How to Save Garlic from Yellowing Leaves: Causes and Solutions

Garlic is a healthy and tasty vegetable crop that is grown in many garden plots.

However, sometimes gardeners are faced with the problem of yellowing garlic leaves, which can negatively affect the quality and quantity of the harvest.

Anastasia Kovrizhnykh explains why garlic leaves turn yellow and what to do in this case.

Causes of yellowing garlic leaves

Yellowing of garlic leaves can be caused by various factors, such as:

Frosts and temperature fluctuations. Garlic is a cold-resistant crop, but in case of sudden cold snaps or frosts its leaves can freeze and turn yellow.

This is especially true for winter garlic, which sprouts early in the spring. To protect garlic from frost, it should be covered with mulch or non-woven material.

Violation of agricultural technology of cultivation. Garlic requires certain conditions for normal growth and development. It likes neutral or slightly alkaline soil, loose and fertile.

If the soil is acidic or clayey, garlic may suffer from a lack or excess of moisture, as well as from the unavailability of nutrients.

Therefore, before planting garlic, you need to prepare the soil: lime it if necessary, add organic and mineral fertilizers, dig it up well and loosen it.

Lack of nutrition. Garlic is a demanding crop for soil fertility. It actively consumes nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and microelements.

If these substances are lacking in the soil or are unavailable to plants due to improper pH or over-watering, the garlic leaves may turn yellow. To prevent this problem, you need to regularly feed the garlic with balanced complex fertilizers.

Diseases and pests. Garlic can be affected by various fungal, bacterial and viral diseases, as well as attacked by insect pests.

Among the most dangerous garlic diseases are fusarium, downy mildew, rust, bacteriosis and mosaic virus. Among garlic pests, the greatest damage can be caused by onion fly, onion nematode, thrips and aphids. All these factors can lead to yellowing, wilting and death of garlic leaves.

Methods of combating yellowing of garlic leaves

Depending on the reason for the yellowing of garlic leaves, you can use different methods to combat this problem.

If yellowing of garlic leaves is associated with frost or temperature changes, then you need to cover the plants with mulch or non-woven material, and also provide them with sufficient watering and feeding.

If yellowing of garlic leaves is caused by a violation of agricultural cultivation techniques, then it is necessary to correct the errors and create optimal conditions for the plants.

For example, if the soil is acidic, it needs to be limed; if the soil is clayey, sand or humus needs to be added; if the soil is dry, the garlic needs to be watered; if the soil is waterlogged, drainage and loosening needs to be improved.

If yellowing of garlic leaves is caused by a lack of nutrition, then you need to regularly feed the garlic with balanced complex fertilizers.

For example, you can use a solution of azofoska (20 g per 10 l of water) or crystallon (30 g per 10 l of water). Top dressing is done every 2-3 weeks from the beginning of vegetation until the beginning of head formation.

If yellowing of garlic leaves is associated with diseases or pests, then preventive and therapeutic treatments of plants must be carried out.

For prevention, you can use folk remedies, such as solutions of ash, potassium permanganate, iodine, sulfuric acid or whey. For treatment, you can use chemicals, such as fungicides (topaz, skor, hom) or insecticides (aktara, confidor, actofit). Treatments are done according to the instructions on the packaging of the drug.

How to Save a Garlic Crop

If you notice yellowing of garlic leaves in your garden, do not despair. In most cases, you can save the harvest if you promptly determine the cause of the problem and apply appropriate control measures.

The main thing is not to let the situation get out of hand and not to wait until all the garlic leaves turn yellow. If you take care of your plants and provide them with optimal conditions for growth and development, you will be able to get a good and high-quality garlic harvest.

Conclusion

Yellowing of garlic leaves is a common problem that can have different causes. To avoid or eliminate this problem, you need to follow the rules of agricultural technology for growing garlic, regularly fertilize and water, and protect plants from diseases and pests.

If you follow these guidelines, you will be able to grow healthy and productive garlic.

Earlier, the expert told how to grow early cucumbers .