How to Grow Garlic from Seed to Harvest

Garlic (Allium sativum Linn.) is grown in about 3978 acres in Telangana. The average yield per acre is 4 tones. Garlic is used as a spice in different crop seasons. Moreover, garlic has many medicinal properties and is also used as a cure for various diseases.

In this article I have explained How to Garlic from Seed to Harvest, which helps every farmer and home gardener to gain the knowledge on

Available verities of Garlic.
Seed germination time.
Suitable soil and weather conditions.
Field preparation and planting distance.
Fertilizer and Water Management.
Required seed per acre and expected yield per acre.

Weather:

Garlic is a winter crop. A temperature of 12-18° centigrade is suitable for vegetative growth and long daylight favors growth.

Soils:

Well-drained, light soils with high organic matter are best suited. Growth is best in soils with soil PH level 6-7. Acidic soils and heavy alluvial soils are not suitable.

Varieties:

On average each Garlic contains 30 to 50 Cloves
Garlic Clove Germination time is 7 to 10 days

Ramnagar: This is a Rajasthan variety, has large garlic peels.

G-41: The garlic peels are medium white in color and are a high yielding variety.

Ooty – 1: Type released from Horticultural Research Station, Ooty, Tamil Nadu. Harvesting period: 120-130 days. Yield : 6.8 tones/acre.

G-50: Agrifound White, Yamuna, Safeda are high yielding varieties. Domestic varieties with white garlic are under cultivation in our state.

Seed Per Acre:

Garlic peels(Cloves) are used as seeds.

Seed Rate: Per acre 200-240 kg of cloves required.
Harvesting: 4-5 months.
Yield: 3.2-4.8 tons per acre.

Planting time:

August to September is suitable for planting.

Planting method:

15 cm distance between rows, 10 cm distance between two galic peels in a row should be planted at a depth of 5 cm. Before planting, garlic peels are soaked in a solution of 1 g of Psychosil in 1 liter of water for 24 hours to increase yields.

Water management:

Water should be given immediately after planting. After that, the second watering should be given after 3-4 days. After that water should be given at intervals of 7-10 days. During the rooting stage, water should be given once every 4-5 days. Watering should be stopped after garlic growth is complete.

Storage:

Water should be given 12 days before harvesting. Immediately after harvesting, the garlic are piled in the field for 3 days (field curing) and then stored. By doing this, the garlic can be stored for a long time.

Harvesting:

Harvest the garlic leaves when they are ripe and dry. Light moisture should be given 12 days before harvesting. Immediately after harvesting, the garlic along with the leaves should be dried in a well ventilated shade for a week. After that, the leaves should be cut and dried well in the shade, which will improve the storage quality of the garlic peels.