What causes garlic "braiding"? Latest prevention measures explained in detail
Garlic "braiding" refers to the phenomenon where, after the garlic bulb has formed, the apical bud of the garlic grows many slender clustered leaves under abnormal environmental conditions, resembling a horse's tail, so it is called "little braid" or "horsetail garlic." It causes the new leaves of garlic to fail to grow normally, photosynthesis in summer, and garlic scape development to be slow, seriously affecting the yield and quality of garlic. So what causes garlic braiding? Let's take a look at the detailed introduction.
1. Improper selection of seed garlic
Garlic braiding is also called secondary growth. The main cause is the heredity and variety of the garlic seed. In some areas, the garlic seed is not pure and is not suitable for planting in the local environment, making secondary growth very likely to occur. In addition, the poor quality of garlic seed now available can also lead to braiding later on.
Prevention measures: Select virus-free garlic seed according to local conditions. The garlic seed should be white in color, with plump apical buds and no disease or damage. Garlic cloves with broken sprouts, rot, or yellowed stem plates should be eliminated promptly.
2. Improper sowing time
Garlic cloves are formed from the axillary lateral buds of the leaves on the bulb. They are affected by temperature, light, and nutrients in many ways. If sowing is too early, it will cause flower bud differentiation and clove bud differentiation to advance. When low-temperature weather occurs in early spring, secondary growth will appear, resulting in braiding.
Prevention measures: The spring sowing time for garlic is generally around mid-March in spring, carried out when the daily average temperature is stable at 3-6 degrees. The autumn sowing time is generally in September-October, carried out when the daily average temperature is 20-22 degrees. The specific sowing time should also be determined according to the local climate and variety, and blind sowing is not advisable.
3. Improper treatment of seed garlic
Before planting, garlic seed is usually treated to improve the emergence rate, but some farmers subject the garlic seed to cooling or low-temperature treatment before sowing. This prolongs clove bud differentiation, thereby causing secondary growth and braiding.
Prevention measures: Carry out correct garlic seed treatment measures. Before sowing, place the garlic seed in the sun to dry for 2-3 days so that the garlic cloves become loose. When sowing, remove the residual stem plate from the garlic skin. This can reduce secondary growth in garlic and also promote early sprouting and uniform emergence.
4. Improper fertilizer and water management
If excessive nitrogen fertilizer is applied during fertilization, it will cause delayed dormancy of the garlic cloves, resulting in secondary growth. In addition, poor watering is also a cause of secondary growth in garlic. After clove bud differentiation, if too much water is applied or the watering amount is large, the probability of secondary growth in garlic will increase.
Prevention measures: Generally, garlic needs sufficient fertilizer and water throughout the entire growth stage, but it is not advisable to apply too much water and fertilizer at one time. During the seedling stage, water demand is low, so basically no watering is needed. During elongation, small amounts of water should be applied frequently, generally once every 7-10 days. During garlic bulb expansion, trace element water-soluble fertilizer can be sprayed at 5-10 kg per mu, which can promote garlic clove expansion and prevent or reduce braiding.
The above is an introduction to the causes of garlic braiding and prevention measures. We hope it can help you. To learn more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.