Most seasoned gardeners successfully grow winter garlic. It is planted in late autumn, closer to frost, and the slices ripen for almost a year in the ground. Due to this, the heads are large and resilient. But with the onset of warmth, garlic still needs feeding, which stimulates further development. Let's tell you more!
How to understand if top dressing is needed and what is missing?
In the spring, top dressing of winter garlic is necessary - without it, it simply will not give a good harvest. But it is important to follow the correct dosage and fertilization schedule. Otherwise, not only the quality will suffer, but also the shelf life of the harvested bulbs in winter.
Stick to a standard schedule, because it has no contraindications. Determine the need for additional fertilization on a case-by-case basis. First of all, the lack of nutrients is indicated by the state of the leaves.
Add all the supplements at the root and periodically alternate this method with foliar feeding. If the leaves are starting to lighten quickly, add a potassium salt spray to the schedule or use wood ash. If the tops grow sluggishly and dry, spray the garlic with a mild urea solution.
When sprinkled, garlic just as quickly receives all the beneficial micronutrients. But the dosage should be half as much as for watering, so as not to burn the plant. These methods do not exclude, but complement each other, so use foliar feeding twice a season.
The best time to feed
The first top dressing is applied immediately with warming, as soon as the sprouts peep out of the ground. First, the ground part begins to grow, so the garlic needs nitrogen. It is indispensable for all green mass and for the development of the root system.
Fertilize the second time when the garlic releases 4-6 leaves, but then take a phosphorus-potassium mixture with a minimum amount of nitrogen. The third feeding is carried out in the summer, when the garlic bulbs are formed.
Keep in mind that if you carry out the second feeding ahead of time, all the nutrients will go to the growth of the arrows, and not to the formation of bulbs. And if you are too late, then fertilizers will be simply useless, because the main processes take place earlier.
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Fertilizers for feeding garlic
Before each fertilization, you first need to loosen the soil and water it well with a weak iodine solution. It is an antiseptic, prevention of rotting, phytophthora and additional soil enrichment. Then organic and ready-made store mixes are suitable.
Organic
Fresh manure is not good for winter garlic, so make a special solution. Dilute dry mullein with water in a ratio of 1: 5 and let the mixture brew for 3 weeks, stirring occasionally. To water the beds, dilute the finished concentrate again 1:10 with water. It is a universal remedy at any time of seedling life and development.
Garlic is an unpretentious crop that assimilates any organic matter well. Organic supplements are safer and do not accumulate in fruits if overdossed.
For spring feeding of garlic, mainly mullein is used. Poultry droppings are not suitable, because it makes the heads worse stored and their taste deteriorates. Compost will work, but don't use food waste fertilizers. They can affect the taste and the keeping quality of the bulbs.
Mineral
Mineral fertilizers need to be used more carefully than organic fertilizers, but they are simpler and more effective. They are usually used by farmers with large farms, because it is simply faster. When calculating the dosage, be sure to take into account the type and condition of the soil on your site.
For the first spring feeding of garlic, dissolve 2 tsp in a 10-liter bucket. urea and potassium chloride. Add this solution in the evening before watering.For the second feeding, solution in a bucket of 60 g of nitroammophoska or extracts from superphosphates.
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Folk remedies
Mullein is not the only simple and time-tested option. For seedlings of garlic, they also use the usual wood ash, ammonia, salt and others.
Feeding garlic with ash
Wood ash is the best natural antiseptic and the most useful fertilizer among home recipes. It saturates the earth with a whole complex of necessary micro- and macroelements, and at the same time prevents rotting and repels pests. In the spring, sprinkle dry ash between the beds and periodically water the garlic with a solution in the proportion of 200 ml per bucket of water.
Yeast feeding
Yeast accelerates the growth of garden crops, so almost all summer residents use them. Dilute 100 g of fresh yeast in a bucket of water and let the solution infuse all day. This volume is enough to properly fertilize 2 squares of the garden.
Top dressing with ammonia
Ammonia is rich in ammonia, which is just needed for winter garlic in spring. When used, nitrogen is released, which is indispensable for greenery, and ammonia vapors scare away insects and parasites. To water the garlic beds, dilute a small 25 ml jar of ammonia in a bucket of water.
Top dressing of garlic with herbal infusion
Young nettles are great, but feel free to use any other herbs, including weeds. Fill a bucket a quarter with herbs, a fraction of water to the edge and let it brew for 2 days. Use a ready-made solution for watering garlic beds planted for winter.
Garlic dressing with salt
A mild saline solution is antiseptic and improves soil condition. It is used so that winter garlic does not turn yellow and grows well. For 3 liters of water, only 1 tablespoon is needed. ordinary kitchen salt - and this solution is enough for a square meter by a meter.
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