HOW TO GROW GARLIC

ORIGIN OF THE GARLIC.

Garlic, from the center and south of Asia from where it spread to the Mediterranean area and from there to the rest of the world, has been cultivated for thousands of years. About 3,000 years a. C., was already consumed in India and Egypt.

At the end of century XV the Spanish introduced the garlic in the American continent.

- Family: Liliaceae, subfamily. Allioideae.

Scientific name: Allium sativum L.

- Plant: bulbous, lively and rustic.

- Root system: bulbous root, composed of 6 to 12 bulbillos ("cloves of garlic"), gathered at the base by means of a thin film, forming what is known as "garlic head". Each bulbillo is surrounded by a white robe, sometimes somewhat reddish, membranous, transparent and very thin, similar to those covering the entire bulb. From the top of the bulb are born the fibrous parts, which are introduced into the earth to feed and anchor the plant.

- Stems: they are strong, of determined growth when it comes to creeping stems that give the plant an open bearing, or of indeterminate growth when erect and erect, being able to reach up to 2-3 meters in height. Depending on the planting framework, they usually leave 2 to 4 stems per plant. The secondary stems sprout from the armpits of the leaves.

- Leaves: radical, long, alternate, compressed and without apparent nerves.

- Stem: It appears through the center of the leaves. It is hollow, very plump and hairless and grows from 40 cm to over 55, ending with flowers.

- Flowers: are contained in a membranous spathe that opens longitudinally at the time of flowering and remains withered under the flowers. They are grouped in umbels. Each flower has 6 white petals, 6 stamens and one pistil.

Although fertile clones have been identified, the low percentages of seed germination and seedlings of low vigor make garlic defined as an obligate apomictic, a term that refers to its ability to produce embryos without prior fertilization.

SOIL PREPARATION TO GROW GARLIC.

Work should start about six months before planting, they must leave the ground fluffy and fluffy in depth. They will consist of a deep plow (30-35 cm) followed by 2 or 3 cross-traces. With this first work will be buried organic fertilizers.

CULTIVATION OF GARLIC SEEDS.

It is usually done in October or November, although late plantations are sometimes carried out in late December and early January. It is carried out in platabandas or in caballeros.

Platabandas: This method is suitable for large crops and for areas where there are difficulties to practice irrigation (rainfed areas). They are made with a width of 2-3 m and a separation of 0.7-1 m. The plantation is carried out in open holes, leaving 30 cm between lines and 20-25 cm between plants of the same line.

Camellones: it is the system most used and the most suitable to grow garlic in places with water supply problems. Horsemen can be built with high moldboard plows or hoes. The width of the furrows will be of 50 cm and the bulbillos will be planted to 20 cm to each other and to 20-25 cm between lines. The depth to which they are planted will depend on the size of the bulbillo, although usually it is of 2-3 cm or 4 at the most.

It can also be cultivated in ruts, bordering the horticultural crop tables, placed in rows distanced to 12 cm.

WEED CLEANING.

Garlic is a crop that, because of its morphological characteristics, hardly covers the soil and therefore offers some ease in the development of weeds and evaporation. It is of the utmost importance to maintain the clean cultivation of weeds, through appropriate weeding. Manual weeding is performed or one or more herbicides are applied.

SOIL FERTILIZATION FOR GARLIC CULTIVATION.

On average, in order to obtain 1,000 kg of plant, the nitrogen requirements, P2O5 and K2O are 2.33%, 1.42% and 2.50%, respectively, although taking into account the soil fertility, the observed proportions can be reduced. Mature organic fertilizers should be incorporated evenly in the field some time before planting. Nitric nitrogen is fractionated in 1-2 times during the vegetative cycle, otherwise it induces an excessive development of the leaves to the detriment of the bulbs. The phosphorous fertilizer favors the conservation of the product.

The cultivation of the garlic thanks the incorporation of organic material very decomposed. Garlic may be sensitive to the deficiencies of boron and molybdenum.

GARLIC CULTIVATION IRRIGATION.

Irrigation is not necessary and in most cases can be considered harmful, except in very dry winters and springs and very loose terrain.

Irrigation is usually done by spraying or by gravity. The needs from budding to the beginning of bulbification are the smallest and are usually sufficiently covered by rainfall. The most important water needs occur during bulb formation.

During the maturation period of the bulb, the water needs decrease, until two weeks before harvesting they become null.

Niel and Zunino (1974) established the water needs of garlic in different areas of France, establishing the global needs of about 2,600 m3 / ha, to which rainfall must be deducted.

Tuna of garlic and onion (Lita alliela)

Crops it attacks: Garlic and onion.

Description The larvae are approximately 1 cm in length and light green in color.

Adults are lepidoptera of brown color, approximately 0.5 cm in length.

Biological cycle

Adults make their appearance in spring. The ovoposición they effected on the plants attacked that they fan as a function of the temperature to the 10-12 days.

DAMAGE.

Open galleries on bulbs and leaves. In principle they usually attack the leaves and then move on to the bulbs. The attacked plants yellow and die. 

GARLIC HARVEST.

In the autumn plantations it takes 8 months to reach the harvest and 4 months or 4 ½ months on the spring plantations. The humidity of the soil in contact with the heads already mature causes in the external tunics blackening and rotting, caused by the action of saprophytic fungi, which sometimes deteriorate the quality of the harvest.

The right moment of the harvest corresponds to the complete desiccation of the leaves, making the heads start with good weather. Overtaking the time of harvest leads to reduced harvest and loss of quality.

On loose ground the bulbs will be unearthed by pulling the leaves, whereas in compact terrain it is advisable to use tipped shovels or legions. It is currently harvested mechanically with combine harvesters.

Plucked plants will be left on the ground for 4-5 days (weather permitting) and then moved in trolleys to sorting and stranding warehouses. As the bulbs are being collected, the soil must be cleaned.

If the collection is destined for the seed, the harvesting is done with the fully mature plant. After collection and during the selection period, the best shaped, healthy bulbs and those that fully respond to the characteristics of the cultivated variety will be removed. Then they will be straightened and the strings will be placed indoors, in a place well dry and ventilated. To plant one hectare, about 700 kg of bulbs are needed.

BENEFITS OF EATING GARLIC.

Garlic is very effective in the fermentative processes of the intestine, with accompanying flatulent phenomena and spasmodic pains. It also acts as a vasodilator and relaxant. The vessels, especially those of the legs but also those of the fundus of the eye and of the brain, dilate so that the tissues receive a better feed and thus prevents a premature aging. It also serves for the prevention and treatment of aging processes of the vascular system (arteriosclerosis) and to strengthen the treatment of sleep disturbances, hypertension, general weakness and decreased perform.