Garlic farming in Kenya is one of the agricultural practices being done by farmers. It is planted on fertile, well-drained soil for it to grow faster and produce more yields. This article shows how long garlic takes to grow and develop into maturity for harvest.
In Kenya, it takes four to six months for planted garlic seedlings to develop into ready-to-harvest heads of garlic, depending on the weather and type of seed used. Garlic seeds take four to eight weeks to germinate and grow.
An acre of land will require 100kg of garlic seeds to be planted. An acre of land can produce anywhere between 4000kg and 5000kg of garlic if agricultural practices are done accordingly as required.
What is the Best Month to Plant Garlic in Kenya?
The best months to grow garlic are September, October, and November. It is harvested between June and August, when there is a high demand for garlic in Kenya. Garlic and onion farming in Kenya does well in places like Meru, Nakuru, and Narok.
There are three main varieties of garlic grown in Kenya including; soft neck, hard neck garlic, and elephant garlic. The most common is soft neck which is white in the skin with a pungent taste and odour.
How to Grow Garlic Onion in Kenya
Garlic onion farming in Kenya is done on fertile and well-drained light soil, with adequate and moderate rain, and low temperatures with no strong winds. Also, it requires a PH of 5.5 to 6.8. It is necessary to conduct soil testing before planting to ensure that soil-borne diseases are not present.
Prepare the Land
The land is prepared before transplanting, whereby the land is ploughed to a depth of 6 to 8 inches and the soil should be a fine tithe. Before ploughing the land, the soil is mixed with organic manure to facilitate improved bulb formation.
Plant the Seeds in the Nursery
Before planting the garlic, it is grown in the nursery bed and then transplanted into the main field after the seedlings have reached 6 to 14 inches. The seedlings are sown in rows with a distance of 12 inches between rows and 3 to 4 inches from one seedling to another in the nursery. After planting seeds in the nursery, they are mulched and removed after the seeds have sprouted.
Transplanting
When transplanting seedlings in the field, it is recommended to plant at a depth of about 2.5 inches. The distance between rows should be 6 inches from one seedling to another. During planting, use cow dung fertilizer for optimum yields.
Watering and Top Dressing
Garlic plants are watered if they are grown in areas with little rainfall. The watering of the garlic plant is started after the crops have sprouted. A top dressing of liquid manure is done regularly at the beginning of 6 to 8 weeks and increased during garlic bulb formation.
How Training on Garlic Farming is Done in Kenya
Garlic farming training in Kenya helps farmers to get more yields and reduce hunger in the community. Training of farmers on how to grow garlic is done by other farmers who have practiced garlic farming for a long time on a large-scale farm. Also, there is an agricultural group like a one-acre fund that trains farmers on appropriate ways to grow garlic.
Kenyan farmers can also get knowledge on how to grow garlic through research on online platforms and meeting with trainers face to-face.
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