Garlic, like any other crop, needs proper care. When growing this vegetable on the site, it is necessary to cut off the arrows that it releases. This must be done in accordance with a number of rules. In today’s article, we will learn when to pick off the garlic arrows and how to do it.
Why do you need to remove the arrows?
Toward the middle of the growing season, garlic begins to form characteristic shoots that are characterized by high density. Otherwise, these shoots are called arrows. Similar processes take place after the culture acquires 5–7 leaf blades. Usually flower stalks appear in the central part of the stem. Their nutrition comes directly from the rhizomes. Because of this, the necessary resources of the culture are primarily directed to the arrow, where the seeds ripen, and not to the garlic cloves.
Due to the lack of important nutrients, the future harvest will take much longer to ripen (15–20 days). The growth of the bulbs noticeably slows down, they become more modest in size. In addition, the active development of arrows can reduce the level of yield by a third or more.
Of course, it is not necessary to cut off absolutely all flower stalks from garlic. You will need to leave at least a couple of formed arrows so that they can easily determine the degree of maturation of the teeth.
Deadlines
Many summer residents who grow fragrant garlic on their plots are wondering when it is better to turn to the procedure for removing arrows that have appeared. There are several ways at which point it is permissible to get rid of garlic peduncles.
- If a person wants to end up with a good and healthy harvest, so that the heads of garlic form quite large, it is advisable to cut off the arrows immediately after the garlic has started them for the first time. Due to this, absolutely all the components of nutrition will be sent directly to the bulb, and not to the peduncle. However, it must be borne in mind that even after this manipulation, the shoot will continue to grow without an arrow, which is why the action will have to be repeated.
- To prevent another formation of peduncles, it makes sense to pluck the arrows only after the stage of their twisting. But the summer resident must take into account that after this, the yield indicators and the volume of garlic heads will no longer be so significant.
- The gardener-gardener can wait until the garlic stalk, together with the arrow, grows to a mark of 13-15 cm. Pruning can be done after this step. Due to such features, it will be possible to prevent the loss of nutrients. In this case, it will not be necessary to remove the peduncle again.
There are situations in which the culture in question shoots arrows unevenly – then it is advisable to act as in the first considered method. In such conditions, the summer resident will need to cut the flower stalks in several steps, based on their formation.
Procedure Tips
The procedure for removing garlic arrows does not cause any particular difficulties. It is very simple and understandable. Each person will be able to cope with such actions, even if previously he did not have to independently remove unnecessary shoots from plants.
- It is necessary to remove peduncles released by garlic with well-sharpened scissors or a garden knife. You can also use a pruner. The cut points should be literally a centimeter from the base to avoid accidental damage to the stem of the plant.
- Roughly breaking the stem by hand is strongly discouraged.. It has high-density walls, so tear-off edges can remain uneven. Such things are very harmful for the further healthy development of the plant.
- The flower stalks that the garlic planted in the garden should not be plucked too sharply or pulled towards you. If you act incorrectly, you can cause serious damage to the plant or completely accidentally pull it out of the soil.
- For the procedure in question, it is recommended to choose a sunny morning. During the day, all the left damage will have time to dry. Thanks to this, the landing will be able to spend the night calmly, without encountering unnecessary problems. The next day, it is worth fertilizing and subjecting the plant to watering. It is not allowed to remove arrows in the evening, as well as before or after watering.
Is it necessary to remove flower stalks?
If a gardener has been planting a crop grown from his own seeds for many years, then over time it will begin to degenerate. This is one of the most important reasons for the need to update the fit.
Consider how to properly prepare new seeds.
- Once every 5 years, it is necessary to leave 5 to 10 arrows untouched in the garden. The summer resident needs to wait until their formation is fully completed. This will be signaled by straightened “bulbs” of peduncles.
- From the soil, it will be necessary to remove all crops that have acquired fully matured seedlings.. They must be tied in small bundles, and then dried for a month in a shaded, but fairly ventilated space.
- When the heads are thoroughly dry, they will need to be very carefully separated from the arrows. The seeds themselves should be laid out in small paper bags. Storage of such components should last from February to March in a room where the temperature is set from +18 to +20 degrees Celsius.
- About 1,5 months before sowing, the seeds will need to be transferred to the refrigerator. Immediately before planting, they are treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, after which the seeds are dried.
Where do they use it?
Do not be upset if the garlic is too actively shot. Deleted items can be useful later on, so you don’t have to throw them away right away. The tendrils of the plant can be used to effectively control various parasites and pests such as aphids or spider mites.
To properly use cut garlic arrows, you need to carry out a number of procedures.
- You need to cut the arrows themselves. To prepare an effective remedy, you need to finely chop about 500 g of the removed elements.
- Cut arrows are placed in a tank, the volume of which is at least 3 liters. Plant components are poured with warm water.
- A container with arrows in the water is placed in a dark place. Here she must stand for 5 days, so that the process of fermentation of the tincture begins.
- Then it must be thoroughly filtered.
- Before using the finished product, it will need to be diluted with a liquid in the proportion of 60 g per 10 liters. It is also recommended to add 50 g of soap to a similar composition.
To save the winter crop from attacks by insects and pests, it will need to be sprayed with the considered composition every 4 days.
To get rid of the dangerous carrot fly, you should turn to another popular recipe.
- It is necessary to grind 200 g of shoots. They can not only be chopped with a knife, but also passed through a meat grinder.
- Prepared crushed component mixed with 50 g of laundry soap shavings.
- The components are poured with 10 liters of water.
- After that, it remains only to wait until the soap is completely dissolved in the liquid. Then the plants will need to be treated with a ready-made solution every 4 days.
Cut arrows show very high efficiency in the fight against pests that attacked the beds. Similar components are also actively used in cooking. They contain a lot of useful trace elements and substances. In addition, the shoots themselves are characterized by a very pleasant taste, due to which they are often added as a seasoning or salad ingredient. Antennae can be fried, pickled, dried, boiled, and even eaten raw.
