Processing and fertilizing garlic with ammonia in spring

With the start of the new summer season, gardeners and gardeners head to hardware stores to purchase fertilizers for their plants.
And it is right. After all, to get a good harvest, you need to apply fertilizers. Dear readers!
For you, we have created communities on social networks in which useful articles and interesting ideas are published several times a day! Subscribe and receive useful content in a convenient format! But there is an excellent, affordable fertilizer that costs mere pennies, is available to everyone and, at the same time, is very effective. This is ammonia, which can be not only a fertilizer, but also an insecticide.

This time we will tell you how ammonia can help in feeding garlic and controlling pests.

Ammonia in gardening

Ammonia is a pharmaceutical preparation that contains nitrogen. This element is one of the main ones in the diet of any plant, from a blade of grass to a mighty oak. Nitrogen is the main source of material for increasing the volume of green mass, that is, leaves.

Therefore, ammonia is used as a nitrogen fertilizer. But not in its pure form. Still, it must be diluted with water.

As you know, ammonia is also used to bring a person to his senses in case of fainting. But if you exceed the dose, ammonia will cause a short-term cessation of breathing. This property of the drug is used to destroy parasites. Aphids are especially afraid of ammonia.

Using ammonia for garlic

Garlic is a crop that often suffers from a lack of nitrogen compounds in the soil. As a result, the feathers begin to turn yellow.

Ammonia diluted in water helps solve this problem. Another advantage of the drug is that ammonia compounds are very well absorbed by garlic. Moreover, the drug can be diluted for irrigation, or it can be sprayed from a spray bottle.

Beneficial features

Ammonia has the following advantages:

• Does not affect the quality of the crop. Nitrogen is completely absorbed by plants.
• The cheapness and availability of this product, which is available in any pharmacy.
• The working solution is very simple to prepare. The drug is non-toxic.
• Ammonia does not affect the quality of the soil in any way and does not change its composition.
• Ammonia is quickly absorbed by garlic.
• The strong smell of ammonia drives away pests.
• It is almost impossible to harm the plant with the drug. Ammonia is very volatile and evaporates quickly.

Recommendations from gardeners

Some nutrient solutions can harm garlic. To provide fertilizing, it is forbidden to take fresh mullein. Rotted mass is used to feed onions.

There is a need to combine organic and mineral elements. Nitrogen-containing preparations are always used at the start of growth to form feathers, but are not added during the formation of the head.

By maintaining the regime and volumes of nutrient use, you can get a bountiful harvest that can retain its properties for a long time.

You should also pay attention to the following tips:

• in bolting varieties, you need to trim the peduncle in a timely manner when it reaches 10 cm in length;
• to prevent diseases, the teeth should be etched with a slightly pink solution of potassium manganese before planting;
• To prevent various diseases, the planting can be sprayed with peroxide. It also works as an adaptogen.

Remember that the size of the heads depends on the variety. Study the characteristics of the plant you are growing. If the parameters indicate that a mature bulb reaches 50-60 g, it is impossible to obtain a harvest of 100 gram heads. If desired, you can find a large-fruited variety that has similar taste qualities.

Garlic seems like an undemanding plant, but it is not. For a good harvest, you need to take into account all the subtleties and nuances. Fertilizing, loosening the soil, weeding and other procedures must be carried out on time. If you ignore any rules, the collection will not be abundant.

We must remember that classical care is not enough for a good harvest.

It is important to use the correct agricultural technology. The gardener should focus on the planting dates recommended for his region regarding winter and spring crops

The peduncles of bolting garlic must be removed (broken out), otherwise the underground part will not be complete. Consequently, timely fertilizing, of course, increases productivity, but it does not guarantee success if other rules are ignored.

Elena Vasilyeva

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.

Signs of nitrogen starvation

How to understand that there is not enough nitrogen in the soil and garlic needs fertilizer. Like any other vegetable crop, it signals a problem through external manifestations. Here are the main signs of nitrogen deficiency:

• small feathers;
• slow head formation;
• limp, yellowed feather;
• pale color of the stem.

The yellow color of the leaves sometimes signals a lack of iron, and also if the gardener rarely waters the garlic bed and the soil often dries out. The difference between nitrogen starvation is the yellowing of old leaves first and young leaves second.

Let's figure out why a lack of nitrogen is dangerous for crops. You won't be able to get a good harvest. Due to the gradual yellowing of the leaves, less nutrients reach the head; they are not enough to form a full-fledged head.

Reference. In soil with low nitrogen content, weeds have red streaks.

Nitrogen deficiency is most common in acidic soils. Finding out the pH of the soil in your area is easy. Litmus paper is commercially available for this purpose. It’s even better if you have a special device in use to determine acidity. They are inexpensive and always on sale. Adjusting soil acidity will help increase garlic yields.

See also

When should you remove spring garlic from the garden for storage? Read

How to determine if a plant lacks nitrogen

The lack of nitrogen in garlic is easy to understand by its appearance.

In general, the whole point is that this culture has thin fibrous roots. They are not always able to properly saturate the entire plant. This is especially evident on poor soils.

Garlic immediately signals that it lacks nutrition. Here are the main signs:

• Yellowing of feathers;
• The leaves are pale, small and limp;
• The bulb is poorly formed;
• Plants grow slowly.

Therefore, if you notice that garlic has begun to feel worse, feed it with ammonia.

REFERENCE. Yellowing of leaves is normal as harvest time approaches. During this period, nitrogen fertilizing should not be applied at all.

Diagnosis: nitrogen deficiency

The importance of the role of nitrogen in the formation of a plant can be understood from the following chain: lack of nitrogen in the soil - little chlorophyll - leaves turn yellow - the process of photosynthesis is weak - not enough organic substances are formed - crop growth slows down.

It is easy to determine the lack of nitrogen in the soil by a number of signs:

Fertilizing garlic with ammonia

As mentioned above, one of the components of ammonia is nitrogen, which is necessary for plants to grow and develop.

Watering with this water enriches the soil under the garlic with nitrogen. This is essential for the development of the garlic head. Spraying with ammonia saturates the garlic feathers with nitrogen, which increases the volume of green mass necessary for photosynthesis.

REFERENCE. The dosage of the drug changes in accordance with the tasks that you set for processing. For ongoing feeding during growth and normal development, one tablespoon of pharmaceutical ammonia per 10 liters of water is sufficient.

The best time to feed

The first fertilizing is applied immediately with warming, as soon as the sprouts emerge from the ground. The above-ground part begins to grow first, so garlic needs nitrogen. It is indispensable for all green mass and for the development of the root system. Fertilize a second time when the garlic produces 4-6 leaves, but then use phosphorus-potassium mixtures with a minimum amount of nitrogen. The third feeding is carried out in the summer, when the garlic bulbs are forming. Keep in mind that if you carry out the second feeding ahead of time, all the beneficial substances will be spent on the growth of the shoots, and not on the formation of bulbs. And if you are too late, then the fertilizers will simply be useless, because the main processes take place earlier.

Treating garlic with ammonia against pests

Ammonia is an excellent insecticide that will repel aphids, flies, ticks and other parasites from garlic beds.

The working solution is prepared as follows: mix 50 ml of ammonia and a bar of soap in a bucket of water. It's better to use household stuff. This is necessary to ensure that the solution sticks to the feathers. It will also prevent the rapid breakdown of ammonia.

ON A NOTE. It is better to prepare soap concentrate in advance using a mug of warm water. It will take a very long time for soap to dissolve in cold water.

Next, the garlic beds are sprayed with this mixture. The rules here are the same as for any other treatment in the garden: spray in the morning, protect your respiratory system and do not exceed the concentration of the active substance.

Planting and care

Garlic, like any cultivated plant, needs feeding. In order for the plant to develop normally, you need to start feeding it from the moment of planting. There are a number of fertilizers that are commonly used to feed garlic during vegetative development. They should not be neglected.

After the bed has been prepared, it must be watered with a solution of ammonia to enrich the soil with easily digestible nitrogen. To do this, prepare a composition of 10 liters of water and 50 ml of ammonia. The planted cloves will not only receive additional nutrition, but also protection from pests.

When the first two feather-like leaves appear, another feeding is carried out. Add two tablespoons of ammonia to a ten-liter bucket of cold water. This will be foliar feeding.

The following fertilizing can be done every 10 days with a less concentrated solution. Even if the plant does not give a signal, prevention never hurts. After watering and fertilizing, the soil in the garlic bed needs to be loosened.

How to dilute ammonia for garlic

Ammonia as a fertilizer is diluted in almost the same way. You will need a bucket of warm water. You don't need to heat it up, just don't use the water straight from the hose. Also, you only need 2 tablespoons of ammonia.

Add the preparation to a bucket of water, mix and water or spray the garlic.

ADVICE. Dilute the drug right next to the garden bed. Ammonia is very volatile, and the longer it takes from preparing the solution to using it, the less effect it will have.

If your garlic grows on very poor soils and often experiences nitrogen starvation, then the amount of the drug can be increased to 4 tablespoons (60 ml) per 1 bucket (10 l) of water. And in this case, be sure to combine root and foliar feeding.

How to divorce

There are several recipes for preparing a solution of ammonia. The ratio of components is determined taking into account how the drug will be used for what purposes.

Aphid protection

Take ½ pharmaceutical bottle of ammonia, add to 10 liters of water. After stirring, place 100 g of laundry soap, previously crushed on a grater.

Due to the soap, the solution will stick to the leaves and will not wash off after the first rain.

After mixing all components, you must wait 1-2 hours. This is enough to make the soap softer. Spray early in the morning in cloudy and windless weather. But is it possible to feed onions and garlic with urea, and what results can be achieved, is indicated here.

Fighting ants

Ants are “close friends” of aphids. They are its carriers, so it is necessary to get rid of anthills that are in the garden. To combat these pests, you need to take 1 liter of water, a whole bottle of alcohol and stir it all.
Remove a layer of soil from the top of the anthill, and then send the prepared solution there. In this case, it is necessary to treat the surface in which insect eggs and queens are concentrated. In this regard, it is worth learning more about what to do to make garlic grow large.

Dosage, proportions and stages of watering with ammonia

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

1. Preventive treatment during planting (spring varieties) and when leaves appear (winter varieties).
2. Current feeding.
3. 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.

Useful tips

In gardening, advice from experienced summer residents will never hurt. Sometimes little things make a big difference. Ammonia fertilizing has such features. Knowing about the high volatility of the substance, experienced gardeners sprinkle the garlic bed with soil immediately after watering with fertilizer.

Garlic can be winter (planted before winter) and spring (planted in spring). The timing of watering them with ammonia varies. Winter crops are fertilized for the first time when they have just hatched from the ground; spring crops are fertilized only after 5–6 feathers have formed.

In emergency cases, with acute signs of nitrogen starvation, it is recommended to apply a fertilizer containing a loading dose of ammonia once. For 1 liter of water take 1 tbsp. l. facilities. Watering is carried out between rows. This measure is resorted to in the most extreme cases.

One more tip regarding landing. Garlic does not grow well in heavy soils with a high clay content. Sand can improve the situation. It can be added to the bottom of the hole when planting and the head covered on top. The trick is small, but effective.

Contraindications for using ammonia for garlic

The use of ammonia for garlic has no contraindications. But there are several limitations associated with the properties of the drug.

Firstly, ammonia should be used in warm weather. Otherwise, the garlic simply will not be able to absorb it, and the processing will be in vain.

Secondly, do not fertilize (especially foliar) on a sunny day. The fact is that the interaction of ammonia and UV rays can cause burns to leaf plates.

Thirdly, the drug must be diluted with water, and not poured directly from the bottle.

Fourthly, fertilizing with nitrogen should be stopped 2-3 weeks before the expected harvest.

Using ammonia as a fertilizer in the garden

This medicine is an excellent fertilizer for vegetables and flowers, a rich source of nitrogen, which, in turn, is part of lipoids, chlorophyll and plant organelles. It is thanks to it that the growth of the green part of plants is activated, the leaves acquire a rich green color.

Plants can only absorb it from the soil. This explains the answer to the question why it is necessary to water garden plants with ammonia - to maintain the high intensity of chlorophyll formation, vigorous growth and rich color of the above-ground part of the crops. Onions and garlic respond best to such fertilizing.

Precautionary measures

Despite the fact that pharmaceutical ammonia is a fairly safe product, you should still be careful. An overdose of ammonia can cause temporary respiratory arrest and chemical burns of mucous membranes.

• Be sure to use personal protective equipment: mask, gloves, goggles.
• The work must be carried out on a calm day. Preferably in the morning or evening, when the sun is not shining.
• Use the product with caution if you have problems with blood pressure (low or high).
• First, water is poured into the working container and only then ammonia is added.

Why might garlic leaves turn yellow?

When growing garlic, sometimes the leaves begin to turn yellow. This can happen in spring (the tips of the leaves turn yellow) or in early summer (the entire leaf turns yellowish). The reasons can be very different: improper planting, unfavorable weather conditions, improper water conditions, lack of nutrients, diseases or pest infestations.

Causes of yellowing garlic - video

According to the author's observations, yellowing feathers are not always a sign of trouble. During the initial period of bulb formation, future cloves take almost all the nutrients, so a slight yellowing of the leaves at this time is normal.

Incorrect planting of garlic

One of the most common causes of yellowing is improper planting. This expression may mean incorrect choice of planting time, allocation of unsuitable soil for garlic, and failure to comply with the recommended planting depth.

Failure to comply with planting deadlines

If garlic is planted too early in the fall, it will have time to sprout before frost and (in the absence of shelter or snow cover) will freeze.

It is necessary to strictly adhere to the recommended planting dates (they vary depending on the climate of a particular region). In the southern regions (for example, Krasnodar Territory), winter garlic should be planted in mid-November, in the middle zone - no earlier than mid-October. Garlic cloves should only take root before the onset of winter, without starting to grow.

You cannot pick off yellowed leaves from unsuccessfully overwintered garlic. Each of the feathers is responsible for the formation of a tooth in the head. If a leaf is torn, the corresponding clove will remain small.

To prevent freezing, the beds must be covered with a layer of humus or compost for the winter. If you forgot about this operation, you need to treat the beds in the spring with some biological preparations (Ecogel, Energen, HB-101 are good options). In particular, the modern chitosan biostimulator Ecogel is specially designed to help plants that find themselves in a stressful situation. It is used for alternating root (concentration 0.5–2%) and foliar (1%) fertilizing every 2–3 weeks.

To avoid spring yellowing of garlic, you need to mulch the garden bed in the fall.

If the autumn planting deadlines are missed, it is best to abandon planting altogether and postpone it until spring. When planted during cold periods or in frozen soil, garlic will either die or produce yellow shoots.

Wrong choice of soil

Garlic does not grow well in acidic soil (the plants turn out puny, with yellow leaves).

To assess the acidity of the soil, you can conduct a simple test: pour vinegar on a handful of soil. Neutral soil will react with hissing and the formation of gas bubbles (acidic soil will absorb vinegar without any external manifestations). Some plants are indicators of soil acidity: horse sorrel, plantain, horsetail.

Determining soil acidity - video

To obtain a good harvest, the soil must have a neutral reaction, be moist and rich in oxygen. You need to take care of reducing acidity in the fall by adding chalk, dolomite, limestone or fluff lime when digging. The dose of lime depends on the acidity of the soil (0.5 kg of lime per 10 m2 increases the pH by 0.2 units). A folk remedy for reducing acidity is to add ash (dilute 0.2 kg of ash in a bucket of water and water the soil).

Failure to comply with the recommended planting depth

Garlic is negatively affected by too deep planting depth. The cloves freeze, resulting in yellow leaves. The recommended planting depth is no more than 5–7 cm. It is useful to cover the emerging shoots with film.

If spring frosts still “grab” the seedlings, treatment with biostimulants (Zircon, Epin), which improve root growth, flowering and disease resistance, will help. A solution of 1 ml of the drug per 10 liters of water should be sprayed on the plantings every 6–7 days until the normal feather color is restored.

Improper care

With a lack of nutrients and improper watering, garlic signals its problems by yellowing leaves.

Infertile soil

Garlic reacts very strongly to insufficiently fertile soils. Most often, yellowing of the leaves indicates a lack of nitrogen fertilizers. For prevention, you need to add rotted manure or compost to the garden bed in the fall. If you did not do this and the leaves still began to turn yellow in the spring, then you can correct the situation by fertilizing (can be done after the snow has melted). It is necessary to feed plants with nitrogen until June, i.e. during the period of active leaf growth. Urea applied between rows works well. You can apply it dry (10–12 g per 1 meter of bed), covering it with soil and watering, or dissolve it in water (30–35 g per bucket of water) and water it at the rate of 2–3 liters per linear meter. Watering directly over the leaves with a solution of ammonium nitrate (a tablespoon per bucket of water) will help to quickly saturate the plants with nitrogen.

Another common technique is to mulch the beds with humus or compost. The mulch is laid out after the first loosening. This method provides garlic with nutrition for the entire growing season. Organic matter can also be added in liquid form (solutions of mullein or chicken manure).

Feeding garlic with a solution of chicken manure - video

You can use a complex composition to feed garlic: dissolve ammonium nitrate (6–7 g), superphosphate (10 g), potassium sulfate (10 g) in 10 liters of water and water the plantings (1 m2 bucket). Usually one feeding is enough, but if necessary, the treatment is repeated after a month.

A multi-purpose fertilizer is ammonia (a tablespoon per 4–5 liters of water), a solution of which is used to water plantings not only as a nitrogen fertilizer, but also to combat pests and diseases.

Processing garlic with ammonia - video

Watering the herbal infusion both over the leaves and at the root helps provide the garlic with nutrients. Infusions of nettle and dandelion are especially useful.

To stimulate the growth of garlic, increase its drought and frost resistance, as well as resistance to pests, it is recommended to apply potassium fertilizers. With their deficiency, in addition to the yellowness of the leaves, such signs as drooping and uneven growth of the leaves, and the appearance of “burns” on the edges of the leaves appear. The lack of potassium can be compensated for by adding wood ash (100 g/m2), which, among other things, is a source of phosphorus.

In rainy weather, the amount of garlic fertilizing must be increased.

Improper watering

Garlic is sensitive to water conditions. Violation of the air-water balance not only causes yellowing, but can even lead to the death of plants. A particularly strong need for regular watering occurs in May-June, when intensive growth of greenery and the formation of heads occurs.

Garlic tolerates drought better than excess moisture.

It is recommended to adhere to the following watering scheme for garlic beds:

• do not water in rainy weather;
• with regular but light rainfall, water every 2 weeks;
• in dry weather, watering should be increased to once a week.

How to deal with yellowing caused by pests

Pests and diseases can cause yellowing of garlic leaves.

If the leaves have changed color, you need to inspect the plants. The discovery of small worms lurking at the base of the leaf indicates an onion fly infestation. They can be destroyed by spraying with a solution of table salt (0.2 kg per 10 liters of water). You can also use ammonium salt or treat the soil with saltpeter or urea (matchbox per square meter), followed by abundant watering. For prevention, the soil can be treated with boiling water 2-3 days before planting garlic.

The onion fly lays eggs on the leaves of onion and garlic, and the larvae suck the juice from the plant

A folk remedy for repelling pests is to plant thyme, coriander and carrots next to garlic.

If the plants have become stunted, the leaves have lightened and curled, and you have not found fly larvae on the leaves, you need to dig up 2-3 yellowed plants with a shovel and inspect the bottom with a magnifying glass. Most likely, cracks, peeling scales and tiny (1.5 mm in length) worms will be found there, which means that your plantings have been affected by a stem nematode (they cause an unpleasant odor from the bulb). Affected plants should be removed from the garden bed and burned. This pest is very difficult to drive out, since chemical treatments will make the remaining heads of garlic in the garden unsuitable for consumption.

Affected leaves turn yellow and curl

The nematode can remain in the soil for 8–10 years. It is unlikely that it will be possible to completely destroy it, but something can be done to reduce its numbers. Before planting, garlic cloves should be treated with hot (40–45 degrees) water for 2–3 hours.

The infected area must be treated with lime or other alkaline materials, since the nematode does not like alkaline soils. All plant debris must be carefully removed in the fall, as nematodes can live in them.

It is useful to plant marigolds and marigolds in the area - the nematode attacks them and dies from the poisonous juice of these plants.

The author's experience in growing garlic shows that yellowing is most often associated with damage by onion fly larvae or fungal diseases. If it is affected by bacterial rot (the stem at the head is wet, “sour”), it is useless to fight - you need to remove the plants, water the soil with a strong solution of potassium permanganate and do not plant garlic (and related plants) in this place for another 3-4 years. The onion fly is well repelled by watering the beds with a solution of ammonia (1.5–2 tablespoons per watering can). And to protect against the cold, covering the plantings for the winter with agrotex helps.

Garlic pest control - video

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.

Signs of need for treatment

We know that there is almost no overdose of ammonia in vegetables; you can feed them all summer long, but it wouldn’t hurt to know the signs that indicate that onions or garlic simply need fertilizer:

• Yellowing of feathers.
• Thinning of plant stems.
• Lack of flowering on plants.
• Poor fruit growth.
• The tips of the feathers began to curl and turned white.
• The stems have turned white, in which case fertilizing is urgently needed.

But if the color of the greenery has not changed, but only the tips of the feathers have turned slightly white, then no additional feeding is needed. This is the normal state of an already ripe vegetable. You can only water between rows with copper-based fertilizer.

If the soil turns out to be too acidic, then it can be mixed with ash, lime or dolomite flour, which will slightly reduce the acidity, since onions and garlic prefer low-alkaline soil. Therefore, at the beginning of summer, it would be useful to water the entire bed with a solution of two glasses of wood ash and a ten-liter bucket of liquid.