Detailed Explanation of Garlic Sprout Cultivation Techniques and Management Methods
Garlic sprouts, also called green garlic (when not exposed to light, they are garlic yellow). Good-quality garlic sprouts should be tender, with a plant height of about 35 cm, fresh green leaves that are neither yellow nor rotten, white fibrous roots that are not withered, and a relatively strong spicy flavor. Garlic sprouts have a certain protective effect on the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular systems, can help prevent thrombosis, and can also protect the liver. They can grow in all regions, and the yield is high and the quality is good. Places such as Linyi in Shandong and other areas grow them on a large scale, with considerable economic benefits. Below is an introduction to garlic sprout cultivation techniques.
1. Scientific planting
After plowing and leveling the land and opening the “three ditches” between beds, apply sufficient base fertilizer all at once. For base fertilizer, generally apply 80-100 loads of decomposed soil residue manure, 20 kg of urea, 50 kg of phosphate fertilizer, 15 kg of potassium fertilizer, or 50 kg of high-quality three-element compound fertilizer per mu. When sufficient base fertilizer is applied, sow from early August to early September, or from late September to late October. In the early growth stage of summer-autumn garlic sprouts, when the weather is high-temperature, a 1-meter-high flat shed can be built, with shading added on top of the shed.
2. Off-season garlic sprout cultivation techniques
Conventional sowing of garlic sprouts is in autumn, with harvest in winter and spring. To improve economic benefits, an off-season cultivation method can be used by sowing in late July and harvesting from September to October. In this season, garlic grows during a period of high temperature and strong light, and is easily affected by unfavorable weather such as high-temperature drought and intense sunlight, so the following techniques must be used:
1. Variety selection
It is easy to choose early-maturing good varieties that are heat-tolerant, have good performance, have high yield, and are favored by consumers. Use the Sichuan hard-leaf garlic variety “Ershuizao” or soft-leaf garlic. Because garlic varieties are relatively mixed, vegetable growers must remember to buy planting material from formal suppliers.
2. Fine land preparation and sufficient base fertilizer
Because summer-sown garlic has a short growth period, density must be increased to raise yield, so sufficient base fertilizer must be applied. Apply 3500 kg of high-quality decomposed barnyard manure and about 30 kg of superphosphate per mu. Sandy loam soil is suitable. One week before sowing, turn and level the land, let it dry and whiten, then rake it fine, and then apply fertilizer, make beds, and sow.
4. Sowing and raising seedlings
Because summer-sown garlic experiences high temperatures and has a short growth period, the plants are relatively short, so density can be increased to raise yield. Generally use about 200 kg of garlic seed per mu. When planting, open furrows at a row spacing of 10-12 cm and sow at a plant spacing of 3-5 cm. Before sowing, water sufficiently; after sowing, cover with soil, with just covering as the standard. After sowing, cover the bed surface with 3 cm of rice straw to help lower temperature, and water every day until full seedling emergence. Watering should be done before 9 a.m.
5. Field management
Build a 30 cm frame over the bed surface and cover it with a shade net or straw curtain for shading. Remove the shade shed after full seedling emergence. After full seedling emergence of garlic, carry out the first topdressing, which can be applied by watering with urea or diluted human and livestock manure water. In short, the principle of light fertilizer applied frequently should be followed. At harvest, after each harvest, apply fertilizer once.
6. Harvest
About 50 days after sowing, fresh tender garlic sprouts can be harvested in successive batches for market. To extend the supply period and increase yield, harvest should be done by alternate plants and marketed in batches.
3. Reasonable close planting
Use hoe-furrow sowing, generally with a row spacing of 10-15 cm and a plant spacing of 3-5 cm, using 150-200 kg of seed garlic per mu. When planting, the garlic cloves can be scattered into the hoe-opened furrows. According to the spacing, use both hands, and cover with soil by hand while sowing to prevent the garlic cloves from tipping over. Immediately after sowing, water thoroughly, and after watering, cover with soil once. After 3-4 days, water a second time, and topdress with 20 kg of ammonium sulfate along with the water. After fertilizing, water once every two days, for 3 consecutive waterings. When the seedlings are 20 cm tall, carry out the second soil covering. At the same time, after emergence, pay attention to spraying pesticides to control diseases and pests.
4. How to grow garlic sprouts on a balcony
1. Garlic sprouts are a very common leafy green vegetable. Everyone talks about purely organic, pollution-free vegetables, but garlic sprouts bought outside are sometimes sprayed with pesticides. What should be done? Actually, we can grow them ourselves on a balcony. After garlic sprouts grow out, as long as the roots are still there, they will keep growing indefinitely. Below we explain how to grow garlic sprouts on your own balcony.
2. Find a needle and thread, thread the line, peel off the outer skin of the garlic heads (here you cannot use the usual violent smashing method to peel them! It will damage the tissue), and thread the garlic heads into a string.
3. Put them in a container, add water, and cultivate them (the above is a record of the growth each day). When the water becomes cloudy,
change the water promptly afterward. Because garlic sprouts can grow indefinitely, they can be harvested once every two days, and each time you can make a large plate of food.
4. When threading the garlic heads, note that it is best to thread them near the outer layer and try not to damage the internal embryo bud tissue. Threading the garlic heads into a string is to fix the garlic heads so they do not float around in the water. When threading, thread through two layers, which can better fix them and keep the garlic sprouts from growing crooked.
5. Fertilization techniques
1. Base fertilizer
When producing garlic sprouts in a greenhouse or plastic tunnel, garlic heads are mostly planted directly into the ground.
Before planting, apply 150000 kg of fully decomposed, finely crushed, high-quality farmyard manure per hectare, spread it on the ground, then deep plow 20-25 cm, mix the fertilizer and soil evenly, rake level, and make beds.
2. Topdressing
When cultivating garlic sprouts in sheds or greenhouses, if sufficient base fertilizer is applied, generally no further topdressing is needed. However, if growth is affected by a lack of nitrogen fertilizer, ammonium phosphate can be dissolved in water and poured on, applying 225-300 kg per hectare. Chemical fertilizer cannot be spread directly and then watered. To promote rapid growth of garlic sprouts, when the seedlings are 20 cm tall, irrigate once with 200-times ammonium nitrate fertilizer solution, using 75-90 kg of ammonium nitrate per hectare; potassium dihydrogen phosphate, yield-increasing agent, urea, and other materials can also be used for foliar topdressing. After each foliar topdressing, spray with clear water twice to avoid fertilizer damage.