Post by Trade facilitator on Aug 26, 2022 7:13:37 GMT 1
This great spice Garlic is actually a vegetable, a member of the Allium family Amaryllidaceae – the same family that onions, shallots, and leeks belong to.
It is commonly used for heart and blood system conditions. Garlic is said to produce a chemical known as allicin. This chemical allicin is what makes garlic effective in certain conditions. It is also what is responsible for the odor of garlic.
Garlic is one of the most important vegetables used in Nigeria. Actually garlic is the second most widely cultivated member of the Alliums family after onions.
Did you know that cumin is the most popular spice in the world? And coriander is the most commonly used herb in the world.
Garlic is loved for its flavour, many farmers tend to believe that it is difficult to farm; but what they don’t know is that it is actually easy to grow. Garlic does not suffer from most diseases and pest problems faced by numerous other vegetables.
China is by far the largest producer of garlic in the world. It produces over 75% of the world production tonnage. (FAO).
India comes second, followed by Republic of Korea and United States of America.
Varieties of Garlic:
Research shows that there are over 80 varieties of garlic in the world; but they can be grouped into 3 major types, mainly:
1) Great headed varieties,
2) soft neck varieties, and
3) stiff necked varieties.
When planning to farm garlic, you should carefully choose suitable varieties, after considering your desired qualities like: time of maturity, yield and colour among other qualities.
Benefits of Garlic:
Garlic is very high in nutrients, therefore has a number of health benefits.
It fights colds and flu, cures hypertension, strengthens the immune system, lowers cholesterol levels, prevents heart disease, aids in the prevention of cancer, and it is high in antioxidants.
What are The Benefits of Garlic and Honey for Men?
When you have mixture of ginger, garlic, and honey you will discover that it is very helpful in a variety of ailments, and supporters claim it can improve overall well-being.
Here are the garlic and honey benefits for men:
Garlic and honey make a great mixture to lower your blood cholesterol levels.
Garlic with honey can improve the health of most men, by boosting their immunity.
Garlic and honey both have anti-oxidants, which make them the best ingredients to prevent many diseases.
Garlic and honey when consumed together, are best remedies for flu, cold and cough.
Garlic and honey are also used together to shed some extra weights.
Basics of growing garlic:
Like I said earlier, Garlic is very easy to grow and it suffers from very few pests and disease issues.
Where is Garlic grown in Nigeria?
Garlic farming in Nigeria is done in states like: Bauchi, Zamfara, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, Jigawa, and Kaduna.
The Best Soil for growing garlic:
The best soil for growing garlic is loamy, well-drained but moisture-retentive soil; the ideal pH level for Garlic cultivation is a pH of 6.0 – 7.0. It tolerates a large range of soil conditions. Though garlic is a hardy perennial crop, it can be grown in different types of soil.
The perfect soil should be light, fertile, and must be rich in organic matter. It should be free from stones and gravel, and above all must be capable of holding moisture during the growing period. A poorly drained soil will discolour the crop.
The procedure for planting Garlic:
The Garlic cloves you intend to use in the planting should be taken taken from the bulbs and planted. When planning to choose cloves for planting, you should consider size as one of the most important factors at the earlier stage of planting.
Bigger cloves result into bigger bulbs at harvest. Soft cloves should not be planted and the base of the cloves should not be damaged.
When planting, allow a depth of between 3 – 6 centimeters into the soil; 8 – 10 cm between individual plants and intra-row spacing can be up to 20cm, and a density of up to 475kg cloves per hectare.
Required Rainfall:
Garlic requires rainfall between 600 mm to 1,200 mm; minimum and maximum temperature should be 50c – 250c and 250c – 400c respectively.
Please always use healthy cultivars, they should be soaked in clean water for a minimum period of six hours, remove the outer skin, dry the remaining in a mixture of insecticide and fungicide to control fungi and pests.
After planting, you should cover the cloves with mulch to prevent pests from attacking them.
Please apply fertilizer at the rate of 45:30:30 per hectare, Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K) should be applied at planting while Nitrogen (N) should be applied three weeks and six weeks after planting.
When to consider harvesting your Garlic?
Give or take, five to six months after planting or when the leaves turn yellow or brown; your garlic bulbs are now ready for harvesting.
When to stop irrigation?
Newbie or ignorant farmers tend to continue irrigation till the maturity period. But you should stop irrigation a month before harvesting your garlic bulbs. You have to dig the soil carefully to avoid damage to the crop. Your garlic bulbs should be braided together and hung for about two weeks at a temperature of 27% centigrade.
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