DOCSLIB.ORG

Potentially Toxic Elements (Ptes) in Soils and Bulbs of Elephant Garlic

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Potentially Toxic Elements (Ptes) in Soils and Bulbs of Elephant Garlic applied sciences Article Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) in Soils and Bulbs of Elephant Garlic (Allium ampeloprasum L.) Grown in Valdichiana, a Traditional Cultivation Area of Tuscany, Italy Andrea Vannini 1 , Martina Grattacaso 1, Giulia Canali 1, Francesco Nannoni 2, Luigi Antonello Di Lella 2, Giuseppe Protano 2 , Stefano Biagiotti 3 and Stefano Loppi 1,4,* 1 Department of Life Science, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy; [email protected] (A.V.); [email protected] (M.G.); [email protected] (G.C.) 2 Department of Physical, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy; [email protected] (F.N.); [email protected] (L.A.D.L.); [email protected] (G.P.) 3 Pegaso Online University, 53045 Montepulciano, Italy; [email protected] 4 BAT Center-Interuniversity Center for Studies on Bioinspired Agro-Environmental Technology, University of Naples ‘Federico II’, 80138 Napoli, Italy * Correspondence: [email protected] Featured Application: Evaluation of the ecological and health risk associated with the cultivation and consumption of the typical product “Aglione della Valdichiana” (elephant garlic). Abstract: The aim of this study was to provide, for the first time, data on the concentration of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in soils and bulbs of elephant garlic (Allium ampeloprasum L.) Citation: Vannini, A.; Grattacaso, M.; cultivated in Valdichiana, a traditional agricultural area of Tuscany, Italy. Bulbs of elephant garlic Canali, G.; Nannoni, F.; Di Lella, L.A.; and soil samples were collected in four cultivation fields and analyzed by inductively coupled Protano, G.; Biagiotti, S.; Loppi, S. Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) in plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to determine the concentrations of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Soils and Bulbs of Elephant Garlic Sb, Tl, U, V, Zn. The concentrations of these PTEs in bulbs and cultivation soils were used to calculate (Allium ampeloprasum L.) Grown in geochemical, ecological and health risk indices. The results of this study suggest that, although Valdichiana, a Traditional Cultivation bulbs of elephant garlic from the Valdichiana area may present slightly high concentrations of Cd, Area of Tuscany, Italy. Appl. Sci. 2021, Ni and Pb, the associated health risk based on the daily intake is absolutely negligible. Cultivation 11, 7023. https://doi.org/10.3390/ soils had somewhat high Cu concentrations probably due to the diffuse use of Cu-based products in app11157023 agriculture, but showed overall a very low ecological risk. Academic Editor: Chiara Cavaliere Keywords: Allium ampeloprasum; elephant garlic; environmental risk; health risk; heavy metals Received: 15 July 2021 Accepted: 27 July 2021 Published: 29 July 2021 1. Introduction Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral Tuscany is home to some of the most typical Italian food products [1], which are with regard to jurisdictional claims in particularly appreciated for their gastronomic quality. Among them is elephant garlic published maps and institutional affil- (Allium ampeloprasum L.) cultivated in the Valdichiana area, locally known as “Aglione iations. della Valdichiana” (hereafter, AdV). The AdV is currently deeply investigated with the aim of promoting its particular nutraceutical features [2], which are quite different from those of common garlic (Allium sativum L.) [3]. The most important feature of elephant garlic is a much lower content of fibers and alliin, the sulfur-containing compound responsible for the aggressive taste of garlic, giving to this plant a greater digestibility and a much more Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. delicate taste. This article is an open access article Bulbs of common garlic are known to accumulate potentially toxic elements (PTEs) distributed under the terms and such as Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb [4–7]; therefore, this plant is of questionable edibility when cultivated conditions of the Creative Commons in contaminated soils with uncertain safety [8,9]. Allicin, an organosulfur compound Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// originated from alliin, has been suggested to be involved in the accumulation process of creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ PTEs in common garlic as a metal-binding molecule [10]. Due to its lower alliin content 4.0/). compared to common garlic, elephant garlic may show a lower capacity to accumulate Appl. Sci. 2021, 11, 7023. https://doi.org/10.3390/app11157023 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci Appl. Sci. 2021, 11, 7023 2 of 11 PTEs in the bulbs [11], thus ensuring greater safety for its consumption. Nevertheless, to the best of our knowledge, data on the concentration of PTEs in the Tuscan traditional product AdV are completely missing, and there is thus the need of a quick investigation of this chemical feature of AdV, especially as its notoriety is increasing and it is being preferred over common garlic in many traditional recipes. Similarly, data on the concentration of PTEs in soils where AdV is cultivated are also missing. From an environmental point of view, soils of the Valdichiana area are generally not at risk of contamination from polluted air and waters since their main use is as arable land and industrial activities are only marginally present. However, this area is classified as vulnerable to nitrates [12], and agricultural practices could alter the geochemical profile of Valdichiana soils, due to the release of chemical elements from fertilizers and pesticides which can affect soil quality as well as crop edibility [13–15]. In this view, the concentrations of several PTEs (namely As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Sb, Tl, U, V, Zn) were determined in bulbs of AdV and soils from cultivation fields in the Valdichiana area. The aim of this study is to fill the gap of knowledge about the inorganic chemical composition of AdV, by providing, for the first time, data on the concentration of PTEs in bulbs and cultivation soils, with the final purpose to assess the uptake and accumulation of these chemicals in bulbs and the potential risk associated with AdV consumption. 2. Materials and Methods 2.1. Study Area Valdichiana (the Chiana plain) is an almost flat geographic area of ca. 2000 km2 located in SE Tuscany. From the geological point of view, Valdichiana is a NW–SE oriented tectonic basin filled by marine, lacustrine and continental deposits (Miocene-Pleistocene) mainly consisting of sandy, silty-clayey and clayey sediments. The climate is sub-Mediterranean, with rainfall in the range of 700–900 mm/year and mean temperatures from 5.4 ◦C in January to 23.5 ◦C in July–August. The local economy is based on agriculture, and in- dustrial activities are scanty [16]. The Valdichiana area is crossed by important routes of communication such as the highway 1, the main highway of Italy, and the important railway line connecting Rome with Florence. 2.2. Experimental Design and Sample Treatment To realize this study, four cultivation fields in the Valdichiana area were selected among the farms producing the AdV, members of the local “Association for the Protection and Promotion of the “Aglione della Valdichiana”. From each cultivation field, 50 cloves of AdV used as seeds and 10 surface soil samples (0–20 cm) were randomly collected during October 2019 at the time of sowing. AdV cloves derived from the harvesting campaign of June 2019. In the laboratory, 10 cloves from each cultivation field were randomly selected, coupled two by two, and divided in five separated stocks. Then, the cloves were peeled, cut in pieces of ca. 1 cm3, freeze-dried for 12 h, then powdered using a ceramic mortar. Soil samples were air dried at room temperature and then processed as follows. Five soil samples were randomly selected from each cultivation field, and dried for two days at 40 ◦C in a ventilated oven; the dried soil samples were then crushed using a rubber hammer and sieved at 2 mm. The soil fraction < 2 mm was homogenized by quartering and pulverization using an agate mortar and a mechanical pulverizer for 40 min. 2.3. Chemical Analysis The AdV samples were solubilized by the following procedure: 3 mL of nitric acid (HNO3) and 1 mL of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) (ultrapure reagents) were added to about 250 mg of powdered AdV sample. Soil samples were solubilized by acid digestion adding 2 mL of HNO3, 2 mL of hydrofluoric acid (HF) and 1 mL H2O2 (ultrapure reagents) to 250 mg of pulverized soil sample. Digestion of AdV and soil samples was carried out in Teflon Appl. Sci. 2021, 11, 7023 3 of 11 bombs in a Milestone Ethos 900 microwave lab station. Concentrations of PTEs in AdV and soil samples were determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP- MS) using a Perkin Elmer NexION 350 spectrometer. Analytical accuracy was evaluated analyzing the standard reference materials GBW 07604 (Poplar Leaves) and SRM 2709 (San Joaquin Soil; see Table S1 of “Supplementary Files”). Recoveries ranged from 91% (Cr) to 114% (Cd) for GBW 07604, and from 90.4% (Ni) to 105.5% (Cu) for SRM 2709 (see Table S1 of “Supplementary Files” for details). 2.4. Data Analysis Since concentrations of each analyzed PTE in AdV and soil samples approached normal distribution (Shapiro–Wilk test, p < 0.05), their descriptive statistics are given as min, max, mean, standard deviation and coefficients of variation. To appreciate selective uptake of PTEs by AdV from the soil, a soil–plant rank-ordered plot of these chemical elements was arranged. Soil contamination, ecological risk and health risk were evaluated using the following specific indices. 2.4.1. Health Risk The risk associated with the consumption of the AdV bulbs was evaluated by means of the Health Risk Index (HRI) as the ratio between the Daily Intake of PTE (DIPTE) and its reference dose (Rfd), expressed as mg/kg/day: Health Risk Index (HRI) = DIPTE/Rfd, The DIPTE for the inhabitants of the Valdichiana area was calculated following the formula proposed by Khan et al.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • ROBINSON's SEEDS and PLANTS
    ROBINSON’S SEEDS and PLANTS Over 150years of Growing and Showing Vegetables SEASON 2021 www.mammothonion.co.uk Established 1860 and still family owned ‘Vegetables which taste as good as they look’. Visiting, watch for the sign Peardrop Tomato Mammoth Improved Onion Mammoth Blanch Leeks. Ringo Sweet Pepper Marconi Sweet Pepper Kingston Gold French Bean Mammoth Blanch Leek Stonehead F1cabbage Genovese Courgette Karella Crown Prince Squash Big Green F1 Tomato Hispi F1 Cabbage Solent Wight Garlic W. Robinson & Son (Seeds & Plants) Ltd Sunny Bank, Forton, Nr. Preston, Lancs, PR3 0BN Tel: +44 (0)1524 791210 Fax: +44 (0)1524 791933 www.mammothonion.co.uk e-mail: [email protected] find us on Facebook.com/mammothvegetables OUR HISTORY, Our founder, William Robinson, started the nursery in 1860. At that time the nursery grew a very different range of crops, ranging from soft fruit, apples, plums and pears, to onions, leeks and all the usual vegetables of the time. He also kept cows and horses to use on the smallholding. The nursery was as is now a spread of over 22acres. The next generation, also called William Robinson, started to improve the size of onions and leeks in particular. This was done as it is still done today by selection. Only the best specimens were allowed to seed. He started to exhibit the results in the local Flower Shows of the time, winning many prizes. Soon other exhibitors wanted to grow the strain and the vegetable business as we know it was born. He called all his large varieties of vegetable by the prefix Mammoth, as we still do today.
    [Show full text]
  • ADVANCES in PLANTING MATERIAL PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY in SPICES (Proceedings of National Seminar on Planting Material Production in Spices 21-22, April 2016, Calicut)
    100% Health drink Neera 0% Alcohol Health drink for ALL AGES Make Neera a part of your daily diet for a healthy life NO fat, NO cholesterol Loaded with IRON and Lower Glycemic Index CALCIUM (GI-35) Diabetic friendly Rich in POTASSIUM and SODIUM High CURATIVE PROPERTIES A treasure trove of other NUTRIENTS Only fruit juice naturally rich in key Vitamins A, B & C Neera can cure liver diseases (Research conducted by Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore and St. Thomas College, Palai, Kerala) Coconut Development Board Phone: 0484-2376265, 2377267, 2377266, 2376553, Fax:91 484-2377902 [r¾nux(¶~h¨E» [MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE E-mail:[email protected], [email protected], (EÞòÊ¹É B´ÉÆ ÊEòºÉÉxÉ Eò±ªÉÉhÉ ¨ÉÆjÉɱɪÉ, ¦ÉÉ®úiÉ ºÉ®úEòÉ®ú) & FARMERS WELFARE, GOVERNMENT OF INDIA] web:www.coconutboard.gov.in ADVANCES IN PLANTING MATERIAL PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY IN SPICES (Proceedings of National Seminar on Planting Material Production in Spices 21-22, April 2016, Calicut) Chief Editor Dr S.K. Malhotra Directorate of Arecanut and Spices Development Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Government of India Kozhikode 673005, Kerala National Seminar on Planting Material Production in Spices 21-22 April 2016, Hotel Malabar Palace, Kozhikode Organized by Directorate of Arecanut and Spices Development, Kozhikode, Kerala Chief Editor Malhotra SK Editors Kandiannan K Mini Raj K Neema VP Prasath D Srinivasan V Homey Cheriyan Femina Technical Assistance Divya CV Manojkumar K Thejas Das K Kanchana KS Cover Design Gedam CF Citation Malhotra SK, Kandiannan K, Mini Raj K, Neema VP, Prasath D, Srinivasan V, Homey Cheriyan and Femina (Eds.) 2016.
    [Show full text]
  • Growing Garlic in Montana
    Growing Garlic in Montana by Cheryl Moore-Gough, Extension Horticulture Specialist, retired; and Robert E. Gough, Ph.d., Professor of Horticulture Garlic does well in Montana and is easy to grow. You need to remember to MontGuide plant it in the fall, in most parts of the state. MT199904AG Reveiwed 8/10 GARLIC HAS BECOME VERY POPULAR OVER THE Stiffnecked (Allium sativum var. ophloscorodon): This is past decade and fortunately is one of the few plants that will also called Rocambole garlic. It produces a hard scape (stalk) do quite well in most areas of our state. It tolerates our cold that makes a 360 degree coil, then forms a cluster of bulblets winters and short growing seasons. If planted at the right at its tip. It is the most winter hardy garlic and milder in time and with minimum care, it will produce all the garlic taste and easier to peel than the softnecked. Unfortunately, the average family needs. If you grow good onions you can it is difficult to braid because of the woody scape. You can grow good garlic. increase bulb size by up to one-third by pinching off the There are no wild types of modern garlic found anywhere scapes. Remove the scapes as they form and add them to in the world, but we believe today’s garlic originated your favorite stir-fry, or use the bulblets that form the same somewhere in Central Asia. It has been cultivated for at least way. Bulblets can be planted next year to get full sized bulbs 5000 years.
    [Show full text]
  • About Alliums, John Biernbaum, MSU, Pg 1
    Meet the Alliums - Plants that Add Flavor John Biernbaum, MSU Horticulture and Student Organic Farm Common Vegetable Crops in the family Alliaceae and genus Allium (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allium ) • Green Onions / Scallions (Allium cepa) • Garlic (Allium sativum) (or elephant garlic which is related to leeks) • Leeks (Allium ampeloprasum) • Sweet Onions – white / red (Allium cepa) • Storage Onions – white / red (Allium cepa) • Shallots (Allium cepa var. aggregatum) • Walking or Egyptian Onions (Allium cepa var. proliferum) • Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) and garlic chives (Allium tuberosum) Questions to Address: 1. What to grow? (crop and varieties) 2. How many/much to grow? 3. When to grow them? 4. Where to grow them? 5. How to grow them? 6. How to harvest? 7. How to store / protect? 8. How to market? Crop Topics: 1. History, background and folklore (What, Where, When, etc) • Mostly from the Mediterranean Region or Eurasia. • Grown and eaten since ancient times. • Some are biennials (grow one year, flower next, then die) and some perennials (return each year). 2. Crop and Cultivar selection – (What?) how many types? Possible priority if space limited? • How much garden space is available? Personal eating preferences. Market preference and price. • Green onions require minimal space and can be very productive in small spaces. Can be started several times a year. Cost for a bunch of 8 to 10? • Garlic for a family – say 50 bulbs or one per week can be grown in an area of about 8’ x 6’ • A similar number of leeks could be grown in a similar space. Leeks may be the most expensive item to purchase at the store.
    [Show full text]
  • Growing Garlic in Home Gardens
    Vegetables: Growing Garlic in Home Gardens WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION FACT SHEET • FS162E Crop at a Glance Growing season: Fall—midsummer. Time of planting: Fall. Spacing: 4–6 inches apart in rows spaced 12–24 inches apart. Days to harvest: Approximately 240 days. Yield: 10–30 bulbs per 10-foot row. Common starting method: Direct sowing seed garlic. Introduction Figure 1. Garlic bulbs and garlic cloves. (Photo: Donovan Govan, Wikimedia Commons) For home gardeners in the Northwest, garlic (Allium Figure 2. Garlic sativum) is easy to grow, prolific, and can be stored for use scapes. (Photo: for several months after it is harvested in midsummer. A hardy perennial that can overwinter, garlic is grown as an Bill Thorness, annual because it is harvested in its first year of growth. Washington State Garlic is related to onion (Allium cepa), both are members University) of the lily family. It is distinguished from onions by its flat leaves and flower buds, although most softneck types of garlic do not produce flower stalks or buds. Enclosed in a parchment-like sheath, a garlic bulb consists of several small cloves (Figure 1). The cloves are situated around a sturdy modified flower stem. The immature flow- er stems of garlic plants are called scapes (Figure 2). Scapes begin to form in midsummer. When the scape is removed, the plant can focus more of its energy on bulb production, which results in a larger bulb. Garlic scapes are edible and should be carefully pinched or cut off just above the top leaf of the garlic plant. Scapes are most tender and have the best flavor if they are harvested when they begin to curl.
    [Show full text]
  • Garlic, Part 1
    Bell County Master Gardeners Tip of the Week By Candy Mullen “Garlic, the Versatile Herb, part 1” With the prolific movies and books out about vampires and since it is October, I became curious about the tales of Garlic and what it is used for other than traditional cooking. Did you know that the irrational fear of garlic is alliumphobia? Allium sativum, commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion family Alliaceae. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, and rakkyo. Garlic has been used throughout history for both culinary and medicinal purposes. The garlic plant's bulb is the most commonly used part of the plant. With the exception of the single clove types, the bulb is divided into numerous fleshy sections called cloves. The cloves are used for consumption (raw or cooked), or for medicinal purposes, and have a characteristic pungent, spicy flavor that mellows and sweetens considerably with cooking. The leaves, and flowers (bulbils) on the head (spathe) are also edible, and are milder in flavor than the bulbs; they are most often consumed while immature and still tender. Additionally, the immature flower stalks (scapes) of the hardneck and elephant types are sometimes marketed for uses similar to asparagus in fries. The root cluster attached to the basal plate of the bulb is the only part not typically considered palatable in any form. The sticky juice within the bulb cloves is used as an adhesive in mending glass and china. In North America, Allium vineale (known as "wild garlic" or "crow garlic") and Allium canadense, known as "meadow garlic" or "wild garlic" and "wild onion", are common weeds in fields.
    [Show full text]
  • Growing Garlic in the Home Garden It Is Best to Buy Certified Seed from Local Nurs- Cultivation and Care of Garlic Eries and Commercial Growers
    Storage and Uses Hardneck garlic will store 2 to 6 months. Softneck garlic is stalk-less and can be braided. The smaller cloves will keep for up to 10 months. Some of my favorites are Sil- ver Rose from the Silverskin group and Early Growing Garlic in the Italian Purple from the Artichoke group. The For more information: Silver Rose is one of the longest storing va- Contact the Master Gardener Home Garden rieties and makes a beautiful braid. In the Diagnostic Clinic hardneck purple-striped group, Chesnok Red May through September is especially good for baking because it holds its shape and keeps its flavor. This garlic has Tuesdays 11:30 a.m.. - 2:30 p.m. 9 to 10 easy-to-peel cloves and has a great aroma. WSU Extension Office 507 N Nanum, Room 2 Try planting different varieties in your Ellensburg, WA 98926 garden this fall to enjoy later after harvest next summer. A braided softneck variety Phone: (509) 962-7507 would make a wonderful Christmas gift for Upper County Toll Free: (509) 674-2584 your gourmet, culinary friends and family. Ext. 507 Try inter-planting garlic with ornamental perennials in a cottage garden border or plant http://www.co.kittitas.wa.us/extension/ in the vegetable garden after everything else default.asp is harvested. Garlic has many wonderful uses and will add to your culinary pleasure! Plant some this fall! WSU Extension programs and employment are available to all without discrimination. Written by Barb Persson – Evidence of non-compliance may be reported through your local WSU Extension office.
    [Show full text]
  • Indian Journal of Hill Farming Welsh Onion (Allium Fistulosum L.): a Promising Spicing-Culinary Herb of Mizoram
    Content list available at http://epubs.icar.org.in, www.kiran.nic.in; ISSN: 0970-6429 Indian Journal of Hill Farming December 2017, Volume 30, Issue 2, Page 201-208 Welsh Onion (Allium fistulosum L.): A Promising Spicing-Culinary Herb of Mizoram ** BK Singh . Y Ramakrishna ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Mizoram Centre, Kolasib-796081, Mizoram ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Article history: Welsh onion (Allium fistulosum L.), known as Mizo-purun in Mizoram, is a spice- Received 27 July 2016 vegetable herb of temperate to tropical regions of northern Hemisphere which is used Revision Received 19 January 2017 Accepted 30 May 2017 extensively to flavour up the soups, steamed-boils, fries, vegetables, salads, dals and other ----------------------------------------------- cookeries. It is used as an ethno-medicinal herb for the treatment of eyesight problems, Key words: Allium fistulosum L.; Welsh onion; common colds, headaches, heart problems, wounds and festering sores; reduces fat spicing-culinary herb; Mizoram; accumulation and serum lipid concentrations; and the root exudates in soil root-zone have Northeast India anti-termite, anti-fungal and anti-microbial activities. The Welsh onions are tolerant to ---------------------------------------------- abiotic stresses (excess moisture, drought and high humidity), biotic stresses (neck rot, leaf blight, pink root disease, smut, anthracnose, downy mildew, Fusarium basal rot, thrips, onion fly and onion yellow dwarf virus); and good sources of total soluble solids and folic acid content. Being
    [Show full text]
  • Fall Allium Catalog 2020
    Fall Allium Catalog 2020 Garlic Cloves Bulking …....… Cleaned and Curing See this? You’re 4-6 weeks to harvest ..…… Dry in ventilated area for several weeks Growing Great Alliums: The basics for success... Garlic, onions and shallots are considered light feeders in the garden. They are best planted after heavy feeders like corn, broccoli, brussels sprouts, squash or melons. They enjoy a fine seed bed with little fresh organic matter (like newly taken-down cover crops) but plenty of well-aged compost. Clumps and clods of freshly decomposing green material in allium plantings encourages a host of creepy-crawlies, like the onion maggot and others, to inhabit the same space as your alliums and that can lead to crop damage, decreased yields and poor curing & storage of your crop. For best performance, FEED YOUR ALLIUMS the following throughout their growing season: PER 100 ft. row, 3 rows to the bed: Before Planting: Work in 10# (5-10-10) In Late February: Side-dress an additional 2.5# Nitrogen In Late March: Side-dress with another 2.5# Nitrogen PER ACRE: Before Planting: Work in 75# Nitrogen, 150# Phosphorus and 150# Potassium In Late February: Side-dress an additional 25# Nitrogen In Late March: Side-dress with another 25# Nitrogen Even soil moisture and regular water throughout their season is essential for good bulb production. If moisture is erratic and inconsistent, bulb size will be negatively impacted. Alliums need about an inch of water per week. If it does not rain, it's up to you to provide the difference. Prior additions of organic matter will help the soil hold on to water and provide your alliums with the steady moisture they need.
    [Show full text]
  • Growing Garlic
    Fact Sheet GARLIC Many people love to have their own garlic growing ELEPHANT GARLIC as part of their vegetable garden, and no wonder, Elephant garlic is actually a type of leek. The it’s so easy to grow. Start with some quality seed similarity to leeks can be seen in the large strap- garlic from NZ Bulbs, and you can’t go wrong. like leaves and tall plant, but elephant garlic forms PRINTANOR GARLIC a bulb at the base. This can be a single large bulb or may be split into 5-6 large segments. Large The main type of regular garlic grown in New single bulbs are best re- Zealand is the cultivar ‘Printanor’, a strong planted and will split growing, flavoursome variety that is suited to eventually into segments. winter planting. Segments can be used Prepare your soil so it is in cooking or re-planted, nice and fine to a depth each growing into a full of 15cm. Break the garlic sized bulb during the bulbs into individual next growing season. It cloves and plant them in has a milder flavour than rows spaced about 8cm regular garlic. apart. Planting depth is Growing is very similar to 20-25mm. You can plant regular garlic, but it can them any time from mid be planted earlier, from June to mid July. Elephant Garlic May onwards. Plant the Rows should be 40cm cloves in rows, 12 cm apart from each other so apart and 30mm deep. The plants grow to 70cm that the plants can get with flower stems much higher again, so the rows Printanor Garlic plenty of light as they should be 40cm apart to let in plenty of light.
    [Show full text]
  • Onions and Their Relatives B
    Vegetables • HO-67W Department of Horticulture Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service • West Lafayette, IN Onions and Their Relatives B. Rosie Lerner The common onion, Allium cepa, and its relatives—leeks, production in the South will not form bulbs under northern garlic, and chives—are thought to be native to the growing conditions and vice versa. Northern Hemisphere. There are more than 400 species of Allium, which are used for food as well as ornamental Sets are usually used to produce green onions, although purposes. Allium were used extensively by ancient allowing them to mature will produce dry bulbs. Sets are Egyptians, and the Israelites also longed for onions small dry onions, up to 3/4 inch in diameter. Onion plants during their wilderness wanderings. grown from sets are more prone to bolting, and their mature bulbs do not store as well as those grown from First introduced into the West Indies by the Spanish, the seed or transplants. Larger sets will make smaller bulbs onion spread from there to all parts of the Americas. The and are best suited for producing green onions. Small onion was a staple of the early colonists, and soon they sized sets produce larger mature bulbs. Select sets that had introduced it to the Indians. are firm and not yet sprouted. Sets are available in white, red, or brown (yellow), with white the most commonly Onions thrive under a wide variety of climatic and soil used for green onions. conditions. However, moderately cool temperatures with abundant moisture are ideal. Growing onions from seed requires a long period to produce either green onions or dry bulbs, and generally Soil Preparation this practice is not recommended for most home garden­ ers unless started early indoors.
    [Show full text]
  • MG News Oct-Nov 2017
    University of Arizona Yavapai County Cooperative Extension Yavapai Gardens Master Gardener Newsletter October/November 2017 Can you Believe It!! by Nora Graf Summer is almost over. The days are getting shorter, the nights are cooling off and the weeds just keep growing. Except for that last thing, life is pretty good this time of year. It also means you can keep gardening. Now is the time to start planting bulbs. One of my favorites is garlic. Not what you expected to hear I imagine but garlic, as far as I’m concerned, is one of the best bulbs you can grow. It’s hard for me to visualize a kitchen without garlic. Garlic is easy to grow and one of the most carefree plants in the garden. It grows especially well in the Verde Valley but can be grown in other areas. Garlic was grown by the Egyptians and Indians as long as 5000 years ago. Babylonians grew it about 4500 years ago and the Chinese perhaps up to 4000 years ago. The wild plants came from Central Asia (centered in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) and possibly grew from China to India to Egypt to the Ukraine. Garlic is a member of the lily family and its proper name is Allium sativum. There are two subspecies, hard-necks and soft-necks. Hardnecks are the original species while soft-necks were developed over centuries by growers. DNA analysis shows that they there are 10 separate, distinct varieties. Silverskin and artichoke are the two softneck types; rocambole, porcelain, purple stripe, marble purple stripe, Asiatic, turban, creole and glazed purple stripe are hardneck types.
    [Show full text]