Garlic

Short description of the species

Botanical name

Garlic

Latin name

Allium sativum

Family

Amaryllidaceae

Origin

Central Asia

Crop classification

onion vegetable

Exposure

sunny areas

Frost resistance

frost-resistant

Optimal growth temperature

12°C to 24°C during the growing season; however, it can tolerate temperatures down to -12°C during the dormant period

Water requirement

requires supplemental irrigation during periods of intensive growth of leaves and bulbs

Soil requirement

lighter, warming soils, sandy-loamy with good organic matter content

Soil pH

6,0 – 7,5

Edible part

onion cloves

accessibility

Usage

in a fresh state, heat-treated; technologically processed by drying

Inclusion in the crop rotation and fertilization requirements 

track: II. 

suitable preceding crops: cereals, legumes, cucumbers; we do not include it in crop rotations after onion vegetable species, it is advisable to leave it out of the crop rotation for at least 4-6 years. 

fertilization: it does not tolerate direct fertilization with manure; during basic plowing in the fall, we fertilize with phosphorus at a dose of 60-80 kg.ha-1 and potassium: 120-140 kg.ha-1; nitrogen at a dose of 100-120 kg.ha-1 is applied twice; garlic responds well to sulfur fertilization.

Varieties: 

• Garlic sticks: blue or violet or pinkish garlic that forms flower stalks; planted in autumn. 

• Garlic non-sticks: white garlic that does not form a flower stalk. This type also includes: o broad-leaved garlic sticks (white winter garlic) - have wide leaves; form large bulbs of dirty white or purple color; planted in autumn o narrow-leaved garlic sticks (white spring garlic) - have narrower leaves; form smaller bulbs; planted in spring

Agrotechnics of cultivation and harvesting 

Propagation: vegetatively by cloves; garlic by both sticks and stalks 

Spacing:

• 0.30 – 0.45 m x 0.10 – 0.15 m (depending on the variety, wider for winter varieties) 

Harvest: 

• One-time – mechanized on large areas 

Agrotechnics of cultivation – spring varieties (narrow-leaved non-sticks)

Agrotechnical cultivation – winter varieties (stick and broadleaf non-stick).

Storage: 7 – 9 months at a temperature of -1 – 0 °C and a relative humidity of 60 – 70% 

Use: fresh, heat-treated; technologically processed by drying 

Diseases and pests

• viral diseases: Onion yellow dwarf virus (OYDV) 

• fungal diseases: onion mildew (Perenospora destructor), sclerotium rot (Sclerotium cepivorum), garlic rust (Puccinia porri), fusarium wilt (Fusarium oxysporum sp. cepae) 

• pests: leek leafhopper (Phytomyza gymnostoma), onion flowerworm (Delia antiqua Meig.), root nematode (Ditylenchus dipsaci Kühn.), garlic leafhopper (Aceria tulipae), garlic moth (Acrolepiopsis assectella), garlic leafhopper (Suillia lurida), tobacco thrips (Thrips tabacci) and others.

Sources:

ANDREJIOVÁ, A. – HEGEDÜŠOVÁ, A. – GOLIAN, M. – MEZEYOVÁ, I. - ŠLOSÁR, M. 2025. Zeleninárstvo (poľné pestovanie). Nitra : SPU. 262 s. ISBN 978-80-552-2565-4

ANDREJIOVÁ, A. – ŠLOSÁR,M. 2015. Návody na cvičenia zo zeleninárstva. Nitra : SPU, 909 s. ISBN 978-80-552-1330-9.

CAGÁŇ, Ľ. Et al. 2015. Choroby a škodcovia záhradníckych rastlín. Nitra : SPU, 124 s. ISBN 978-80-552-1448-1.