Garlic is fairly common in our daily lives. It can be used as a seasoning, as medicine, and to prevent disease and keep fit, which is why people vividly call it the "natural antibiotic."

Garlic is a crop that loves fertilizer and has a strong ability to absorb nutrients, so when planting we should apply plenty of organic fertilizer as the base, supplemented by chemical fertilizer as a top dressing, fully replenishing the nutrients garlic needs at different growth stages, to increase our yield and quality and achieve the goal of higher income.

Land preparation and fertilization

Garlic prefers fertile soil and has a relatively shallow root system, so the soil in the plow layer must be finely tilled to benefit garlic growth. The residues of the previous crop must also be cleared from the field, and there should not be many large clods of soil.

For garlic growth, organic fertilizer and quick-acting top dressing are the main nutrient sources. Generally, apply about 3000 kg of organic fertilizer per mu as base fertilizer, along with about 30 kg of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. Note that organic fertilizer must be fully decomposed before application, to avoid the heat generated by fresh manure fermentation burning the garlic roots; undecomposed organic fertilizer will also breed many soil-dwelling pests.

For ease of management, it is recommended to make raised beds in the field, with a bed width of about 2 m. The length can be based on the terrain and a length convenient for management. Make furrows to facilitate drainage and irrigation.

Sowing time and method

Garlic is generally sown successively in September-October, and the sowing time can vary depending on the region. Garlic likes a cool environment, and in a cool environment it can grow high-quality stems and leaves. The sowing time of garlic is very important. Sowing too early can make the garlic seedlings grow too vigorously, consuming too many nutrients, which is not conducive to safe overwintering and lowers quality; sowing too late makes the garlic seedlings grow slowly, with poorly developed tissues and reduced cold resistance, and seedling death may occur in winter.

Therefore, the sowing time should be controlled so that before winter the garlic seedlings can grow 5-6 leaves, which is best, because garlic has the strongest cold resistance at 5-6 leaves and is most suitable for safe overwintering.

Before sowing, first dry the seed garlic in the sun for about 3 days, which can promote earlier sprouting of the seed garlic and ensure uniform emergence. Reasonable dense planting is the way to ensure high garlic yields: row spacing of about 15 cm, plant spacing of about 5-8 cm. You can use the furrow method for dibbling, with a dibbling depth of 3-4 cm, then cover with 1-2 cm of soil and press lightly, ensuring close contact between soil and seeds to improve the emergence rate.

For garlic seed, each clove is one seed. Dibble it with the root end pointing down, and don't get it wrong (a friend once planted garlic upside down, and as a result it did not sprout).

Field management

Fertilizer and water management

Garlic top dressing is generally mainly nitrogen fertilizer, and it needs balanced application of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium combined with trace element fertilizer, so that garlic can grow and develop normally and promote the absorption and utilization of nutrients, achieving the goal of higher yield and income.

Garlic top dressing is generally divided into 4 periods, namely the uniform emergence fertilizer, the greening fertilizer, the bolt-promoting fertilizer, and the bulking fertilizer.

A, Uniform emergence fertilizer, After the garlic emerges uniformly, apply a top dressing of human feces and urine to promote seedling growth. Note that the concentration must not be too high for this fertilization. Prevent excessive growth and burning the seedlings.

B, Greening fertilizer, After winter, the temperature rises quickly, and after the garlic seedlings turn green they grow vigorously and need more nutrients to promote growth. Apply an appropriate amount of human feces and urine per mu together with about 10 kg of ammonium sulfate and about 5 kg of potassium sulfate evenly as top dressing.

C, Bolt-promoting fertilizer, After the garlic turns green it enters a period of rapid growth and seed garlic decay. This period is when vegetative growth and reproductive growth proceed together; the garlic bolts and the underground bulbs both begin to form, grow out and expand. In this period, apply heavy nitrogen and potassium fertilizer, or about 20 kg of compound fertilizer, either is fine.

D, Bulking fertilizer, After the garlic bolts are harvested, the soil nutrients are concentrated to supply the bulbs. Sufficient nutrients can allow the bulbs to fully expand and improve quality. Generally, applying about 10 kg of quick-acting nitrogen and potassium fertilizer per mu as top dressing is enough.

Garlic likes moisture and fears drought. Normally the field must maintain sufficient soil moisture. When watering is needed to raise soil moisture, it can be done together with fertilization, which is also a measure to ensure high yield and quality.

This article is excerpted from: Rural Life Gardening. If there is any infringement, please contact us for deletion.