Garlic farming
- Thread starter pkonoth
- Start date
HI
Soil Preparation: Garlic will tolerate a wide range of soils but prefers a free-draining loam high in organic matter. If well-rotted manure is not available then a generous application of a general purpose fertiliser such as Growmore should be raked in immediately prior to planting.This should be followed by two further applications of nitrogen (as ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulphate, urea, etc.) in April and May, applied between the rows at a rate equivalent to 15-20 grams of nitrogen per square metre.
Planting: Ideally, garlic should be planted between mid-September through to early November although planting can be left until spring if you are prepared to accept a lower yield. Separate the bulbs into individual cloves just prior to planting and space them at 10 cm in rows about 30 cm apart. Plant them base down so that there is about 50 - 70 mm soil over the top of the cloves and lightly firm the soil with the back of a spade. In milder districts no winter protection is necessary but those areas exposed to heavy frosts will benefit from a winter mulch of straw or fleece. If you do plant in spring remember that garlic requires a month or so of low temperatures in order to bulb up properly so store bulbs in a frost-free shed rather than a warm boiler room!
Irrigation: During the growing season it is important that the plants have adequate moisture. From March onwards the soil should be checked regularly and watered as necessary. Always water in the morning to allow foliage to dry out before nightfall in order to reduce the likelihood of disease. If drought occurs during the bulbing period yields will suffer and remember to stop watering once bulbing has finished to prevent bulb rot.
Cultivation: All hardneck and some softneck plants will produce a false seedstalk topped by an umbel containing numerous small bulbils. Although opinions differ about seedstalk removal, it is generally believed that bulb yields are higher from plants that have had seedstalks removed than from those left intact. Stalks should not be removed too soon, it is best to wait until the seedhead begins to coil before cutting it off cleanly with a knife as low down the plant as possible. Of course plants can be left intact and bulbils left to form. The bulbils look and taste just like miniature garlic cloves and if planted will germinate and form a `round' or single clove bulb in their first year. The following year these 'rounds' will develop into normal, segmented bulbs which can be harvested in the normal way. Some varieties have a tendency to produce bulbils in the neck of the flower stalk but the bulbils will still mature and can be used in the same way
Regards
Ashwini
Soil Preparation: Garlic will tolerate a wide range of soils but prefers a free-draining loam high in organic matter. If well-rotted manure is not available then a generous application of a general purpose fertiliser such as Growmore should be raked in immediately prior to planting.This should be followed by two further applications of nitrogen (as ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulphate, urea, etc.) in April and May, applied between the rows at a rate equivalent to 15-20 grams of nitrogen per square metre.
Planting: Ideally, garlic should be planted between mid-September through to early November although planting can be left until spring if you are prepared to accept a lower yield. Separate the bulbs into individual cloves just prior to planting and space them at 10 cm in rows about 30 cm apart. Plant them base down so that there is about 50 - 70 mm soil over the top of the cloves and lightly firm the soil with the back of a spade. In milder districts no winter protection is necessary but those areas exposed to heavy frosts will benefit from a winter mulch of straw or fleece. If you do plant in spring remember that garlic requires a month or so of low temperatures in order to bulb up properly so store bulbs in a frost-free shed rather than a warm boiler room!
Irrigation: During the growing season it is important that the plants have adequate moisture. From March onwards the soil should be checked regularly and watered as necessary. Always water in the morning to allow foliage to dry out before nightfall in order to reduce the likelihood of disease. If drought occurs during the bulbing period yields will suffer and remember to stop watering once bulbing has finished to prevent bulb rot.
Cultivation: All hardneck and some softneck plants will produce a false seedstalk topped by an umbel containing numerous small bulbils. Although opinions differ about seedstalk removal, it is generally believed that bulb yields are higher from plants that have had seedstalks removed than from those left intact. Stalks should not be removed too soon, it is best to wait until the seedhead begins to coil before cutting it off cleanly with a knife as low down the plant as possible. Of course plants can be left intact and bulbils left to form. The bulbils look and taste just like miniature garlic cloves and if planted will germinate and form a `round' or single clove bulb in their first year. The following year these 'rounds' will develop into normal, segmented bulbs which can be harvested in the normal way. Some varieties have a tendency to produce bulbils in the neck of the flower stalk but the bulbils will still mature and can be used in the same way
Regards
Ashwini