What determines the yield of garlic and how to increase it: advice from experienced farmers and nuances of cultivation
Garlic is a popular spicy vegetable crop among many people, it is relatively unpretentious, does not require serious financial investments, is in demand among the population and therefore, with proper agricultural technology, is very profitable.
Garlic has been known in Russia for a long time. Old Russian chronicles of the 13th century mention that our ancestors loved to drink wine with garlic in it. Under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich in the mid-17th century, there were several apothecary gardens for growing garlic.
A significant part of the garlic on the shelves of Russian grocery stores and retail chains is imported from China. It is cheaper than the domestic one and stores well, but it is less potent than the Russian one and, according to experts, does not fully have immunomodulatory and antibacterial properties.
What influences high yields?
The famous scientist, onion specialist, professor, doctor of agricultural sciences Suzan Vladimir Grigorievich notes that the most important thing when growing garlic is the choice of a variety adapted to the conditions of the area.
This crop does not like heavy soils. It is not recommended to plant it on heavy soils, since the husks become too dirty, are poorly cleaned and the heads are not stored well.
If there is no choice, before planting, the soil is enriched with sand or expanded clay, peat and humus are added.
The culture loves a lot of sun, moderate moisture, fertile neutral soil, preferably sandy loam, into which manure with an acidity of pH 6.5 was added 2-3 years ago.
Another important condition for obtaining a rich harvest is treating the seed material with a fungicide before planting. When planting seeds, the scheme is important, which will allow you to care for your plants as productively as possible.At winter landing is mandatory feed the seedlings in the fall. The plant needs weeding (cultivation).
In dry weather, plantings are watered. Timely harvesting and its subsequent storage are of no small importance.
Garlic yield per 1 ha in Russia
Garlic is a productive crop, which is why novice businessmen love to cultivate it. What kind of crop do farmers harvest from 1 acre? According to statistics, from 90 to 300-500 kg or from 9 to 50 tons of bulbs (heads) are collected from 1 hectare (ha).
Garlic has two varieties: winter and spring. They are significantly vary by appearance, planting time, care. Winter, compared to spring, usually produces a higher yield, which is associated with cold resistance and the ability to use moisture obtained as a result of snowmelt for growth.
Winter
Winter crops are planted before winter 15-20 days before the first persistent frost. It takes 8–9 months to develop. The bulb has a small number (4-10) of cloves adjacent to the stem (flower arrow). The average weight of the bulb is 50-60 g.
The bulbs are expelled by flower shoots, on which aerial bulbs (bulbs) are formed. If they are present, the mother bulb becomes smaller and the yield decreases. With large areas, it is difficult to remove the arrows from garlic, so the cost of the product increases.
The most productive variety is considered Benefit – 35 tons per hectare. 25 tons per 1 hectare can be obtained by growing the Messido variety, 15-20 - Spas, 18 - Petrovsky and 11.5 tons per 1 hectare - Polessky Souvenir.
Spring
Spring crops are planted in early spring (late March - early April), when the soil still contains a lot of moisture, but is already warmed up to plus 5-7°C. A spring garlic bulb fully ripens in 4-5 months. It has a large number of cloves (12-30). Head weight – about 15-30 g.
As a rule, spring garlic does not bolt, with the exception of the Gulliver variety. By following agrotechnical measures, high yields are achieved.
Spring garlic can be stored for a long time without loss of taste and beneficial properties - up to 2 years. Moreover, it can be stored at room temperature.
Of the spring varieties, the most productive variety is Aleysky. With proper cultivation, its yield reaches 14-16 tons of bulbs per hectare. The yield of varieties Sochi 56 and Strelets ranges from 7 to 12 tons per 1 hectare, Pluton - from 7 to 9, and Elenovsky - from 6 to 7 tons per 1 hectare.
Is it profitable to grow for sale on a large scale?
According to Professor Suzan V.G., there is a “gold mine” in garlic, but, unfortunately, not everyone manages to find it. Many farmers, judging by reviews, make considerable profits from growing this spice. In small areas it is quite possible to get by with manual labor. But what if you decide to plant a field of several hectares? Manual labor alone cannot do this - you need the help of special equipment.
Planting garlic with a seeder and walk-behind tractor will significantly reduce material and time costs. Equipment can be rented or purchased. Some use the equipment to plant other crops, such as tulips.
The benefits of garlic business include:
- high profitability;
- minimal cash investment;
- constant and high demand for products.
Depending on the chosen variety, 10-50 tons of vegetables are harvested from 1 hectare. Considering that 1 kg is sold at a wholesale price of 110 rubles, the minimum income will be 1.1 million rubles.
What expenses are needed to grow 1 hectare of garlic?
Approximately 540 thousand rubles:
- land rent – 5,000 rubles;
- purchase of planting material – 375 thousand rubles;
- fertilizers and utilities – 15 thousand rubles;
- equipment rental – 17 thousand rubles;
- purchase of equipment – 30 thousand rubles;
- workers' wages are 40 thousand rubles.
Now about the disadvantages. If the sale of the goods fails, it is unlikely that it will be possible to feed the spice to livestock. Therefore, it is better in advance, as soon as you decide to plant a field, to find buyers and enter into supply agreements with them.
Buyers of garlic: food industry enterprises (sausage shops, canteens, cafes, etc.), vegetable stores, supermarkets.
Attention! With a successful choice of variety, correct agricultural technology, and an established sales market, the profit pays for the costs in 1 year.
Cultivation technology on an industrial scale
First of all, you need to decide what type of vegetable crop you want to grow - winter or spring? If you want to season your dishes with garlic throughout the winter, plant spring garlic, and if you are going to use it when canning vegetables for the winter, then winter garlic is better. The difference between spring and winter is in the timing of harvesting: the first is harvested in August - September, and the second - in late July - early August.
Winter garlic prefers sandy loam soils, while spring garlic grows well on medium and light loamy soils.Spring varieties require more moisture and need systematic watering from the beginning of May to the end of June. Winter varieties are not so dependent on watering: the plant needs it, but even more - loosening the rows. It should be started immediately after the soil in the garden bed stops sticking to shoes and tools.
In central Russia, it is most popular to grow winter forms of crops. For planting, cloves (side buds) of bulbs, single-cub bulbs (sets) grown from aerial bulbs, or aerial bulbs (bulbs) are used.
Pay special attention to the choice of seed. It must be zoned and adapted to growing in the given conditions.
It is also important to choose the right place for planting - open and sunny. Areas with close groundwater are not suitable for cultivation. It is not recommended to plant garlic where onions, carrots, cucumbers and tomatoes grew before it. The best predecessors: cabbage, legumes, pumpkin, zucchini or greens.
To prevent the culture from degenerating, bulblets 3-5 mm in diameter are planted in parallel with the commercial heads for growing cloves. At the same time, the seeding rate per 1 hectare is 100-200 kg of bulblets. When growing from cloves, use planting material of the first reproduction.
The teeth are planted in accordance with the planting scheme. The distances between rows should be approximately 20 cm, between plants - 10-15 cm, planting depth - 5-7 cm.
Attention! When choosing a planting scheme, consider how convenient it will be to use the equipment (tractor, cultivator).
Before planting, the seed is carefully inspected for damage and treated with fungicides to avoid rotting. The bottom of the furrows is sprinkled with sand and ash, and the top with earth.
The timing of planting vegetables depends on the chosen type: winter varieties are planted in the fall, 3-4 weeks before the first frost, and spring varieties - in April, when the soil warms up to +5-7°C.
Ideally, soil layers starting from 3 cm and further 30-35 cm deep are taken for analysis. Before sowing, the soil should contain at least 20 mg of nitrogen, 20-25 mg of phosphorus and 25-30 mg of potassium per 1 kg of soil.
Regardless of the planting time, in early September the soil is dug up, cleared of weeds and debris, after which the following fertilizers are applied: 1 bucket of humus, 50-60 g of superphosphate, 50-60 g of ammonium nitrate.
A rich harvest means timely watering, weeding, cultivation, and fertilizing. In the spring, when the first leaves appear, nitrogen fertilizers, such as urea, are added to the soil. After 15-20 days, complex mineral fertilizers are applied. When 5-6 leaves appear, the soil is enriched with phosphorus-potassium additives. Watering of plantings is stopped 2-3 weeks before harvest.
The harvest is harvested when the leaves of the plant turn yellow and dry out (the lower ones are dry and the upper ones are yellowed), the leaves bend toward the ground, and the shells of the aerial bulbs crack.
Typically, harvesting is done manually. The bulbs are immediately cleared of soil and left to dry for 20 days at a temperature of +25-30°C. Then the roots and leaves are cut off, the neck is shortened to a length of 2-5 cm.
Store the crop in a dry and cool room with a humidity of no more than 80%.
Growing and selling garlic as a business idea:
Ways to increase productivity
The key to a high yield is proper agricultural technology. You should start with the correct landing. It is important to plant not early and not late, but on time.It is necessary to pre-treat the seed with a fungicide, for example, Fundazol, to protect the plants from root rot.
It must be planted with the bottom down. For arrowing varieties, cut off or break off the arrows. Timely watering, fertilizing, loosening, and weeding also significantly increase the yield.
Non-chemical methods to increase garlic yield
Garlic does not like heavy soils. Loamy and sandy loam soils are suitable for its cultivation. To increase crop productivity, the structural composition of the soil is improved with sand, peat, and loam, depending on the initial characteristics.
Please note that acidic soil must be limed, since the optimum pH is in the range of 6.5-7.9.
The soil for sowing is prepared immediately after harvesting: plant residues are removed, dug up with a shovel, and sowed with green manure (mustard, lupine, etc.). Compost or dry humus is used as organic fertilizer.
To avoid the use of herbicides, special equipment is used for weeding - cultivators.
Attention! You cannot fertilize with fresh manure.
Regional influence
Regions with high snow cover and mild winters are suitable for growing garlic. It is better to grow spring varieties of garlic where summer lasts 3-4 months. Keep in mind that the yield of winter garlic is higher than that of spring garlic, but its shelf life is significantly lower.
Garlic is grown in all regions of Russia. Withdrawn varieties for cultivation in Siberia, the Urals, and the Moscow region.
In Russia, winter garlic is most often grown. The choice of variety depends on the region:
Ukrainian varieties are popular in the southern regions: Lyubasha, Ukrainian white and Ukrainian purple.Popular varieties include the long-lasting and productive Spas, the Dutch Messidor, the mid-late, long-lasting Gulliver and the unpretentious Romanian Benefis.- The following are recognized as the best for cultivation in Siberia: mid-season Gribovsky Yubileiny, frost-resistant Elenovsky, Spas (heads up to 100 g).
- For the Urals, a region with hot summers and frosty winters, the following are most suitable: Skif, Bashkirsky 85, Sofievsky and early ripening Dobrynya.
- The following varieties performed well in the Moscow region: Podmoskovny, Soyuz, Komsomolets, Nadezhny, Zubrenok.
However, the harvest depends not only on the choice of variety, but also on the correct planting time, soil conditions, irrigation and fertilizing. So, if you plant, for example, winter garlic too early, it will sprout before the cold weather sets in and die.
Care rules for getting a rich harvest
How to care for garlic to get a rich harvest? This question is often asked by beginning farmers. Spain and Israel are recognized as world leaders in garlic production. Israeli agronomist Eyal Cohen advises planting 260 thousand cloves per hectare and always bottom down. Pre-treatment of seed material is required.
Garlic is sensitive to daylight hours. Often it is for this reason that, all other growing conditions being equal, a variety is good in some regions, but does not produce a harvest in others.
Advice. Start with several varieties, planting them in small areas, and choose the most suitable ones.
If the soil is too acidic, dolomite flour or slaked lime is added to it, which reduces the acidity.
Fertilizers are applied in the fall, while digging the soil, after all the predecessors have been removed from the garden. It is desirable that nutrients can penetrate into the ground at least as deep as a shovel.
When watering, follow the following rules: The top 30 cm of soil should be moist, especially during the bulb formation phase and until the end of its growth. Once the bulb has reached the desired size, watering and fertilizing are completely stopped.
The best yield is obtained on loamy soil, where acidity is low or optimal. Moreover, the more organic and mineral-based fertilizers added to the soil, the higher the yields.
Compliance crop rotation – an important point that affects the productivity of the crop. It is best to plant garlic after legumes, cabbage and melons (zucchini, eggplant, pumpkins), as well as after green manure.
When purchasing planting material, decide whether you will grow a winter or spring form of the crop. In the first case, the bulbs grow strong and large, and in the second, the harvest is stored longer.
Cloves or single cloves, which were obtained by growing garlic bulbs, are used as planting material.
Cloves should not be planted in soil that is subject to the accumulation of melt water and precipitation. It is also desirable that the groundwater be far from the planting site. The key to obtaining high yields is the removal of flower shoots longer than 10 cm at a certain time.
Garlic, like other vegetable crops, is damaged by pests and is susceptible to various diseases. To grow healthy bulbs, before planting, prevent the seed material with solutions of copper sulfate, tar soap, and Fundazol.
One of the most insidious pests, which sometimes destroys the entire crop, is the stem nematode.She lays eggs in the bottoms of the bulbs. Nematodes overwinter in the plant or in the soil, preferring heavy, clayey soils. In dry plants, under favorable conditions, the pest persists for more than 4 years.
Garlic diseases. Advice from Professor Suzan V.G.:
Farmer reviews
Feedback from farmers about the prospects for growing garlic varies. There are some negative ones among them, but more positive ones.
Farmer with the nickname “Stranger V” (Kaliningrad, Russia): “I grew garlic for a couple of years, but gave up - it’s a difficult and thankless crop.”
Vitalka1988 (Volgograd region): “I decided to sell the bulk of the goods wholesale, in Volgograd. I sold garlic in various batches at a price of 90 to 100 rubles per kilogram... My wife also sold it at the market, sometimes in larger batches, and sometimes at retail. I rented it to a sausage shop or a bakery. Fellow villagers turned to me for goods, knowing that the product was of high quality and environmentally friendly... At the end of summer, people are just preparing for a long winter, making all kinds of canned food and twists that contain garlic, so the demand is high. Taking into account all the expenses, in the first year garlic brought me a considerable income - more than 17,000 rubles a month. And the next year, having increased the area and adjusted some details, I developed my business to an even larger scale in terms of earnings.”
Anna Guzovskaya (Krasnodar region): “In Russia, production does not compensate for all the needs of the domestic consumer. Therefore, most of it is imported from China. This type of garlic has many disadvantages, since the quality and shelf life are significantly inferior to our garlic. By renting 1 hectare of land, you can have 5-10 tons of harvest. And this is 1 million rubles.In addition, if you organize the rental of large areas of land, you must find contact persons in advance and conclude supply agreements with them. After this, you can safely start planting garlic!”
Sergey Alekseevich (Orenburg region): “Garlic is a good way to earn money, it doesn’t require large initial investments, you need to work with it 10-20 days a year (depending on what kind of garden you have), it pays off in the first year.”
Conclusion
Growing garlic is a profitable, interesting, but delicate business with many nuances. Variety selection and agricultural practices vary greatly depending on the growing region.
Calculation, contact with experienced farmers, and early establishment of a sales market will help to avoid unforeseen financial losses and recoup the costs of purchasing (renting) land, special equipment, and seed within 1 year.
In the video below, Professor Suzan's advice on growing garlic as a business: