The following information will help you learn how to grow garlic in Ghana and also garlic farming in Ghana, including varieties, planting times, planting depth, techniques, and plant spacing.
We welcome you to garliccare, here we try to answers all you question about garlic and how to grow garlic, plant garlic, and garlic recipes. But this article or guide will talk about how to grow garlic in Ghana as a beginners guide.
SUMMARY
GARLIC FARMING IN GHANA
In Ghana, garlic, a cold season crop, is grown in the fall and harvested the following summer. This fact sheet provides information on garlic varieties grown in Ghana, garlic production from farm to the storage, and pest and weed control.
TIP: HOW IS GARLIC CALL IN TWI
Garlic in twi is called; galeke which can be seen as borrowed and also can called Anwo
Garlic (Allium sativum) belongs to the Alliaceae family and is the same family as onions, leeks and leeks. The majority of garlic grown in Ghana is sold in fresh markets as whole, fresh or green bulbs. Processed products such as garlic or minced garlic are also sold but to a lesser extent.
Garlic is an ancient crop that is grown due to the formation of bulbs at the base of the leaves. It is highly recommended in cooking because of its distinctive pungent taste and is mainly used in cooking. Garlic has amazing health benefits.
The most common question is; Does garlic grow in Ghana?
The answer to this question is yes!
In this article, I will take you step-by-step through the cultivation of garlic in Ghana
GARLIC VARIETIES
There are hundreds of varieties of garlic available all over the world, but only some of them can be grown well in Ghana. Among these varieties, all can be grouped into two types called Hardneck and Softneck.
The hard-necked varieties stick together in late spring or early summer and produce a flower stalk called the stalk. At the end of the stem is a capsule that contains follicles (small air lobes) rather than an actual flower. You need to remove these bars to enlarge the size of your follicles when harvesting.
Soft-necked varieties do not produce a stem, although they do occasionally produce bulbs in plant stock, especially in colder climates.
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The main family groups developed in Ghana include purple marble bands, rocampolis, porcelain, and purple ribbons, all of which do well in Ghana’s climate and can produce large, healthy bulbs.
The two Softneck family groups that originated in Ghana include Silverskin and Artichoke, although the Artichoke family tends to perform better because it is more suited to northern climates.
When choosing garlic varieties to plant, you want to find cold garlic that is very hardy, develops large bulbs, and has great flavor. Most Canadian garlic meets these criteria, however, the three most common varieties we grow on our farm are Musical, Spanish Roja, and Persian Star. They always do well and often outperform the lesser-known varieties.
HISTORY OF CULTIVATION
In Ghana, garlic is usually grown in the fall, so garlic cloves are exposed to the cold temperatures (splitting) that many types of garlic require. Garlic can be planted in the spring, however, plants often form single bulbs (called rotations) and or grow natural bulbs much smaller than pods grown in the fall (see our article “Growing Garlic in the Spring” for more information).
The best time to plant garlic in the fall depends primarily on where you live in Ghana. Your goal is to plant early enough so that the cloves develop a large root system while sowing late enough that the garlic clove does not sprout and show green growth above the ground.
This means the planting date can be anywhere from the last week of September to the end of November, depending on where you live and how long you want the cloves to settle before winter.
In cooler regions in Zone 3 or 4, such as northwest Ghana, where winter comes early, garlic can be planted as early as September 21 or until the end of October.
In warmer regions like southern Ghana, planting can range from early October to the last week of November.
If you plant garlic in early fall, you may sometimes end up with a small amount of green growth above the soil line before winter. These first green leaves may die if exposed to very cold temperatures, however, cloves will sprout new leaves in the spring.
HOW TO GROW GARLIC IN GHANA STEP BY STEP
Keep your eyes on yourself and read this simple method on how to grow garlic in your home. You can also use this process to multiply garlic for commercial production as well.
Material for growing garlic
- A bulb of garlic
- plastic bottle (medium size)
- A nursery bag (or a bag of sewage bag)
- middle ground
- water
Step 1: Sprout the garlic.
- Cut off the top of the medium-sized plastic bottle.
- Fill with water to the tip.
- Place the garlic onion on top, with the bottom of the onion touching the water.
- Place it in a cool place for about two weeks.
Step 2: plant germinated garlic.
- Count the number of sprouted cloves and get an equal number of bags. Each garlic clove will take a bag.
- Cut off the bottom or make holes in the bottom of the bag to allow excess water to drain.
- Fill the bags with chickpeas. Good draining and fertility.
- Make holes in the ground in each bag to hold the roots of the sprouted garlic cloves.
- Loosen the cloves and place each in a bag. Keep the roots in contact with the soil.
- Put them in places where they can get enough sunlight
- Water if needed.
HOW TO PLANT GALIC
- Cloves can be obtained from a mail-order seed firm or a local nursery.
Do not plant cloves purchased at the grocery store. They may be unsuited for your area, and the majority are treated to extend their shelf life, making them more difficult to grow.
- Choose big, disease-free cloves. The larger the clove, the larger and more robust the bulb you’ll get the following season.
- A few days before planting, separate the cloves from the bulb, but leave the papery husk on each individual clove.
- Place cloves erect, 2 to 4 inches apart and 2 inches deep (the wide root side facing down and pointed end facing up).
- Plant in rows ten to fourteen inches apart.
HOW TO GROW GARLIC
Follow the garlic growing instructions to grow garlic in Ghana to make your garlic production very large and productive hence having more returns from your garlic clove you invested.
- To achieve effective overwintering, northern gardeners should heavily cover with straw. For additional information, consult our mulching guide!
- Mulch should be removed in the spring, once all danger of frost has gone. (Young shoots cannot survive on their own in temperatures below 20°F / -6°C. Keep them concealed.)
- As the weather warms up in the spring, shoots will sprout through the ground.
- Remove any flower stalks that appear in the spring. These may result in a reduction in bulb size.
- Fertilize garlic in early spring with a nitrogen-rich fertilizer such as blood meal, chicken manure, or store-bought pelleted fertilizer.
- Fertilize the bulbs once more shortly before they begin to swell in response to the increased daylight (usually early May in most regions).
- Weeds should be a non-issue till spring. Maintain a well-weeded planting plot, though. Garlic does not thrive in a competitive environment—it requires all available resources!
- Garlic is a voracious feeder that demands a sufficient supply of nitrogen. Increase fertilization if you notice fading leaves.
During bulbing, water every three to five days (mid-May through June). Irrigate to a depth of two feet every eight to ten days.
HOW TO GROW GARLIC IN A PLASTIC BOTTLE
Here’s how to grow your own garlic in a plastic bottle:
- Clean a 2-liter water bottle and cut off the top, leaving around two inches of the bottle intact.
- Fill the bottom of the 2-liter water bottle halfway with soil or potting mix, then plant one clove inside. Cover with additional dirt and water well to keep the cloves nice and wet.
- Keep the water bottle in a sunny area where you can routinely reach it to keep it hydrated.
- After two to three weeks, you’ll notice a garlic-infused water bottle.
HOW LONG DOES GARLIC TAKE TO GROW?
With the above-simplified steps, it is evident that the garlic will be ready after 6 months of preparation to harvest.
DOES GARLIC GROW IN GHANA?
Believed to originate in Central Asia, garlic is now a home crop. Garlic is undoubtedly one of the most widely used spices in the Ghanaian diet. However, it is not usually grown for commercial purposes
WHAT IS THE PROFITABILITY OF GROWING GARLIC?
Can I Really Make Money By Growing Garlic In The Garden? Yes, because the price of garlic varieties is very high and the yield from intensive cultivation can generate between GHC 40 and GHC 50 per square foot of space. Plus, value-added garlic products can easily double your profits.
You can see other statistics here
HARDNECK GARLIC BULBS FOR SALE NEAR GHANA
Hardneck Garlic – Produce flower stalks or “scapes” that must be removed to promote the blub’s full development. In early summer, scapes can be eaten raw; they are wonderful sliced in salads or stir-fried. This cultivar is more tolerant of freezing temperatures.
