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When growing garlic, two planting dates are used – spring and autumn. In the spring they plant spring, in the fall – winter.
The agricultural technique of cultivating a crop of different planting times does not have much difference, but the nutritional components for each type of garlic are required in a certain composition. Quality nutrition plays an important role. Firstly, during the growing season, the plant consumes nutrients from the soil, so they need to be replenished. Second, crop rotation. The gardener has to take into account the nutritional needs of the previous crop in order not to leave the garlic without the necessary component. After all, each culture consumes “its” set. Top dressing of garlic in the fall is needed to replenish the missing elements.
The main thing is that organic matter is added under them in sufficient quantities.
Timing of autumn nutrition
Preparation of ridges for planting garlic begins in advance.
Usually they begin to prepare a place 2 weeks before the start of planting cloves of garlic. At the same time, it is necessary to have time to carry out all the work before the free land begins to overgrow with ubiquitous weeds. After harvesting the previous crop, put things in order in the garden:
- remove all plant debris and roots;
- disinfect the soil;
- dig deep into the ground.
As soon as all the roots and remains of plants are removed from the garden, water it with a solution of copper sulfate. For disinfection, take one tablespoon of the substance in a bucket of water. And then proceed to the next operation. It is at the time of digging that it is best to add the necessary fertilizer for garlic, taking into account the condition of the soil. Do not dig and fertilize just before planting garlic. The earth will still be loose and there is a danger of planting material being too deep.
And yet, do not leave the prepared area unattended. It is necessary to water the bed regularly and remove the hatched weeds.
Planting winter garlic requires careful attention to soil fertility.
Preparatory autumn activities for garlic beds
Growing large heads of spicy garlic does not require special knowledge, but experienced vegetable growers advise not to neglect top dressing. Gardeners know that to get a good harvest of garlic, it needs a sufficient amount of nutrients. In addition to the planting date and predecessors, the composition and fertility of the soil is of great importance. After all, soil with high acidity does not like winter garlic at all – its foliage turns yellow. Therefore, before starting to fertilize, it is necessary to reduce the acidity of the soil. Winter garlic is planted in neutral and fertile soil.
You can check the acidity of the soil on the site without complex analyzes and the involvement of special structures. There are popular ways:
- observation of a set of herbs growing on the site;
- the use of chalk;
- using table vinegar;
- according to the reaction of the soil in the infusion of currant or cherry leaves.
Summer residents use indicator strips, which can be purchased at the store.
If there is acidic soil in the area under the garlic bed, then liming should be carried out (within reasonable limits) or a substance with a high calcium content should be added. Wood ash can replace these components. This is an indispensable assistant to the summer resident during the entire season of garden work and a unique fertilizer.
Useful additives per square meter for different soil composition:
- a bucket of sand and peat for heavy and clay;
- a bucket of crushed clay and peat for sandy loam and sand;
- the same volume of loam and sand for peaty marshy.
Timely application of the necessary fertilizers in early autumn will improve the structure of the soil and give it the opportunity to settle and compact. And the applied fertilizer will have time to dissolve well in order to go into a form acceptable for garlic nutrition.
We make a nutritious set for autumn top dressing
Early preparation of the beds for planting garlic allows you to make the necessary elements in time. Gardeners use organic matter and mineral fertilizers. Garlic responds well to any diet. There are a lot of schemes for fertilizing and each has been tested by the experience of summer residents in their areas: It is important to introduce well-ripened organics:
- It is good to add superphosphate (20 g) and humus (5 kg) per square meter of area when digging.
- Compost or matured manure within 4-5 kg, potassium salt (25 g), double superphosphate in granules (35 g).
Compost prepared by yourself can be added in larger quantities. This fertilizer is added when digging up to 11 kg per 1 sq. meter. Well-ripened compost is the best organic fertilizer for a summer cottage. Vegetable growers themselves can control the composition and quality of the nutritional composition.
How to properly fertilize? Organics mixed with the rest of the components are evenly distributed over the surface of the soil and carefully dig up the earth to the depth of a shovel bayonet.
In addition to the above compositions, fertilizers for garlic in the fall work perfectly in the following ratios:
- Potassium salt (20 g) and granulated superphosphate (30 g) mixed with half a bucket of humus. If the soil is clayey, add a bucket of peat to the composition. The ratio of components is given per 1 square meter of area.
- On the same area, you can take a bucket of humus and add wood ash (0,5 l), potassium sulfate (a couple of tablespoons) and double superphosphate in the amount of one tablespoon.
You can also fertilize the soil with other types of rotted organic matter (leaves, grass) in the amount of 3 kg mixed with wood ash, superphosphate and nitrophoska. Each component will need 1 tablespoon.
As nitrogen components, take urea, ammonia, calcium or sodium nitrate. And the amount of these components should be two times less than phosphorus-potassium.
Perfectly helps vegetable growers, in the absence of organics on the site, complex mineral fertilizer.
Tips for vegetable growers
If previous crops received a sufficient amount of top dressing, then do not get carried away with fertilizers before planting garlic. In this case, fewer nutrients will benefit the garlic.
In autumn, chemicals are applied in dry form so that penetration into the soil is gradual.
Compliance with the garlic feeding schedule guarantees a good harvest of healthy and large heads.
