combustion process. And yet, feeding garlic with compost is done in the same way as with manure.

How to make compost

The basis for a compost heap is a plot of fertile soil rich in microorganisms and earthworms.
We lay a layer of plant residues on this base.
We spread manure mixed with sawdust or hay on plant debris.
And so in layers we bring the pile up to 1.5 m in height.
Next, we regularly water the pile with water, but without fanaticism. The pile should not dry out.
And now we wait patiently for 8 - 12 months, and if longer, then that’s even better.

Wood ash

Fertilizing garlic (and not only it) with wood ash is used everywhere in the Russian Federation. And this is because, in addition to the ability to fertilize the soil, it also protects plants from diseases and pests.

The ash contains potassium and phosphorus, as well as trace elements such as calcium, magnesium, manganese, iron and boron. All these components are easily absorbed by plants and there is a balance between them.

Important points when using ash

High-quality ash is obtained from burning firewood, grass, branches and leaves. When burning painted boards, plastic and other production materials, impurities harmful to plants appear in the ash.
When something is burned, nitrogen and sulfur are burned, and therefore there is no nitrogen in the ash. In fact, ash is a complex potassium-phosphorus fertilizer.
You should not apply fertilizers with nitrogen and ash at the same time. And this is because ash neutralizes such fertilizers, which means they will be of no use. In this case, nitrogen-containing fertilizers can be used only 1 month after applying the ash.
The soil structure improves from the use of ash, and acidity decreases. Abuse can lead to alkalization of the soil, so we use ash without fanaticism.
Favors the development of nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
Ash can be added to clay soil in the fall, but it is poured into sandy soil immediately before planting. This is explained by the fact that it can simply be washed out of the sandy soil by rain or melt water.
And yet, ash does not dissolve in water, but it releases nutrients well.

Application of ash

Dilute 1 liter jar of ash in 10 liters of water. Next, leave for 3 days, stirring occasionally. We filter and then water or spray.
Take 1 glass of ash and brew it with 1 liter of boiling water. Then infuse for 12 hours. Next, dilute this volume with 10 liters of water and water the garlic.
The sifted ashes are used to dust the garlic and the soil around it.

Other organic fertilizers

Herbal fertilizer, which is also called fermenter. To do this, use fresh mown grass, tops from vegetables, and falling leaves from fruit trees. It is advisable to chop all the components used, this speeds up the fermentation process. For a stronger effect, potash and phosphorus fertilizers are added to the fermenter. Next, our green fertilizer should ferment for 10 days. After this, 1 liter of this solution goes to 10 liters of water, this solution is poured strictly at the root, trying not to get on the leaves.
Green manure is also considered a herbal green fertilizer. And they also enrich the soil and disinfect it. Grown green manures are simply plowed into the soil, or they are cut for mulch. The use of green manure makes the soil loose and light, while green manure helps fight some pests. They also prevent weeds from growing to their full potential.

You can also fertilize with ground eggshells, banana peels, and humates.

Fertilizing garlic with nitrogen

Fertilizing garlic with nitrogen-containing fertilizers is usually carried out at the beginning of the growing season to increase green mass. Further, when forming the heads, nitrogen will not be needed. At this stage, plants will need potassium and phosphorus. It's important to understand

that the growth of green mass during the formation of heads significantly slows down their growth and formation. And yet, you need to know that with yellow leaves, a significantly smaller amount of nutrients reaches the heads.

Signs of nitrogen starvation in garlic

The color of the leaves becomes dull.
Then they turn yellow.
The growth of the entire plant slows down, which means the heads form more slowly. And the leaves remain small in size.

On a note!
Garlic leaves may also turn yellow due to a lack of iron. Or if it is not watered regularly, and this sometimes causes the soil to dry out. Important
: with nitrogen starvation, the lower old leaves of garlic turn yellow first.

How to feed when there is a lack of nitrogen

We feed with urea, or ammonium nitrate, or ammonium sulfate. We take 1 tbsp of any of these fertilizers. l for 1 bucket of water.
You can also pour these fertilizers into the grooves between the rows of garlic in an amount of 2 g per 1 square meter. m.
For organic lovers, solutions of bird droppings or mullein are suitable. They were written about above.
Green manure.
Ammonia is also considered a good remedy for nitrogen starvation. Here, for 10 liters of water, use 2 tbsp. l ammonia. By the way
, with this method of fertilizing, nitrogen does not accumulate in the plant.

Fertilizing garlic with potassium

Feeding garlic with potassium keeps the plant cells active. Potassium is responsible for metabolism, biosynthesis and protein renewal in plant tissues. Also, thanks to potassium, the root system becomes better. And with its help, nutrients are stored in the heads. As a result, garlic acquires better product and taste qualities, as well as the ability to be better stored in the winter. By the way

, potassium increases plant immunity from diseases, and it also makes garlic more drought-resistant and cold-resistant.

Symptoms of garlic potassium starvation

Old leaves, starting from the tips, acquire a yellow-gray color.
Then the yellowness spreads to the entire leaf, followed by its death.
Plant growth slows down significantly.
The heads are poorly formed.

Methods of fertilizing with potassium

Wood ash poured into the grooves between the rows of garlic.
Or you can simply sift the ash through a sieve onto the ground around the plants (100 g per 1 sq. m).
Potassium sulfate in the amount of 2 tbsp. l per 10 liters of water (30 g - 40 g). Any fertilizer with potassium will do except potassium chloride.

Feeding garlic with phosphorus

Feeding garlic with phosphorus plays a key role for the plant. And all because phosphorus directly affects the development of the root system, as well as metabolic processes. This means that it participates in the construction of cells and also contributes to the formation of heads.

On a note!
Most often, phosphorus deficiency occurs in early spring, and this is because phosphorus is absorbed from cold soil 10 times worse.

Signs of phosphorus starvation

The growth of the entire plant slows down significantly.
All parts of the plant become dull.
The leaves become dark green, and later they turn purple.
Then they dry out, then turn black and finally die. Important
! When garlic is starved of phosphorus, the leaves do not turn yellow at all, and this is the main difference.

Feeding during phosphorus starvation

Fertilizers with phosphorus (superphosphate) are usually applied in the fall when digging the site (60 g - 70 g per 1 sq. m). And if this turned out to be not enough, then you can also add in the spring in the amount of 5 g - 15 g per 1 sq. m. m plot.
Or they feed it like this: add 1 tbsp to 1 liter of boiling water. l superphosphate and leave for 24 hours. Next, this volume is diluted with 1 bucket of water and boldly watered over the garlic.

Fertilizing garlic with complex fertilizers

Fertilizers that contain 2 or 3 main components are considered complex. The main components include nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, and they are contained in fertilizers in different proportions. There may also be only two components in the fertilizer.

And yet, there are fertilizers that contain microelements in addition to the main elements. For example these

, like copper, molybdenum, iron, zinc and magnesium. There are fertilizers on sale that are created specifically for growing garlic and onions. With such fertilizers, the ratio of all macro and microelements is balanced, and sometimes even adjusted to a certain growing period. Everything in them is designed for the successful development and growth of plants. Most often, by using such fertilizers correctly, gardeners receive decent harvests.

What are the types of complex fertilizers?

Fertilizers with 2 components. Diammophos, containing nitrogen and phosphorus in a ratio of 18:47. Monophosphate, containing potassium and phosphorus in a ratio of 28:23. Ammophos, which contains nitrogen and phosphorus (12:52).

On a note!
Diammophos and diammofoska are different fertilizers. The ending “KA” says that the fertilizer contains potassium, but diammophos has only 2 components.

Fertilizers with 3 main elements. Diammofosk containing 10A/26F/26K or 9A/25F/25K, while it contains microelements such as zinc, iron, calcium, magnesium, sulfur. Or nitrophoska, which contains 15:15:15 or 16:16:16 (N:P:K). Azofoska (nitroammofoska) comes in the following ratio (N:P:K): 16:16:16, 19:19:19, 22:11:11.
Complex fertilizers created specifically for growing garlic and onions. For example, these are
: Cinderella, Tsibulya, “Onions and Garlic” from Fusco, Agricola-2, Reflex, Radiance, Baikal.

Fertilizing with folk remedies

Feeding garlic with yeast. Yeast itself contains fungi, proteins and amino acids. They do not contain macro and microelements. Yeast fungi activate the soil, and as a result, the digestibility of nutrients improves significantly. And this makes the development and growth of plants better. Important point
: before feeding with yeast, you can feed the garlic with potassium and calcium, and this is because these are the elements that the yeast helps the plant absorb best.
How to cook
: 100 g of yeast are diluted in 1 liter of warm water and add 2 tbsp. l granulated sugar. Then leave for 24 hours and dilute this volume with 10 liters of water. Next we water it at the roots.
Ammonia in the amount of 1.5 tbsp. l diluted in 5 liters of water. By the way
, you need to use the solution immediately, otherwise the ammonia will evaporate.
If you suspect nitrogen starvation, when the garlic begins to turn yellow, you can correct the situation with ammonia. Usually it is watered at the root, but if you reduce the concentration, then you can spray it on the leaf. Important
: ammonia not only enriches the soil with nitrogen, it also repels pests.
Hydrogen peroxide. The drug has disinfecting properties, which means it will protect plants from diseases. Also, peroxide enriches the soil with oxygen, which promotes the growth and development of garlic.

Also used for fertilizing

: iodine, saline solution, bread, whey and milk, baking soda.

Timing of fertilizing spring and winter garlic (differences)

Fertilizing both spring and winter garlic is done with the same fertilizers. It's garlic, and in Africa it's garlic. The differences here are only in the timing of fertilizing.

Winter garlic

. This kind of garlic is tastier, sharper and larger than spring garlic, but it is much worse stored in winter. Winter garlic is planted in late autumn just before frost, so that it has time to take root. It definitely shouldn’t germinate, otherwise it will die in the winter. Thus, such garlic sprouts almost immediately after the snow melts. And even then (immediately after the snow melts) it is fed with nitrogen-containing fertilizers for the first time.

Spring garlic

It is planted in early spring, and therefore there is no need to feed it during this period. For spring, the first fertilizing is carried out when the plant has 3 or 4 leaves.

On a note!
All subsequent feedings for both winter and spring crops are carried out 3 weeks after the first feeding. At the same time, the same fertilizers are used for any garlic.

As we understand, fertilizing for any garlic is the same, only the timing of fertilizing is shifted. Further in the article, fertilizing will be discussed in more detail.

Garlic fertilizing scheme

First
feeding of garlic
. After the snow melts, and when stable positive temperatures are established, any garlic begins to grow actively. And at this time, plants necessarily require fertilizing with nitrogen to increase green mass.

Feeding methods

Mineral fertilizers such as urea, ammonium nitrate or ammonium sulfate. Any fertilizer take 1 tbsp. l per 10 liters of water and water at the root.
Solutions of mullein or bird droppings.

On a note!
Ammonium sulfate is a fertilizer that promotes soil acidity. We mean it.

Second feeding

should take place 3 weeks after the first (approximately in May), and it has the same goals, but at this time garlic already needs potassium and phosphorus. Also during this period, weeds begin to actively grow and draw nutrients from the soil.

How to feed a second time

Nitroammophoska and nitrophoska. Any of these fertilizers take 2 tbsp. spoons per 1 bucket of water. On average per 1 sq. m area should be 4 liters of solution.
Mullein solution.

Third feeding

carried out in the summer 3 weeks after the second. At this stage, we exclude nitrogen completely, or add it very little. At this stage of development, garlic mainly needs potassium and phosphorus to form large heads. At the same time, normally fed heads are stored better.

Feeding recipes

Superphosphate 1 tbsp. l and 200 g of ash per 1 bucket of water.
Or superphosphate 30 g and potassium salt 15 g per 10 liters of water.
Complex fertilizers specifically for onions and garlic, mentioned above, are also suitable.

On a note!
Foliar feeding is done at a concentration 2 times lower. And they are indispensable in rainy weather, when the soil is very wet. But they cannot replace full-fledged root feeding. And yet, they can help if you need to quickly fill in some deficiency. Substances enter the plant faster through the leaves.

The best fertilizers in spring and autumn

Organic (ash and manure)

Fresh manure works very well as a top dressing, but it is not recommended to apply it in the fall: the heads will become loose, and the plant itself will be susceptible to fungal diseases. In addition, manure will provoke active growth of green mass , and the heads will remain small. It is best to feed the beds with slurry in the spring, diluting with water in a ratio of 1:6, repeating 2-3 times throughout the entire growing season.

Wood ash is great for fertilizing garlic.

An excellent organic fertilizer is ash. It is added along with compost during digging or added directly to the furrows during planting. A couple of weeks after planting, you can pour in a solution of ash: 1 tablespoon per 1 liter of water, 2-3 liters per square meter. m landings. Wood ash is a complete complex fertilizer consisting of a set of microelements; its application promotes the growth of large heads.

Feeding with chemicals

Chemical mineral fertilizers also have a very good effect on the growth and development of heads. Before planting in the fall, it is necessary to fertilize the soil with superphosphate and potassium salts. Potassium will help form a powerful root system of cloves before the onset of cold weather, when the soil is still warm enough, and this will allow plants to withstand winter cold well.

Nitrogen-containing organic matter or nitrogen fertilizers cannot be applied in the fall - after all, nitrogen causes active growth of green mass of plants, and winter vegetables do not need this. But we must remember that in the spring they fertilize with nitrogen before germination.

Potassium salts are especially useful in autumn

The most useful in the fall will be potassium salts, double superphosphate, potassium sulfate, nitrophoska - at your discretion. It is best to apply them comprehensively, mixing with ash and organic fertilizers - humus or compost.

What kind of green manure to plant?

Since garlic responds very well to organic matter and “green” predecessors, and loves fertile and well-fertilized soils, it goes without saying that using green manure as a fertilizer will be very useful.

The land where the bed will be located should be free of crops around the end of July . And immediately green manure plants are sown on it - legumes, cereals (rye, barley), but the best option is mustard or phacelia.

The roots and all the green mass of these plants contain a large amount of phytoncides and essential oils, which are destructive to many pests and eradicate viral and fungal diseases. Phacelia very quickly gains green mass - in 1.5 months up to 200-300 kg per hundred square meters (equivalent to 250 kg of mullein per hundred square meters).

Three weeks before planting the crop, green manure crops are mowed (before flowering begins), the bed is dug up and young greenery is planted in the soil to a depth of 15-20 cm. You can water the bed for faster decomposition of biomass, which will saturate the soil with all the necessary microelements: nitrogen, phosphorus , potassium, calcium and others necessary for the vegetable to grow and develop.

Basic rules of fertilizing

Fertilizing garlic promotes the growth and development of plants, so it has a key role in cultivation. To obtain a rich harvest, plants must receive many different nutrients, but fertilizing does just that. However, there are some general rules, following which you can be guaranteed to get a rich harvest of garlic. Are we watching?

Fresh manure definitely cannot be used for fertilizing. It can only be used in the form of aqueous solutions. And these solutions must be fermented for a week before being used.
Fertilizers with nitrogen are used only at the beginning of the season to increase green mass. Otherwise, the leaves will grow to the detriment of the head.
Root feeding is carried out exclusively on moist soil (water in advance). This way we avoid burns to the roots. At the same time, make sure that the solutions do not get on the leaves.
After fertilizing, it is advisable to loosen the soil.
There should be 3 feedings during the season.
We stop feeding and watering the garlic 3 - 4 weeks before harvesting. Thus, garlic is better stored in winter.
We use only freshly prepared solutions. And all because harmful compounds can form in solutions due to the action of sunlight. It is also important that they are at ambient temperature.

Good luck to you!

Determination of soil acidity

The best choice for garlic would be neutral or slightly acidic soil . When analyzing soil acidity, the pH should be above the neutral value of 6.5. An indicator of acidity is the weeds growing on the soil chosen for planting.

The presence of plantain, mint, and buttercup indicates that the soil acidity is increased. If the soil is neutral or slightly acidic, nettles, cornflowers, clover, and chamomile grow on it.

There are ways to determine soil acidity:

Soil meter. Using a special device, you can accurately determine the condition of the soil.
Vinegar. If you pour vinegar on a handful of soil, bubbles should appear on its surface. If this does not happen, then the acidity is increased.
Currant, cherry or bird cherry leaves. The leaves of any of these plants are poured with boiling water, wait for the water to cool, and add soil to it. If the color of the water changes to red, it means that the acidity is increased. If it turns green, the soil is neutral. If the water turns blue, this indicates that the soil is slightly acidic.

When the soil is highly acidic , plants are unable to absorb nutrients. Garlic roots practically do not develop in acidic soils.