In spring, garlic often turns yellow, and this is not a natural process, but a signal of nutritional deficiency. If you ignore the dying of leaves, the cloves in the soil will not mature as expected.
The main problem is the leaching and volatilization of nitrogen from the soil. Melt water draws the element into the deeper layers, from where garlic with its modest root system cannot extract it. Manure, compost and vermicompost are not helpful: While they are reforming in the soil, the garlic will lose even more leaves.
Foliar feeding
Root fertilizers act slowly. Fertilizers applied to the leaf work much faster:
- ammonia – 1-2 tbsp. spoons per 10 liters of water. Nitrogen is absorbed instantly. You need to work quickly, as nitrogen evaporates;
- ammonium nitrate – 1 tbsp. spoon per 10 liters of water for foliar feeding.
It is not recommended to use urea: it needs processing by soil bacteria to transform it, and we spray the above-ground parts.
What to do if the problem is not nitrogen
Additionally, dig up a few garlic cloves and check for pathogens or pests. If you find fungal diseases, spraying the soil with fungicides will help. for example “Alirin-B” or “Fitosporin”. A saline solution is used to control pests.
Personal experience
I saw that the garlic was turning yellow, I tried watering it with ash and herbal infusions – to no avail. I decided to use ammonia – and I was right. The garlic quickly recovered, and the harvest was pleasing.
