23/06/2023
6 SECRETS OF GARLIC PRODUCTION IN AFRICA.
# Garlic(Allium Sativum) is one of the rarely, yet most profitable onions that is easy to grow!
# Anyone can grow it so long one follows its do's and don'ts.
# Following are the secrets behind success in producing a successful crop:
1. Planting Season:- Garlic does well when planted in the right season. In Zambia, the best time to plant Garlic is from Late February- Early July. This is so since Garlic bulbs grow better and thrives best with lower temperatures in winter. Other seasons would produce poor small bulbs with less natural sap.
2. Planting Method:- Garlic is best planted after separating cloves from bulbs and later planted by inserting or pushing the cloves(small divisions that make a bulb) into the soil. It is however, best to peel the cloves by removing covers. This ensures best quality seeds as rotten ones will easily be identified and thrown away. Peeling also encourages quick germination and emergence.
Peeled Garlic germinates within 4-5 days compared to the unpeeled that may take 10-20 days depending on soil type and irrigation frequency and efficiency. The best spacing is 5-8 cm between plants and 30cm between rows.
3.Nutrition:-Garlic is a heavy feeder crop as such, it needs proper nutrition from planting to harvest. Soil must be enriched with animal manures or poultry manure@ the rate of 5kg/ square metre and 150-200 g/ square metre respectively. This should be incorporated into the soil at least 10 days prior to planting.
2 weeks after emergence, give Animal Liquid manure fertilizer @ 10 litres/ square metre as growth booster.
At week 7-8 add either well made compost @ 3-5kg/ square metre or chicken manure Liquid feed for bulb enhancement.
This should be accompanied by mulching which must have been there from planting for better phosphoric usage and sulphur intake- essential elements in enlarging bulbs.
4. Crop Protection:- Garlic does not need any spraying of any kind as it has self disease and insect repellent qualities.
5.Best drying Method:- Garlic usually gets ready for harvest after 12-16 weeks after emergence(3-4 months)
At this time, bulbs protrude above ground level as foliage turn yellowish...sign for readiness for harvest. Bulbs with mother attached stems are pulled out of ground and tied in bundles of 15-20s and hanged by tying with a rope and suspended on any pole or roofing rafters inside a building for gradual drying.
Never dry it in the direct sunlight as this reduces its weight and natural juice quality.
Note that keep this hanging not more than 3 months as you may lose its weight.
6. Yield Potential and Profitability:- Garlic has yield potential of 1-2/kg/ metre square on the average( can be more with top management), meaning a farmer can harvest an average of 5000kg/ Lima (50m ×50m). That's about 100× 50kg bags.
In Zambia, Garlic farm price is about K50( about $2.5) / kg. Meaning, 5000 kg× K50, one gets K250,000 just from 1 Lima. If a farmer does 1 hectare you're a happy farmer with K1,200,000.
This cannot be compared with most crops farmers spend much time, energy, inputs yet with little profit.
So try this out and check the Gold mine in Garlic Production.
Check Garlic prices in supermarkets and you'll understand.
Credit: muchimba
seedlings ready ✅k0.80n each
Getting 1000 or more k0.50n each
we are located in Lusaka off kasangula road near heroes stadium plot b413 mandevu call/WhatsApp 0978366269
