The garlic in the garden is turning yellow - what to water and feed with?

Garlic turns yellow in the garden after winter - reasons

It is good if the process began in the second half of summer, when harvesting time is approaching. This is natural, the crop is ripe and ready for harvest. But if this happens soon after germination or in May, the necessary measures must be taken immediately. Otherwise, you can’t even dream of a good harvest.

There are several reasons why the tips of leaves begin to turn yellow.

Early planting of garlic before winter;
Spring return frosts;
Lack of nutrients;
Lack of moisture;
Putrefactive diseases;
Pests.

Is feeding really necessary in May?

If the garlic shows vigorous shoots, a pleasant green color and does not hint at pests at all, then there is no need to apply fertilizer. Excess nitrogen causes the crop to accumulate nitrates, which are harmful to health. Too much phosphorus will reduce yields. All elements must be in moderation!

When garlic leaves turn yellow, it is better to fertilize them by watering. This way the plant will absorb all the beneficial substances much faster. Spraying is carried out in the evening in dry weather. Drops of water concentrate the sun's rays, so spraying on a hot day will lead to burns.

What to do if garlic turns yellow (what to water and feed)

Winter garlic must be planted before winter no earlier than mid-October and no later than the end of November. Of course, it all depends on the specific region where you live. The main criterion is the temperature during the last two weeks before planting (+10+12ºС), approximately 3-4 weeks before persistent cold weather. During this period, the planting material will have time to take root and at the same time quietly go into the winter.

With the onset of spring days, there are often return frosts, so a slight frost can leave yellowness. If there is a chance of frost in the spring, as soon as green feathers appear, water the plants with growth-stimulating preparations, for example, Epin-Extra, Zircon. They not only strengthen the immune system, but also restore weakened plants. And then cover the bed with spunbond or other covering material. Remove the protective cover as soon as the threat of frost has passed. And you will see that the garlic is green and feels great.

During the period of active growth, the vegetable must be looked after. The soil must be constantly loose to allow air access to the roots. Loosen the soil to a depth of no more than 4-5 cm so as not to damage the roots. This is the prevention of the development of putrefactive diseases. Bulbs love moist soil, but waterlogging will also not have the best effect.

Agrotechnical preventive methods

It is known that yellowing of garlic stems is easier to prevent than to deal with this problem later. To do this, it is recommended to observe the following preventive measures:

Select only healthy planting material and disinfect it with a five percent solution of potassium permanganate;
When planting, alternate rows of garlic and carrots, which the onion fly cannot tolerate;
Thyme, mint, and calendula are planted around the beds to prevent many pests;
Garlic is replanted in its original place after at least 5 years;
Its predecessor should not be potatoes or onions;
The formation of a dense crust after rain or watering is not allowed, so loosening and removing weeds is carried out constantly.

Fresh juicy leaves of young garlic in the spring help to cope with vitamin deficiency, so it is necessary to monitor the condition of this garden crop and take emergency measures at the slightest sign of yellowing.

How to treat garlic so it doesn't turn yellow

Grown garlic needs feeding. It is carried out in accordance with the schedule and the condition of the plants. The first fertilizing is carried out with nitrogen fertilizers. Plants after winter especially need such feeding, because thanks to it the green mass of plants increases. Feed it with urea (carbamide). Make grooves along the plantings and pour dry fertilizer granules there, and then immediately fill the grooves back with soil. After this, water the plantings very well so that the granules dissolve in the ground. But it is better to feed with a solution. To do this, dissolve 25-30 g of granules in 10 liters of water and water the plantings.

If you do not want to use mineral fertilizers, apply the first fertilizing with herbal infusion. Fill the mowed grass with warm water and leave under a closed lid for about 5-7 days (depending on the air temperature). It’s a good idea to add wood ash and superphosphate to the grass. After a few days, especially in warm weather, the infusion will foam and smell unpleasant, which means it is ready. Now dilute 1 liter of infusion in 10 liters of water and can be used for feeding.

If the garlic has been exposed to frost, spray the plants with Zircon. It is a powerful antidepressant for plants. It will help the plant recover faster and begin to grow actively. It should be sprayed every 5-7 days. Dilute 1 ml of the drug in 10 liters of water and process.

Preventing yellowing of garlic leaves

It is not difficult to prevent yellowing of garlic - in addition to the above recommendations regarding the time and depth of planting the cloves, it is enough to follow a few more simple rules regarding the selection of the site and processing of the seed.

Correct selection and preparation of sowing site

For garlic, areas with light sandy loam or loamy soils located in a well-lit area are best suited. In addition, the selected area should not be swampy, so make sure that the groundwater lies at a depth of at least 1.5 m. A month before planting, the soil must be fertilized, so add the following fertilizers per m2: humus (5-6 kg) + double superphosphate (1 tbsp) + potassium sulfate (2 tbsp) + wood ash (250–350 g, and if you deoxidized the soil, then 150–200 g). If the soil is heavy, for example, clay, then also add sand at the rate of 3–5 kg/m2.

Soil deoxidation

Garlic prefers areas with low or neutral acidity levels, so if necessary, 5–7 days before applying the main fertilizer complex, scatter ash (300–350 g/m2) or dolomite (350–400 g/m2), and then dig up the area.

It is advisable to carry out deoxidation if a light coating appears on the soil surface, horsetail, moss or meadow grass grows well, or rusty water accumulates in the pits.

The use of ash helps not only to deoxidize the soil, but also to enrich it with useful substances

Compliance with crop rotation

It is advisable to plant garlic in its original place after 3–4 years. If you do not have the opportunity to fertilize the area, then try not to grow garlic where beets and carrots previously grew, since they greatly deplete the soil. For the same reason, you cannot plant garlic in an area previously occupied by tomatoes, radishes and radishes, as well as onions of all varieties, since in this case there is a high risk of not only a lack of nutrients, but also infection with common diseases and pests (onion fly, onion nematode, fusarium).

How to pour ammonia over garlic

If for some reason you cannot fertilize your garlic with organic or mineral fertilizers, ammonia will come to your aid. Its use for bulbous crops simultaneously performs several functions. It revives the plant after returning spring frosts, acts as a nitrogen fertilizer and also repels pests, most often the onion fly, with its pungent odor.

For feeding, the working solution is prepared in a ratio of 2 tbsp. l. ammonia per 10 liters of water. Treatment is carried out only on damp soil after watering or rain, otherwise the tender roots can be burned. By feeding the plants with ammonia solution, you will quickly notice how the stunted plant comes to life and turns green.

Causes of yellowing

Garlic begins to turn yellow at the ends, then gradually changes color completely. Development stops, and the garlic does not grow to the desired size, and sometimes stops growing altogether.

Reasons for this problem:

presence of pests;
plant damage by diseases;
non-compliance with irrigation (water regime);
lack of nutrients;
weather conditions (frost);
lack of nitrogen, magnesium and potassium in the soil;
violation of correct landing;

Folk remedies for feeding garlic

Garlic is very fond of potassium and phosphorus fertilizers. And their deficiency can also cause yellowing of the leaves. When the feathers reach 10-15 cm, it should be fed with wood ash, which is rich not only in potassium, but also in magnesium and phosphorus. The soil is raked away from the bulbs, dry ash is added there and covered back with earth. But there is no need to hill up the plant; on the contrary, it will delay the development of the bulbs. In addition, the presence of potassium, phosphorus and magnesium promotes the formation of heads.

Garlic does not grow well in acidic soils. Wood ash not only enriches and saturates the plant with useful microelements. At the same time, it disinfects and deoxidizes the soil. To deoxidize the soil, sprinkle ash onto well-moistened soil, cover it while loosening it, and water it well again with clean water. Or prepare an ash solution. Pour boiling water over 1 glass of ash and let it brew for a day. Then filter and bring the volume to 10 liters. Water at the root at the rate of 1 cup (200 l) per plant.

Yeast feeding will be no less useful. Yeast, a single-celled protozoan fungus, does not contain any useful microelements. However, once in the soil, they begin to process organic residues in it. When they decompose, nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus are produced and released into the soil in large quantities. And this is exactly what plants need for their growth and development. When feeding garlic, it is important to follow the dosage.

To prepare the mother liquor, dilute 100 g of pressed fresh yeast in 2-3 warm water, add 100 g of sugar, stir. As soon as the cap rises, dilute 1 liter of yeast mash in a bucket of warm (not hot) water. Or dilute a packet of dry yeast in 1 liter of warm water, add sugar. Leave for a while for the yeast to ferment. And then dilute this starter in 10 liters of water. To prepare the working solution, dilute the stock solution in a ratio of 1:5 and feed the plants.

Before fertilizing with yeast, thoroughly water the bed with garlic, sprinkle the soil with ash and pour 1 liter of yeast solution per plant.

In conclusion, I will add that the yellowness of garlic leaves may be one of the symptoms of a disease, of which this vegetable has many. These are bottom rot, neck and white rot, viral mosaic, etc. I have already written about one, rust on garlic. Pests also cause a lot of trouble. Pest larvae, eating up tender roots, deprive the plant of nutrients, and it gradually dies.

Dear readers, perhaps my advice will help you if the garlic in your garden begins to turn yellow. Everyone wants to grow large onions, without which it is rarely possible to prepare a tasty dish, be it borscht or oven-baked chicken.

Have a good harvest!

Garlic diseases

Each disease is accompanied by its own set of symptoms, but they are all united by the appearance of yellowness. Yellow leaves are most often one of the first phenomena. By catching the disease right away, there is a greater chance of curing the plant in time.

downy mildew;
fusarium;
white rot;
mosaic;
black, green and blue mold;
rust.

Plantings can be attacked by various bacteria, fungi and viruses.

To reduce the risk of infection, it is recommended to treat the cloves before planting. To do this, use a weak solution of potassium permanganate or the long-tested “Fitosporin”.

Improper watering

Lack of moisture, as well as its excess, is harmful to plants. Garlic reacts to this with the same yellowing of the leaves. It tolerates drought better, but is not able to completely do without watering. On average, garlic beds require abundant irrigation once a week. The greatest need for moisture is observed in the crop in May - June.

If the season is dry and there is no rain, planting spring and especially winter garlic in the spring should be watered from the first warm days. During a rainy season, the procedure may not be carried out.

Answers to frequently asked questions

What ammonia should I use?

A very ordinary bottle, which can be bought at any pharmacy, will do. And don't be alarmed if the pharmacist gives you a bottle labeled "Ammonia." Everything is correct.

Is it possible to replace ammonia with something?

Any nitrogen fertilizer will do: urea, “green manure”, etc. But remember that the active solution from these products must be diluted in accordance with the instructions.

How often can this product be used?

During the growing season once every 10 days. But, if your garlic grows in good soil and the feathers do not turn yellow, then you can reduce the number of feedings to 1-2 per month.

Is ammonia harmful to garlic?

Absolutely not. This is a drug that does not affect the plant at all in terms of accumulation of nitrates, deterioration of taste, etc. This is an environmentally friendly and safe feeding.

Are there any restrictions on the use of ammonia?

Ammonia will not work if used at temperatures below 10 degrees. There is no need to work in the sun yet - the plants may get burned. If we talk about the worker, then you need to protect your respiratory system and not breathe directly above the solution. Also, it is better not to trust the treatment to people with hypertension or, conversely, low blood pressure.

Dosage, proportions and stages of watering with ammonia

Conventionally, all feeding of garlic with ammonia can be divided into 3 stages:

Preventive treatment during planting (spring varieties) and when leaves appear (winter varieties).
Current feeding.
Measures to eliminate nitrogen deficiency in garlic.

At each stage, the dosage of the drug differs slightly. Let's look at them all.

First stage

The first time ammonia is used is for prevention. Plantings are watered with ammonia water. The dosage is as follows: 45 ml per 1 bucket of water.

Second phase

During the growing season, regular feeding of garlic is carried out. Fertilizers are applied every one and a half to two weeks. You can water the beds, or you can spray them. The dosage is as follows: 30 ml per 1 bucket of water.

Third stage

If you observe a lack of nitrogen, then carry out both watering and spraying. The dosage is increased to 45 - 60 ml of pharmaceutical ammonia per 1 bucket of water.

When to feed garlic with ammonia in the spring?

Spring garlic is processed when planting. Just pour the solution over the planted cloves. This variety is then fed when feathers appear. Treatments can be carried out until harvest every 1.5 - 2 weeks.

Winter varieties are fed starting from the second to third ten days of April (for the Middle Zone), when the temperature is around 15 degrees. In the northern regions, fertilizing begins a little later (in May), and in the South - a little earlier (in early April).

IMPORTANT! It is necessary to feed garlic on warm days so that nitrogen is absorbed by the plant.

The following fertilizing of winter garlic is carried out only when signs of nitrogen deficiency appear (we will discuss them below). At the same time, it is more effective to carry out foliar treatment.