Saturday, April 02, 2005

Allium Sativum

Allium sativum (garlic)
Repels: Japanese beetle, aphids, fungus, root maggots, snails, carrot root fly, red spider mites
Guild: Roses, raspberries, tomatoes, peach
Dislike peas.
Propagation: cloves planted in 3~5cm deep soil. Chill cloves in fridge for several weeks before planting. Bend flower and foliage to the ground or cut them off to cause plant to focus energy on the bulbs.
5 months to maturity. Harvest when leaves dry.
Accumulates sulfur

Grows best in pH 6.0 to 7.0. Needs irrigation in summer when bulbs are forming.

Garlic is prone to onion maggots. Sprinkling a fair amount of cayenne pepper, ginger, dill or chili powder on the ground around the plant is reported to be effective against these pests.
Garlic juice can be used against some plant pests and diseases. Some recommend mixing it with mineral oil and pure soap as an insecticide. It’s effective against aphids, cabbageworms, leafhoppers, mosquito larvae, squash bugs and whiteflies. It works on some fungi and some problem nematodes. To prepare the solution, set 1/3 cup of minced garlic in 2 teaspoons of mineral oil for 24 hours. Add 500ml of water and about 5-6ml of liquid dish soap. Mix the solution and strain it. Add one or two tablespoons of this solution to 500ml of water to make an insecticidal spray.