How to feed winter garlic in the spring, planted before winter, and whether feeding is needed in this case, will be discussed in detail in this article.
Often, winter planting technology is used to cultivate garlic. However, the harvest is not always abundant. This is due to an incorrect fertilizer application schedule. The crop is considered unpretentious, but it must be properly fertilized, especially at the beginning of the season, when growth is intensified.
In addition to chemicals, winter garlic can be fertilized with folk remedies - yeast, chicken droppings, ash, ammonia, etc. In May and April, it is necessary to properly care for the seedlings. Then you can get a rich harvest of garlic.
A few words about crop care
Garlic contains esters, phytoncides, and improves the quality of the soil on which it grows. Thanks to the microelements it contains, the vegetable kills pathogenic microbes and viruses, has a positive effect on the human immune system, prevents the risk of cancer cells, improves cardiac function, and effectively fights fungal infections.
Garlic loves careful attention, so in order for it to sprout immediately after the snow melts and begin to grow actively, begin to bear fruit on time and be large, it must be planted where tomatoes, pumpkins, zucchini, cabbage, cucumbers, and beans used to grow. Winter garlic is planted in the fall; planting activities are carried out a month and a half before the onset of frost. Previously, in order to increase nutritional value, rotted humus or compost is added to the soil for planting the crop. Harvest in the summer, immediately after the first signs of drying of the leaves appear.
Possible causes of yellowing garlic leaves:
Nutritional deficiency. If the ends of the leaves turn yellow, the plants are most likely experiencing a lack of nitrogen or potassium. The application of complex mineral fertilizer will help solve the problem.
Frost. If the garlic freezes due to a sudden cold snap, the hatched leaves become yellowish. Growth stimulants - “Zircon” or “Epin” - help to save the situation.
Acidified soil. Garlic does not grow well in acidic soils. If it turns yellow, you need to measure the pH level. If it is high, you need to scatter dolomite flour over the beds - 300 g per 1 square meter. m.
Water scarcity. In the absence of rain, yellowing may occur. To prevent this from happening, it is important to water your garlic beds every 7-10 days.
To prevent garlic from turning yellow and growing large, in addition to conventional mineral and organic fertilizers, you can use ready-made concentrated preparations. Beginning gardeners especially like to use them, as they allow not only to quickly prepare a solution, but also to obtain an almost instant and long-term effect.
Organic fertilizers
Natural fertilizers are necessary for garden bulb crops. The main advantages of this feeding are:
- safety;
- high nutritional value;
- ability to accumulate in soil.
They need to be used in doses - every 3-4 years, so as not to burn the root system and destroy the seedlings.
Mullein
To feed winter garlic, make a mullein solution by diluting the organic product with water in a ratio of 1:7. Water the plot of land with nutrient liquid when the snow has completely melted and the seeds have sprouted. Apply fertilizing once during the entire growing season.
Chicken droppings
For garlic, chicken manure as a fertilizer has a number of positive properties. He is capable of:
- restore normal soil acidity;
- create favorable conditions for the development of beneficial microorganisms;
- increase the resistance of seedlings to bad external factors.
This fertilizer is non-toxic, does not burn plant roots (if prepared correctly), is economical and effective. To prepare it, you need to mix 500-600 g of stale chicken manure with 10 liters of water, let it brew, then re-dilute it with water in a ratio of 1:10 and water it.
What to use for spring feeding of garlic
Fertilizing garlic does not require the use of specialized products. Traditional mineral and organic compositions are suitable for the culture. They can be used both in combination and separately. The time for carrying out such procedures must be chosen carefully, since the crop does not like excessive moisture and can rot from excess moisture. It is recommended to combine watering garlic plantings with fertilizing. Fertilizers are applied according to the scheme, alternating mineral complexes and organic matter.
After the nutrient solution is absorbed into the soil, the row spacing needs to be loosened.
After fertilizing, the row spacing needs to be loosened
Mineral fertilizers
When cultivating onion crops, simple and complex mineral fertilizers are used. In stores you can find complex formulations that contain several components. The use of such substances is more justified in the industrial method of growing garlic in large areas. But summer residents also use minerals when it is not possible to use organic fertilizers.
At the very beginning of the growing season, when leaves are actively growing, garlic requires nitrogen. Urea (urea) or ammonium nitrate (ammonium nitrate) are used as highly concentrated nitrogen-containing fertilizers.
Urea is a fertilizer with a high nitrogen content
Minerals are diluted with water in the following proportions:
- urea - 10–12 g, water - 10 l;
- ammonium nitrate - 8-10 g, urea - 6-7 g, water - 10 l;
- ammonium nitrate - 18–20 g, water -10 l.
You can use any of the solutions. The approximate consumption of the working composition is 1 bucket per 5 m2 of planting. It should be remembered that ammonium nitrate should be handled with care, since this substance becomes very hot in sunlight. A fire may occur if diluted ammonium nitrate comes into contact with sawdust, peat or dry straw.
Ammonium nitrate must be used with caution
During the period of formation and ripening of heads, garlic needs elements such as potassium and phosphorus. For secondary fertilizing, use complex fertilizers: nitroammophosphate, nitrophoska or potassium salt. They are bred as follows:
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- potassium salt - 18–20 g, 10 l of water;
- nitrophoska - 30–35 g, 10 l of water;
- nitroammophoska - 60 g, 10 l of water (consumption - 10 l per 2 m2).
Potassium salt is rich in potassium
At subsequent stages, it is recommended to use simple phosphorus fertilizers (superphosphate, double superphosphate, etc.). granules are dissolved in water in the following ratio:
- superphosphate - 30–35 g, water - 10 l;
- double superphosphate - 30-35 g, potassium sulfate - 40-45 g, water - 10 l (consumption - 4-5 l per 1 m2).
Superphosphate is a universal and very common fertilizer.
Other complex drugs have also proven their effectiveness:
- Kemira Universal;
- Factorial;
- Hera;
- Agricola;
- Fertika et al.
Garlic can also be fertilized with other mineral fertilizers, for example, Fertika
All fertilizers must be used strictly according to the instructions included with the package.
You should not get too carried away with fertilizing, since an excess of fertilizers is also harmful and will not have a positive effect on the development and growth of garlic bulbs. You should always take into account the quality of the soil on which the crop grows. Depleted and poor soils must be supplemented with mineral compounds throughout the growing season. Minerals should be added to rich and loose soil only during active plant growth.
On sale you can find fertilizers designed specifically for onions and garlic.
Experienced vegetable growers advise paying attention to the appearance and condition of the vegetable. Pale foliage and yellowing feather tips may indicate a micronutrient deficiency. But this phenomenon can also be caused by bacterial infections or pest attacks.
On our site the soil is quite loose and oily. We try not to use chemical mineral compounds unless absolutely necessary and usually make do with natural organic matter. We dig up the bed for garlic and onions with the addition of good humus, and then mulch the emerging shoots with peat, humus, or even freshly cut lawn grass. The lawn has to be mowed often, sometimes twice a week, so there is always plenty of grass. Under the sun's rays in the garden, it dries out very quickly and after a few days turns into dust.
Video: spring feeding of garlic with inorganic fertilizers
Organic fertilizers
Natural organic fertilizers are widely used by gardeners and gardeners to feed garlic. It is believed that these substances are safe for human health, since as a result of their use, large amounts of dangerous nitrates do not accumulate in the fruit pulp. Organics are especially actively used by rural and rural residents who have constant access to them. The most popular organic fertilizers are:
- mullein;
- chicken droppings;
- wood ash;
- table salt;
- yeast;
- ammonia.
Liquid organic fertilizers are the most popular among summer residents.
Mullein
Cow manure, or mullein, has a high nitrogen content, which is especially necessary for plants at an early stage of development. But fresh manure cannot be used, as it can burn young shoots. It definitely needs to be allowed to ferment well.
The technology for preparing the working solution is as follows:
- fresh manure is placed in a container and filled with water in a ratio of 1:5;
- The container is tightly closed with a lid or covered with plastic film and tied with a rope;
- leave to ferment for at least two weeks;
- the fermented composition is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10 and the beds with garlic are watered (a bucket per 1 m2).
Mullein must be infused for two weeks
Do not allow the working solution to get on the leaves; watering should be done as carefully as possible.
Chicken droppings
To avoid burns on plant leaves, fresh chicken manure is not used. It is recommended to mix it with peat or compost and add it when digging up the site in the autumn (the amount should not exceed 50 g per 1 m2). The litter is rich in nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus; it increases the resistance of plants to various diseases, stimulates their growth, and also restores the acidity and microflora of the soil.
Chicken manure is often used to fertilize garlic.
For spring feeding, use a freshly diluted infusion of chicken fertilizer. 1 kg of litter is poured into a separate container and 15 liters of water are poured. After thorough mixing, water the garlic beds with this mixture at the rate of 10 liters per 5 m2.
At the end of the procedure, it is necessary to wash off the remaining solution from the foliage with water, otherwise burn marks may remain.
Wood ash
Ash contains a very large amount of useful substances and microelements that plants need for normal development and growth: potassium, phosphorus, cobalt, copper, manganese, boron, molybdenum, etc. Garlic grows poorly in soils with high acidity, and wood ash can reduce it .
Wood ash can be used to feed garlic in different ways.
You can apply ash fertilizers in several ways:
- Liquid root feeding. Add 1 cup of sifted wood ash to 1 bucket of water, mix well, then water the plantings;
- Foliar spraying. 0.3 kg of ash is poured into 1 liter of water, boiled for half an hour, then filtered. The solution is diluted with water, bringing the volume to 10 liters. For better adhesion, add a little grated laundry soap (50 g) to the composition and spray the plants.
- Dry. Between the rows of garlic, shallow grooves are made into which ash is poured. Then sprinkle with earth.
- Powdering. The bushes are sprinkled with crushed and sifted ash to repel pests.
Ash can simply be scattered between the rows
Ash has alkaline properties, so it should not be added to soils with a high alkaline reaction. It cannot be applied simultaneously with nitrogen-containing fertilizers, as a chemical reaction (neutralization) occurs.
Salt
Everyone remembers from school chemistry course that table salt (sodium chloride) contains sodium and chlorine. These elements in moderate quantities are also beneficial for onion crops. Pour 3 tbsp into a bucket of water. l. salt, then mix and pour under the plants; 2.5–3 liters of saline solution is enough per 1 m2. Sodium chloride is not only a good spring feeding, but also a means to combat secretive proboscis, aphids and onion flies. An aqueous solution of salt is also effective for yellowing and drying of the tips of garlic feathers.
Garlic plantings are watered with a solution of table salt.
Yeast
One small pack (100 g) of raw yeast is diluted in a bucket of lukewarm water, left for 24 hours, then filtered through cheesecloth. The resulting solution is used to water the garlic plantings at the rate of 10 liters per 3 m2. Some summer residents use a more complex composition:
- yeast (dry or wet) - 10 g;
- granulated sugar - 5–6 tbsp. l.;
- wood ash - 500 g;
- chicken droppings - 500 g.
Yeast contains nitrogen, which is very necessary for garlic in the initial stages of development.
The mixture is allowed to ferment for 2–3 hours, then diluted in a ratio of 1:10 and the beds are watered. Yeast compensates for the lack of nitrogen and stimulates root formation.
Ammonia
Ammonia contains nitrogen, which is necessary for the growth of green mass. It is used as foliar feeding. To do this, add 25 ml of alcohol to 10 liters of water, then spray the garlic tops with the solution. Ammonia is used to combat certain insect pests (wireworms, aphids, onion flies, etc.). In order for the composition to stay on the leaves longer, a bar of finely grated ordinary laundry soap is diluted in it. It is better to use hot water, as the soap will dissolve faster. Plantings are processed approximately once a week.
Ammonia not only fertilizes garlic, but also repels insect pests from plantings.
Complex fertilizers for industrial production
One of the best drugs for increasing the yield of bulbous crops is Agricola 2 for garlic and onions. Unlike other agricultural products, this substance:
- does not contain chlorine and heavy metals;
- increases soil fertility;
- reduces the amount of nitrates contained in the soil;
- reduces the culture's susceptibility to diseases and infections;
- improves the taste of the vegetable.
Agricola is available in different forms: granular, liquid, and in the form of sticks.
Fertilizer must be used in strict accordance with the instructions.
How is foliar feeding carried out?
With the help of foliar feeding, the plant immediately receives useful substances. The effect of the fertilizer is short-lived, but effective. Garlic leaves can be poured from a watering can through a sieve or sprayed with a growth stimulant. The choice is “Epina”, NV-101, “Energena” and others. You can fertilize with one of the complex compounds (“Fertika Luxie”, etc.).
Foliar feeding of garlic is relevant during cold snaps, when the temperature drops to +10 degrees. Treatment is also important during drought and heat and when it is not possible to carry out standard root watering. It is imperative to spray garlic against diseases and pests.
How and when to properly fertilize winter garlic?
Fertilizing garlic grown in open ground in the spring is carried out in three stages:
- In early spring, after the snow cover melts and the first shoots (arrows) appear, fertilization begins by adding urea.
- As a second fertilizer for garlic - half a month after the first - nitroammofoska or azofoska is used.
- In May, at the stage of head formation, the vegetable is fertilized with superphosphate. You can combine it with potassium sulfate.
If you fertilize correctly, you can get a rich harvest of garlic. In cases where the gardener does not want to use “chemistry,” green manure can be used as fertilizer.
Why do you need feeding?
The yellowing of garlic feathers may not stop even after growth stimulants are applied, watering is improved, and climatic conditions improve. In order to understand why yellowing and drying out of garlic feathers occurs, you need to dig up one or two garlic bulbs.
If there are no signs of disease or insect damage, then the main reason for poor growth is a lack of microelements. That is, the soil does not have the necessary nutrients, thanks to which one clove planted in the fall of last year will form a large multi-clawed head of garlic this year.
Why do garlic feathers turn yellow?
Common mistakes gardeners make when fertilizing garlic
Common reasons why garlic does not grow well are:
- Use of fresh manure. This can cause burns to the root system and lead to the death of the plant. Animal waste products should be used only in the form of humus. They are applied once every 3-4 years when plowing the land in the fall.
- Exceeding the norm of applied nitrogen fertilizers for garlic. Their excessive content in the soil has a detrimental effect on the crop. When feeding, the dosage must be strictly observed.
It is not recommended to apply nitrogen fertilizers in the autumn, since plants need them only at the beginning of their growth for the formation of leaves and the growth of green mass. Their use in subsequent periods of the growing season is inappropriate and worsens the fertile characteristics of the soil.
Growing garlic requires careful attention, properly selected and applied fertilizers. If a vegetable grower knows what is the best way to feed garlic and how many times per season to apply fertilizer, then he will definitely get a rich harvest of the crop in question in his garden.
Do I need to feed garlic?
Among the main agrotechnical measures on which the quality of grown garlic and the weight of the heads depends, special attention should be paid to fertilizing. After all, garlic, like all living beings, needs energy to grow. It needs a certain amount of phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium, and trace elements in order to grow healthy and form large heads and cloves. Correct distribution and dosage of fertilizers, compliance with the timing of fertilizing affect the quality of the vegetable, the development of its green mass and root system.
An effective garlic harvest is the result of the interaction between the plants and the environment in which they grow
An excess of nutrients is just as dangerous for garlic as a lack of them.
Using mineral supplements: recommendations
In order for garlic or onions to grow large, the gardener needs to pay attention to mineral fertilizers. When purchasing a drug, you need to study the methods of use.
- In order to stir the mixture, you need to select a separate container. Do not use a container that is used for cooking.
- You should not introduce too large a dose of fertilizing when preparing the components, as this may adversely affect the growth of the seedling.
- Introduce the mineral mixture only into the ground. Use the drug carefully, avoiding contact with the leaves. In case of accidental contact with the plant, it is necessary to wash the greens using a hose with a sprayer.
- Experienced gardeners apply additives immediately after evening irrigation is completed, ensuring that the fertilizer immediately seeps into the ground.
- If the soil contains a lot of sandstone, then it is better to apply multiple amounts of fertilizer, but it is better to reduce the concentration.
See also: How to store onions at home correctly
If there is a lot of clay in the ground, then you need to increase the concentration of the mixture. It is possible to combine plant and non-plant fertilizers for fertilizer, but still reduce the amount of mineral composition by 1/3.
Complex remedy "Reflex"
Some small insects also love onions and garlic. These root crops are sometimes attacked by the onion muskellunge, laying its eggs from inside the feather. In just two days, larvae emerge from them and eat the inside of the greenery. Gardeners also have to deal with the onion fly, which can completely destroy the crop. Which fertilizer for onions and garlic should I choose in this case to prevent the appearance of pests?
In such a situation, the growth stimulator for onions and garlic “Reflex” will help. The composition of this drug is complex. There are humic acids, potassium, sodium and other trace elements. “Reflex” is not only a growth stimulator, but also a pest protector. The drug is available in liquid form in dark plastic bottles. The stimulant is diluted in water (50 ml of the drug per bucket of water). Treatment of root and foliar areas is possible.
Microbiological fertilizers “Shine” and “Baikal”
Instead of mineral fertilizers and pesticides, biological fertilizers are actively used. The Novosibirsk State Agrarian University has developed a microbiological fertilizer “Shine”, which is taken from fertile soil. It perfectly restores and increases soil fertility, improves the development of onions and garlic, and promotes good preservation of the crop.
Another successful domestic development is the Baikal fertilizer, which is produced from microorganisms. Today, many gardeners give preference to such “live” feeding. It is capable of creating a new natural microenvironment in depleted soil. When considering the recommendations of the Baikal fertilizer for onions and garlic, it is important to know its composition. It includes lactic acid bacteria, yeast, nitrogen-fixing and photosynthetic bacteria. From one liter of “Baikal” you get a thousand liters of fertilizer.