If the onion set begins to sprout. Why do onions sprout when stored in different places? This method of growing has several advantages

Maria Lugovaya:

The sale of onion sets begins in February, and the peak of sales is in March. At this time, the full range is presented and you can find any variety. Of course, it is easier to buy onions in April: you will have to store them for a very short time and with less losses before planting, but you may not find some varieties.

Onion sets react to changes in temperature and humidity, so the more often they are handled and transported from place to place, the faster they begin to grow and germinate. And since it is difficult to create all the conditions for its storage in garden centers, onions sometimes reach gardeners in a deplorable state. And we need to save it until May.

Best size

Before sale, onions are calibrated in size into several fractions:

8–14 mm - the smallest. This is the optimal size for winter planting; onions do not bolt, but bulbs that are too small are likely to freeze. For spring planting, the size is very small; there may be a lag in ripening from the average fraction of about 3 weeks (on poor soil you get small bulbs).

14–21 mm – middle fraction. It is widely used for winter planting. The bow doesn't shoot. Best size for planting in spring.

21–24 mm - large faction. Designed for winter planting - only for greenery. When planting in spring, bolting is possible in certain varieties due to improper storage or early planting (when the temperature changes sharply), but its advantage is early ripening and a guaranteed harvest (usually even the most inexperienced gardeners succeed).

24–30 mm – a large fraction, appeared on sale only in last years. The advantage of this faction is very low price. Designed for winter planting, only to obtain greenery. The features of spring planting are the same as those of the previous faction.

Samples – onion sets size 30–40 mm . Used mainly to produce greens. If stored properly, even bulbs of this size will not bolt. But just in case, it is better to warm up such material before planting.

The onion is frozen. What to do?

You shouldn’t buy onions outside in cold weather; they will definitely be frozen. Frozen onions after defrosting look like boiled ones, become soft, and acquire a sharp, unique smell.

If it is severely frozen, then after some time it not only becomes wet, but actually flows, and it can no longer be preserved. If only the top scale is frozen (it looks like it has been scalded), it means the bulbs have experienced stress and are starting to grow. They can be planted to produce fresh greens.

Secrets of a successful purchase

The onion set should be of uniform color - without stains, firm to the touch, dry, without visible damage, without mold. Many stores do not provide the necessary conditions, so they sell onions wet. If the set is a little damp (usually it is darker in color), it is enough to scatter it at home and dry it.

The exact name of the variety and shelf life must be indicated on the packaging. Onions are stored until May, so storage times are approximate.

Onions are planted as soon as the soil warms up enough. Late April–early May - depending on the weather. Small onions can be planted early, large ones 7-10 days later.

Storage before planting

The most important thing is that the temperature does not change randomly. Changes are possible within 1–2 degrees. Otherwise, the bow will be stressed and it will shoot. It is advisable to maintain humidity around 70–75%. The onion needs ventilation; nothing should be placed on it. You can store it in a net (previously, many people stored onion sets suspended in a stocking), in uncovered boxes (but not in cardboard boxes, they become damp).

Store correctly selected onions in a dry, ventilated room at a temperature of +10...+15 °C. Storage at higher temperatures is also possible, but you need to check periodically to make sure the onions do not dry out. Sprouted, sprouted onions are kept in the refrigerator at a temperature of +1...+2 °C in the vegetable compartment.

Onions can also shoot if planted early, when they feel fluctuations in soil temperature. For example, if during the day it is +5 °C, and at night –2 °C. That's why

Maria Lugovaya, JSC "Lukamore"

Onions are no longer exotic in a summer cottage; on the contrary, it’s strange when they’re not there. Despite its wide distribution and popularity, not all gardeners know how to grow it. This is a rather capricious crop and any deviation in agricultural technology leads to a deterioration in the quality of the crop. Excessively “evil” onions grow when there is a lack of moisture at the beginning of the growing season, a small head is formed when planting is thickened and at the wrong depth, non-compliance with crop rotation and violation of care rules leads to the development of diseases and affects keeping quality.

Often, summer residents receive a harvest, half of which does not survive until mid-winter, and the other half is only suitable for borscht due to its pronounced spiciness. What features need to be taken into account in order to plant onions correctly and avoid many problems?

Onions love illuminated areas and do not tolerate lowlands with heavy, waterlogged soils. Cabbage, cucumber and nightshade will be good predecessors for it. These crops do not have common pests and diseases with onions, and since their cultivation is accompanied by the application of high doses of organic and mineral fertilizers, the soil remains quite nutritious.

Onions can also come after zucchini and peas, but it is undesirable for them to occupy areas that were previously under carrots, since fresh organic matter is not added to this crop, and onions require fertile soil. Also, the area after it is vacated late, you may not have time to prepare it for a new planting. You can plant carrots after onions; joint planting and close placement of the beds are good (they repel pests from each other).

The plant can be returned to its original place no earlier than after 3 years, and if high defeat diseases - only after 5 years. Planting onions on a head in the spring should be done in loose and moderately moist soil, so in the fall the area should be dug up with a shovel, and in the spring it should only be harrowed with a rake and leveled.

If necessary, compost or humus and phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are added in the fall. To neutralize the soil solution on acidic soils, add chalk or lime. It is recommended to occupy areas where fresh manure was applied with onion plants only for the 2nd year.

In poorly heated areas with heavy clay soil, wide ridges are cut in the fall, onto which planting will take place.

When do you plant onions on the head?

The exact planting dates are determined by prevailing weather conditions and ground temperature. Onions are a cold-resistant crop, but when planted in cold soil they will bolt, which will reduce the quality of the harvest.

On the other hand, the procedure must be completed when there is still a supply of moisture in the soil, the needs of which are great for onions at the beginning of growth. And the relatively long growing season of this crop does not forgive delay.

Preparation of planting material

Planting material (seeds) stored warmly (18-20ºC with a humidity of 60-70%) does not require any procedures to activate growth processes. A week before planting, it is sorted out, discarding dried, sprouted and rotting bulbs, and sorted, dividing into 2-3 fractions.

It is recommended to sow the smallest fraction (diameter less than 1.5 cm) at an earlier date, as it does not produce shoots. Sewing from the middle fraction (diameter 1.5-2 cm) gives the best harvest, but provided that the planting is done in sufficiently warmed soil. Large onions (diameter more than 3 cm) can be used for growing onions for harvest or for obtaining turnips for canning, as they often shoot arrows, which affects keeping quality.

If the planting material was stored at low temperatures (in the attic, cellar, etc.), then 2 - 3 weeks before planting it must be transferred to a warm room and dried (the container with the seedlings can simply be placed near the radiator, but not very close ).

The calibrated seed is heated at a temperature of 40ºC for 8 hours to destroy internal infection (can be placed on a battery in a cardboard box). Before planting, the bulbs are soaked in hot water for 12-24 hours. Instead of water, you can use a weakly concentrated solution of complex fertilizers.

Immediately before planting, the planting material is treated for 15 minutes with a pale solution of potassium permanganate or a fungicide (for example, copper sulfate). After treatment, rinsing in clean warm water is required.

Some summer residents trim the “tails” of the seedlings to speed up germination. However, such a procedure damages the protective barrier and opens the door to infection, so it is better to get by with soaking, which will halve the time before germination.

Technique for planting onion sets

Shallow grooves are cut on the leveled bed. The distance between the grooves should be 15-20 cm to make it convenient to care for the plants. If the soil is not moist enough, the furrows are shed with water. Onions respond well to the addition of wood ash and sand into the furrows.

Treated seedlings can be planted in the prepared bed. The bulbs are buried with the bottom down to the “shoulders”, and then sprinkled with earth, so that a layer of 2 cm is formed on top. Surface plantings will give earlier shoots, but with this technique you will not be able to get a good turnip.

The sets in the row are placed at a distance of 6-10 cm (depending on the variety). Some summer residents advise planting it densely in a “snake” pattern in order to obtain not only bulbs, but also greenery from one bed. As the plants grow in the row, they are thinned out, removing the bulbs along with the feather. This method is convenient for a small garden bed, when you are sure that it will be thinned out in a timely manner.

How to grow a head from seeds in one season?

Growing onions for turnips in the Non-Black Earth Region, the Far East and Siberia occurs in a two-year culture, i.e., first a set is obtained from seeds, from which turnips are grown the next year. In the southern regions and central Russia, some sweet and semi-sharp varieties and hybrids can form a marketable bulb from seeds in one season. To get a turnip directly from seeds, you need to sow in early spring and winter or use seedlings.

If weather conditions permit, onions can be sown at the end of April directly into open ground. To speed up seed germination, they must be placed in warm water or a solution of growth stimulants for 1-2 days.

It is better to sow on high ridges. The seeds are sown to a depth of about 2 cm, in a tape method with a distance between tapes of 20 cm. Thus, if the ridge is 1 meter wide, then 4-5 rows can be placed on it. The seedlings need regular watering and thinning twice. The first time is thinned out a few days after mass germination, leaving an interval of 2 cm between plants, and the second time - in the phase of 2-3 true leaves with an interval of 6 cm.

In winter, seeds are sown from late October to mid-November. Pre-winter sowing is characterized by an increased seeding rate (3 times) and mulching of crops with peat. Shoots appear earlier, so the bulb ripens earlier.

Mostly sweet salad varieties are grown through seedlings. Sowing of seedlings in a heated greenhouse is carried out in early March. It is possible to grow seedlings at home, but only with sufficient lighting. When sown in nutrient soil, seedlings only require regular watering. Plants are planted in open ground at the age of 55 days (they should already have 3-4 true leaves). To do this, choose a cloudy day or evening time. They are planted with a row spacing of 25 cm, with 6–8 cm between plants in a row.

The best varieties and hybrids

Onions are very sensitive to daylight hours, so for planting you need to choose only zoned varieties or achieve local selection. Varieties bred in the northern regions may not form a bulb at all in the south with short daylight hours. When creating your collection of favorites in the garden, include representatives from different groups. Spicy varieties are distinguished by high keeping quality and yield, while semi-sharp and sweet varieties have good taste.

A guaranteed harvest can be obtained by planting old local varieties. In different regions, Strigunovsky, Rostov local, Bessonovsky, Spassky, Mstersky, Pogarsky, Timiryazevsky received popular fame. They are zoned quite widely and are known among gardeners throughout Central Russia and beyond.

Of the widely zoned spicy varieties and hybrids, it is worth noting Golden Semko, Centurion and Stuttgarter Risen.

Golden Semko - early ripening with a large round golden bulb, which is formed in one season directly from seeds; gives high yield; cultivated in all regions of Russia.

Centurion - a low-shooting hybrid with a mid-early ripening period; the bulbs are golden, medium-sized, slightly elongated; resistant to diseases.

Stuttgarter Risen - mid-season with large, slightly flattened bulbs.

Peninsular varieties for Central Russia: Zolotnichok, Odintsovets, Sputnik, Myachkovsky 300, Red Baron.

Zolotnichok - mid-early with golden round bulbs.

Myachkovsky 300 - early high-yielding with flattened yellow bulbs of medium size; Suitable for growing turnips directly from seeds.

Red Baron - early date maturation; The bulbs are dark purple, round, weighing up to 150 g.

Good varieties and hybrids of sweet onions: Exhibition, Ritmo, Comet.

Exhibition - medium ripening with large oval yellow bulbs; suitable for growing as an annual crop from seeds; has high yield, but low shelf life.

Comet - late ripening with large white bulbs; resistant to diseases and suitable for long-term storage.

It can be difficult for beginning gardeners to decide which onion to plant. After all, not only taste and yield are important here, but also shelf life and disease resistance. Moreover, the same variety in different soil and climatic conditions can show different results. Therefore, select up to 5 different varieties in order to highlight your favorites in 2-3 seasons.

Subtleties of plant care

Young seedlings need regular (1-2 times a week) and moderate watering, followed by loosening the rows to restore root aeration. As the head begins to form, the frequency of watering is reduced, and a month before harvesting it is not carried out at all for successful ripening of the bulb. However, in case of severe drought, it is recommended to sprinkle with a small volume of water.

Weeds pose a serious threat to seedlings, so weeding must be timely. Hilling up of plants and close loosening is not allowed. Weeds in the row are removed manually so as not to damage the bulb with a weak root system.

Many summer residents advise carrying out one or even two feedings per season. However, there is no need for them on fertile soils, filled with organic matter in the fall. On poor soils, the first fertilizing with liquid organic fertilizers (horse manure, bird droppings, mullein) is carried out about a month after planting. The second feeding is carried out during the period of turnip formation, using phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. To prevent root burns, fertilizing is carried out after moistening the soil and before watering.

From onion sets 1.5-2.5 cm in size you can grow large juicy bulbs, which is why they love it so much plant summer residents on their plots are profitable. But is it easy? Pre-sowing treatment includes a number of traditional activities: preparation planting material, soil, bed formation. A plant onion sets in open ground, like as a rule, in the spring. We have collected basic information about this in this article.

When to plant seedlings in open ground?

In the southern regions, it is permissible to plant seedlings in the ground at the end of April, and in other regions of Russia - only at the beginning of May. If you hurry and plant the onion in unheated soil (temperature less than 12 degrees), it will go into arrows. But there is nothing good in late sowing either: due to lack of moisture and heat, the seedlings will grow slowly. Everything has its time 😉

If you focus on the Sowing Lunar Calendar, then in 2017 the favorable dates for planting onions, including sets, will be:

• in April: 22nd and 28th,
• in May: 7, 8, 9, 19, 20 and 24th.

In June it is too late to plant onion sets.

Preparing for landing

Sorting

Before sowing, the seedlings are selected and sorted. The best specimens are considered to be bulbs with a diameter of 1.5-2.5 cm, but you can take larger or smaller sizes. The main thing is to reject specimens that have dried out, sprouted, with signs of disease and visible damage.

Don’t fall for sales and tempting offers to buy onion sets on sale. As a rule, sprouted, dried bulbs are offered at discounts. They already have practically no vitality and, despite careful care, little sense will come of it.

18 degrees for storage, well dried. If purchased and stored in an unknown location, let it sit for 2 weeks at room temperature. The sets were stored at low temperatures - such a bow goes into the arrow.

Planting material is sorted by size and planted on the bed also by size: first the large ones, then the smaller ones, and finally the smallest ones. This way the shoots will be more or less uniform.

Warming up

In order to disinfect the bulbs before planting in the ground, they are heated:

The seedlings are heated 2 weeks before planting at a temperature of 38-43 degrees for 8 hours. This is especially true if you use your own planting material and the plants suffered from downy mildew last year.

Warming up in water. Warm bath for onions. 1 day before planting, pour the bulbs into a bucket and pour hot water(45-50 degrees). You only need to hold it for 1-2 minutes. After this, the bulbs are transferred to cold water and kept for only 1 minute.

Soaking the sets

Once the bulbs have warmed up, we move on to the soaking stage. To do this, you can prepare a nutrient solution from biogrowth stimulants: dissolve 1 tablespoon of Intermag for bulbous crops and 5 drops of Emistim growth regulator in 10 liters of water. Soaking is carried out for 12 hours. Then there is no need to wash the sets, but proceed directly to planting. With a soaking solution, so as not to throw away so much goodness, they spill the grooves.

You can also soak onions in growth stimulants. The universal remedy “Bud” is suitable; it is used according to the instructions on the package. And to prevent sores from becoming attached, after this treatment you can hold the bulbs for 15-20 minutes in a solution of cherry potassium permanganate, and then rinse with clean water. And after that you can plant the onion.

To make the onion germinate faster, it is recommended to cut its tails to the shoulders (while still dry), and then soak them in a solution of potassium humate “Prompter” for vegetables: dissolve 1 tablespoon of the product in 3 liters of water and mix. It is necessary to keep onion sets in the solution for exactly one day (24 hours).
You can soak the seeds before planting in other solutions: potassium permanganate, vitriol, table salt. This is discussed in detail in the article.

Soil preparation

It is better to prepare a bed for seeding in the fall. It is important to remove all plant debris from it and disinfect it with a solution of copper sulfate. To do this, prepare the following composition: 1 tablespoon of vitriol per 10 liters of water. Consumption: 1 liter per 1 square meter of soil.

In the spring, immediately before sowing, the soil is dug up and fertilized. You can add 3 kg of humus, the same amount of peat and the universal purchased mixture “Exo”. It’s better to add organic matter depending on the composition of the soil (see table).

After applying fertilizers, the soil is leveled with a rake and lightly compacted. It’s a good idea to sprinkle it with a growth stimulant, for example, “Energen” (dissolve 2 capsules in 10 liters of water, use 3 liters per 1 square meter).

Then it is recommended to cover the finished bed with film for 5 days and leave it like that until sowing.

How to plant

Before planting, grooves are made on the ridge. Depth of the grooves: 4 cm. Distance between them: 20 cm. The grooves are watered with water at room temperature using a watering can with a fine strainer. Water consumption: 2-3 liters per 1 square meter.

The onions are placed in rows at a distance of 8-10 cm from each other and sprinkled with a 2 cm layer of soil. If you plant them deeper, the onions will grow poorly, and if they are shallow, the onions will become bare and, again, will grow slowly.

*Small sets can be planted more often, and large ones - less often.

The planted seedlings will hatch after 5-6 days. And now it’s worth taking care of proper care of the young shoots. But this is a topic for a separate article. 😉

Video

A very detailed and accessible description of how to plant onion sets in open ground is described in the video of our favorite channel on Youtube “Garden World”.

Dear friends, the spring May sun is warming up more and more confidently, which means that it’s time to plant onions. We hope that you have already prepared onion sets.

This is the name of a one-year-old onion grown from seeds (nigella) and representing a small onion.

Sets can be grown yourself from seeds or purchased at garden centers and stores.

How to choose sets

It is important to choose the right quality planting material. The bulbs should not be wrinkled or already sprouted. In this case, their supply of nutrients has already gone to the feather, and you won’t get a good turnip.

Also inspect them for damage and rot, this is important because such sets will not make a good onion head, it will be susceptible to disease, will grow poorly, and may even rot.

The principle applies here: quality is more important than cheapness. It is better to purchase good planting material than discounted material that does not meet these criteria.

A good set of small size, dense, with a shiny, smooth, whole and tight-fitting husk.

When to plant onion sets in open ground

The most popular month for planting onions is May. Specific dates depend on your climate zone. In central Russia, onions can be planted throughout May, as long as spring soil moisture remains, which onions respect very much.

When planting onions, it is not even the date that is more important, but the weather conditions and soil temperature. There is no need to rush planting if the weather is cold and wet. You need to wait for warm days when the soil warms up to at least 15-20 degrees Celsius.

If you rush and plant onions in cold soil, it will not lead to anything good. Although onions tolerate frost and cold quite well, their character deteriorates because of this. He will certainly take revenge on you and, instead of good turnips and greens, he will grow flower shoots for you.

What to do to prevent the bow from going into the arrow

Even before planting, it is important to know why the seedlings go into the peduncle and how to avoid this.

The reason that onions shoot is the incorrect storage temperature of planting material, lack of adaptation before planting, and violation of care rules.

Let us explain in more detail: onion sets must be stored at above-zero temperatures, because it is the cold that provokes the onion to create arrows. This is a signal to launch a self-preservation program and give birth to offspring as soon as possible. Therefore, as soon as you plant such a set, it will begin to produce flower stalks in order to produce seeds faster.

The key to large and strong onion turnips is storage in comfortable conditions, without cold stress.

But what to do if you purchased onion sets in a store and have no idea how they were stored? No problem. Purchased onions need an adaptation period.

To do this, keep the onion near a radiator or in another warm place for two weeks after purchase. And then before planting we store it only at room temperature and in the dark so that it does not begin to germinate ahead of time.

If the battery does not have time to warm up or the heating has already been turned off, then you can do in the following way: Give the onion a warm bath. Place the onion in a bowl of warm water (40-45) degrees and leave for 8 hours, periodically adding warm water. Then we take out the heads, dry it thoroughly and store it at room temperature until planting.

For planting on turnips, choose medium-sized heads, because large ones are more prone to bolting and are better planted on greens. Do not plant in cold soil. For the same reason, watering with cold water should be avoided.

Processing and soaking onions before planting

First of all, when preparing the seedlings for planting, you need to carefully sort them out. Arm yourself with several sorting containers.

It is necessary to discard all damaged and small specimens, leaving medium-sized bulbs for planting on the head. Large onions, small ones, and even sprouted ones are suitable for greens. But we throw away the empty, wrinkled, missing ones.

Next, carefully cut off the dry tail on the top of each head with scissors. This simple operation will help them germinate faster and better. Well, you need to be afraid that an infection will get into the cut, because the seedlings will be treated for diseases before planting.

Should I soak onions before planting? And what is the best way to do this? Let's figure it out.

To nourish the onion so that it grows large, it is recommended to dilute complex fertilizer in water (40-45 degrees) and soak the onion there overnight. When the seed is saturated with nutrients, you can begin its protective treatment and planting.

Most popular recipes:

• Soaking onions in potassium permanganate. Make a strong dark pink solution of potassium permanganate and soak the onions in it for 2-3 hours. After this, they will need to be washed under running water so that the concentrated potassium permanganate does not damage future young roots. Potassium permanganate prevents fungal and bacterial diseases.
• Soaking onions in saline solution. 1 tbsp. Dilute l salt in one liter of water, immerse the onions in it for 2-3 hours. Salt also prevents rotting and disease.
• Soaking in copper sulfate. 1 tsp copper sulfate per 10 liters of water, for 10-15 minutes. Copper sulfate disinfects seedlings and protects them from diseases.

Treating onions before planting with salt, potassium permanganate and ash

For a three-liter jar of warm (60 degrees) water, take 2 tbsp. l with a slide of salt + dark pink solution of potassium permanganate + 2 tbsp. l wood ash. Soak for 2 hours.

Treating onions before planting against pests with birch tar

The most nasty pest of onions is, of course, the onion fly. Luckily for us, she cannot stand the smell of birch tar. And if you want to protect your crops, then it would also be a good idea to soak the onions in the solution: 1 tbsp. l. tar in a liter of water for 10-15 minutes.

The same solution can be used to additionally water the plantings during the growing season.

Onions planting and care in open ground

As we know, onions cannot be planted in the same place where the onion bed was also located last year. In this case, the likelihood of disease increases greatly, and such plantings should be avoided.

Choose a place where tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, legumes, cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkin, and cabbage were previously planted. The soil after them retains its nutritional value, and the onion needs this to grow a good turnip. Onions and carrots have good neighborly relations; they repel each other’s pests, so you can plant them side by side.

He also prefers the soil to be light, loose and nutritious. Loves bright places, with good drainage, without stagnant moisture.

It is better to prepare the future onion bed in advance in the fall, loosen the soil well and add humus and compost. In the spring, one to two weeks before planting, we loosen the soil and sprinkle it with organic humic fertilizers. Will do.

Planting an onion on a turnip (on the head)

We prepare grooves approximately 8-10 cm deep. The distance between them is at least 15 cm.

We spill them with a disinfection solution. You can use both powder (1 tsp per 10 liters of water) and paste (1 tbsp diluted paste per 10 liters of water).

We plant our seedlings in the spilled grooves at a distance of 10 cm from each other. We sit him on what is called “shoulder-deep”, i.e. not only to cover the roots, but much deeper. This is necessary so that the bulb has good contact with the soil and does not dangle, because It won't be long before she has roots.

Sprinkle wood ash on top as fertilizer and disinfection. And fill the grooves with earth.

Planting onions on greens (on a feather)

When we don’t have a goal to grow turnips, but we only want greenery, then to save space we suggest you use the bridge planting method.

This is when the bulbs are planted one to one very tightly and not very deep. In this case, planting in open ground is not necessary; you can use a container with soil. Or select a small place in the garden bed.

Mixed fit on the pen and head at the same time

When we don’t have much space, but we want to good bow grow and eat greens, then this method will come in handy. We make the furrows as usual, but we plant the seedlings in them in a checkerboard pattern and quite often.

With such a goal that some of these seedlings will grow into turnips, and some can be pulled out as they grow into greens and consumed fresh.

Otherwise, the actions are the same as for classic planting on a turnip (see above).

Onion care

When we organized good garden bed, in a lighted place, with nutritious loose soil, all we have to do is weed it in time so that weeds do not interfere with the growth of the crop. We water after planting once a week.

Onions also need frequent loosening of the soil (between rows and between plantings, especially after rain, so that the soil does not turn into crust) and fertilizing.

At the end of May it is necessary to feed it with nitrogen-containing fertilizers, in mid-June it already requires potassium fertilizers and ammonium nitrate. For those who prefer to do without chemicals, green fertilizers made from weeds and nettles, vermicompost and ash are suitable.

We do this feeding in triads with an interval of 10 days. And you will forget about the yellowing of the onion feather, and the onion fly will not even stick its nose into your beds.

That's it, dear friends, there is nothing complicated in growing onions, you will definitely succeed.

How to treat onion flies

Onions are considered one of the most common vegetables in our garden beds. Many people cannot imagine their menu without this useful vegetable crop. Onions are considered a perennial variety. The first sowing of seeds produces small bulbous heads called sets. Subsequent cultivation of seedlings allows you to get an excellent harvest even in difficult conditions. The main thing is to know how to plant onion sets, because properly planted crops of this variety guarantee a future harvest.

There are no matter how many ways there are to grow this garden crop, be it for the feather or the onion type, and every inveterate gardener has his own recipe for growing onions. We have collected some tips for this process and will reveal them in our article.

Most summer residents buy onion sets at markets and gardening shops, although it is better to grow this variety at home before planting. Often rare varieties of onion crops are difficult to obtain in the form of sets, and the question arises of where and how to get it. Then it will be right to buy the required number of seeds of a rare variety and plant them yourself at your dacha. And onions obtained in the garden by breeding from your own plants will not raise doubts about the quality of the planting material. And you are guaranteed to get good seeds for growing.

Before receiving your own seeds in the fall, you need to select the most successful bulbs from the harvest. Growing a garden crop from seeds requires early planting of planting material, so in May you need to plant the seeds shallowly, covering them with film or using a small greenhouse.

It is necessary to maintain planting dimensions, which will be comparatively larger than for growing onions for turnips. The approximate sowing scheme implies a space of 25 cm. Next, the gardener requires appropriate care and attention, as well as consistent weeding times, so that at the end of August your own seeds of your favorite variety of this crop will appear. In general, the stages of harvesting onions for seeds look like this:

• at the end of summer or early autumn, seed onions are cut along with the stem and dried in bunches in a suspended state;
• a month later, the seeds from planting the garden crop are threshed and lightly dried again;
• then the seed is stored for storage until spring planting.

The resulting seeds have a rather dirty red color. Preparation of the material for planting is carried out in early spring, in early April, already at warm temperatures.

Is it necessary to soak onions? The answer is yes! It can be a little difficult to achieve the state of sprouted seedlings, so you need to first soak the seed and keep it at room temperature for half an hour, then change the water and continue soaking for 24 hours.

A fabric bag is considered a convenient means of soaking seeds. To avoid stagnation, the water must be renewed periodically. Until the moment of pipping, the seeds remain on a damp cloth, only after that they can be planted in the garden. It is worth considering that the depth of the holes has its own dimensions and does not exceed 2 cm. Moreover, if planted higher, growing plants will disrupt the development time of some onions, which will create conditions for obtaining sets of different sizes.

The sets ripen already in mid-summer. The following rules will help determine its readiness for cleaning:

• the base of the plant’s neck becomes yellow or golden;
• the greenery of the plant fades;
• the scales acquire a brownish color.

Harvest the seed at warm air temperatures, making sure the shoots are completely dry.

Preparation of planting material

A prerequisite for this period is the selection of healthy crops from defective ones. When stored from autumn to winter, not all heads manage to preserve their original properties, therefore, regardless of where the set was grown: on its own plot or in a vegetable garden, it must be sorted out. In this case, the dried out or diseased head of the set is immediately separated from the healthy one. Suitable planting bulbs are sorted according to size. The result of this division is three types: small head of set, medium and large.

The ideal parameter for onion sets is considered to be medium-sized onions. The experience of gardeners indicates that small seedings will produce a tiny head, while large ones can provoke shoots.

To avoid bolting, it is better to warm up the onion sets before planting. In case of long-term stay at a cool room temperature, the onions must be warmed up in advance by placing them in a warm room. Planting a vegetable crop on a turnip requires pre-heating the set, which involves following several steps:

• Temperature conditions within 20° C are maintained for planting for three weeks.
• Hot conditions: 30-40°C. It is imperative to provide the planting onion sets with such radical heating, fixing the time. You cannot heat the onion in such conditions for more than 10 hours.
• Before planting in the garden, heated seedlings are treated with a growth stimulator.

If it is impossible to ensure gradual heating of the onion sets, you can perform the following procedure before planting in the garden bed: place the onion planting material in water heated to 45-50°C for 12-15 minutes. Then, without delay, place the onion sets in cold water for about the same time. Next, soak the onions in a solution of pre-prepared complex mineral fertilizer for 6 hours. The depth of water in the container with planting material should be one centimeter higher than it.

After ensuring the onion sets are warmed up and pre-saturated with the necessary vitamins and minerals, it is best to perform disinfection. The treatment agent is usually a weak solution of manganese or copper sulfate. This is the most popular method, the traditions of which have been followed by more than one generation of gardeners.

For disinfection, prepare a solution with salt without iodine content and water in a ratio of 2 tbsp. l. per 2 liters of water, mixing thoroughly and pouring into a container with planting bulbs. Leave the contents for 3 hours, then wash each bulb set and place it in a manganese solution for another couple of hours. When the required time has passed, the planting material is removed from the liquid, washed again and allowed to dry slightly.

By choosing any of the methods of heating and drying the seeds that are suitable for you, you will quickly prepare your seed onions for further planting.

Defining the footprint

Not every plot of land in a dacha area can have a beneficial effect on the yield of seedlings, so you must first take care of the planting area. Sevok loves light. It is better to leave darkened areas to other crops, for example, cabbage, so you need to plant onions in an area well lit by the sun. Having determined such a place, you can prepare a garden bed.

Onions are moisture-loving, but most of all do not tolerate excess moisture. It is worth taking care of the planting site in advance, because the soil for onions is prepared in the fall. Many gardeners prefer to plant onion sets on favorable days according to the lunar calendar. Sets and onions are planted in loose soil saturated with a vitamin-mineral complex. Related actions of the gardener will be:

• digging the soil not deeply: half a shovel;
• application of necessary fertilizers.

The acidity level of the soil is of great importance for growing onion crops. Excessive acidification of soil layers requires the application of lime fertilizers. Liming is carried out by adding the following components: calcite, limestone, dolomite, wood ash, sugar production waste. Simultaneous application of fertilizers and lime substances is not allowed. This action provokes the loss of valuable nitrogenous components.

When and how best to sow seedlings

Onion sets are planted in autumn and spring. When to plant onion sets, the summer resident decides for himself, guided by his capabilities. In spring, onion sets are placed in warm soil layers.

Each region has its own planting dates, because the main factor in growing any vegetable crop is the climate regime. For example, if in the Moscow region early varieties of seedlings are planted in April, then in the middle zone planting is possible only in May. Initially, small bulbs are planted: their feathers do not form shoots, and after 2 weeks - a medium set. Planting a large head early may reduce the effectiveness of the crop as the greens will shoot.

Autumn planting of onion sets on turnips has its own characteristics, since at this time of year sowing the smallest heads is encouraged, because they will dry out before spring. It is better to find a use for the small onion in time and give it the opportunity to grow. In autumn, small onion sets are planted half a month before the cold weather. Do not worry, planting will be successful: the plant will not sprout and will grow large due to the long ripening time.

Having chosen a plot of land where the vegetable will grow, you need to familiarize yourself with how to plant onion sets on a head. To do this, you need to determine the distance between the bulbs in the garden bed:

• seedlings one centimeter in size are sown at a distance of about 4-4.5 cm;
• a set of 1-1.5 cm in size requires a distance of 8 cm from the neighboring planting;
• A larger vegetable head will develop better at a distance of 10 cm.

In relation to the beds, the garden is marked so that their distance is no more than 25 cm. The planting depth is approximately 3-4 cm. After the planting material is completely planted, the bed should be watered, and each bulbous head should be sprinkled with sawdust 2-2.5 cm high.

Onions have their supporters and opponents, so you should know what you can plant onion sets with. It actively develops after preliminary cultivation of certain crops on a ridge and begins to get sick due to undesirable predecessors. Onion sets grow well after potatoes and carrots.

Planting onion sets on a head in the spring, just like planting this crop in the fall for the same purpose, does not have much difference in sowing technology or further care. It is necessary to take into account all the nuances of successful plant development.

An integral part of care is timely feeding. Fertilization begins when the leaves reach a height of 10-15 cm. As a top dressing, you can choose a mixture of urea, potassium chloride and superphosphate.

The following fertilizers are applied after the bulb has formed. To avoid disease of the bulbous head, it is recommended to water the plant with copper sulfate at the rate of 1 tbsp. l. on a bucket of water. To get juicy bulbs, planting onion sets must be watered regularly and often: at least once every few days.

In general, onion sets, like garlic, do not require much physical effort and have a number of advantages:

• high endurance to temperature changes, which allows onions to be planted in open ground earlier than other garden plants;
• planting onion sets in the fall allows you to get a harvest already in next year: in April or early May;
• adapted to different conditions development of the root system is capable of supporting the plant even during periods of drought;
• onions prevent the appearance of weeds.

After the rules for preparing onion sets for planting and their subsequent cultivation have been completed, you should prepare for harvesting.

One more rule must be taken into account: gardeners stop watering seedlings in June.

The secrets of experienced gardeners on how to plant onion sets correctly will help you grow a crop that will be “the envy of your neighbors” and preserve it for a long time.