Onions are very popular and loved by most people. Without it, just like without potatoes, any dish is rarely complete. The white crispy heads are very tasty, both fresh in salads and when added to hot dishes. In addition to its excellent taste, the vegetable has numerous healing properties. It’s not for nothing that people say about him: “The bow of seven ailments.” Therefore, there is rarely a person who would not grow onions, if not in the garden, then on the windowsill.
The most common method of growing onions is propagation by bulbs or planting sets. With proper planting and subsequent care, the vegetable harvest is excellent: the bulbs grow large, which is what all gardeners want. But not everyone is able to grow large bulbs. Then how to plant onions in the spring so that they grow large? Perhaps, having learned all the secrets of growing, you will also grow a good harvest.
After what crops can onions be planted in the garden?
An important rule for every gardener is to observe crop rotation, and here’s why. If you plant the same vegetables in the same place, pathogens of fungal and bacterial infections accumulate in the soil over time. Each type of plant has its own diseases, which means pathogens too. Some microorganisms die during winter. But there are more resistant ones that can infect newly planted plants from the same family. Accordingly, plants become sick and productivity decreases.
By changing the planting location every year, pathogens of fungal and bacterial diseases cannot adapt to new neighbors and have a detrimental effect on them. The fact is that the root system of plants produces certain chemicals that negatively affect the root system of other plants. Since onions often suffer from various diseases, the vegetable must be planted in a different bed every year.
The best predecessors of onions are cabbage, tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkin, zucchini, peas, and potatoes. Turnips grow well if green manure crops - phacelia, rye, mustard - have been sown in the garden bed since the fall.
Description of the plant
Onion is a biennial plant that grows on cultivated land and in wild conditions. Belongs to the amaryllis family and the onion subfamily. The structure of the onion root system is described in this article. There are hundreds of varieties of onions. The plant gained popularity about four thousand years ago. In Russia, onions appeared in the 12th century from the Danube side. The Latin name for onion is Allium (translated as “burning”). Dozens of varieties of onions are grown: leeks, spring onions, exhibition onions and others. Varieties such as Dutch (its type is Centurion), gigantic, and round-headed are used for decoration and in landscape design.
The presented plant has a flattened spherical bulb, covered with multi-colored scales, from white to purple. Its stem is swollen and grows up to 1 m in height. The leaves are hollow, linear. The flowers are small in size and have a fairly long stalk. They are collected in an umbrella shape. The seeds are round or angular in shape.
Preparing onions for planting - processing before planting
Regardless of which onion you are going to plant: turnips or sets, prepare them for planting in the same way.
Selection of planting material
First of all, when purchasing from gardening stores, do not buy onions that are sprouted or have bad flabby skins. You are unlikely to get a good harvest from such planting material.
Turnip bulbs no more than 3-4 cm in diameter are suitable for planting. And for sets, they pay attention to the category of onions.
- Non-standard onions less than 1 cm in diameter are called “oats”. It is from them that the largest bulbs grow;
- Onions with a diameter of 1-1.5 cm are also well suited for planting; they also produce a good harvest;
- Sets with a diameter of 2-2.5 cm are selected, they are more suitable for growing greens. But such a bow has a high probability of being shot, and you won’t get a good harvest from it.
When selecting bulbs for planting, pay attention to the condition of the head itself: it should be dense, without traces of rot, with thin and dry scales.
Processing onions before planting in open ground
Planting onions are always stored in a warm room with an air temperature no higher than 20ºC. If stored in a cool place, most likely the bulbs will go into arrows after planting. This is especially true for sevka. It is often stored at a temperature of +3-4ºС so that it does not spoil.
- A month before planting, place the bulbs in a warm place to warm up for 8-10 hours, where the temperature is close to +40-45ºС. For this purpose, you can use a Russian stove bench, a central heating radiator (if it is hot, place a towel folded several times under the drawer), near the radiator, etc. After finishing warming up, leave the onion alone for another 2 weeks. Warming up the onions will get rid of neck rot, downy mildew and eliminate bolting.
- Immediately before planting, inspect the bulbs and discard sprouted or damaged bulbs. On healthy bulbs, remove dry scales; they come off easily. To ensure that the onions germinate smoothly and correctly, the dry tails of the bulbs are cut off, being careful not to touch the green shoots. This opens the way out for the feathers. The remains of the roots on the bottom are not touched.
- Before planting, soak the bulbs in warm water for 10-12 hours so that the onions are saturated with water. Some inexperienced gardeners keep onions in water until small roots appear, which is wrong. When planted in the ground, the roots break. Because of this, growth slows down and the possibility of contracting diseases increases. In addition, after soaking, the scales from the bulbs are much easier to remove. When soaking, add growth stimulants to the water, for example, Epin, Bud, Kornevin, Zircon, Fitosporin, etc.
- To prevent diseases, onions are pickled in a solution of potassium permanganate for 30 minutes. After preparatory measures, the onions are planted in open ground.
Choosing an onion variety
The onion harvest depends on how correctly the variety was chosen. All varieties are conventionally divided into two groups - northern and southern. Each group of varieties has its own characteristics, which must be taken into account before planting onions.
Southern varieties are capable of forming a large number of large bulbs even with short daylight hours, less than 12 hours.
Northern varieties develop fully and bear fruit only under conditions of long daylight hours, at least 16-18 hours. When choosing a variety, it is advisable to take into account the climatic characteristics of a particular region.
Seeds for planting can be purchased at any gardening store. But you can make a mistake with the variety and its regionalization. Therefore, it is best to prepare seed material yourself.
Many gardeners advise planting several varieties of onions in the garden at the same time. This will increase its productivity, especially if new crop hybrids are used.
How to plant onions correctly so that there are large bulbs
Onions do not like clay soil. If you have this kind of soil on your site, add peat or sand to the bed. The soil should be neutral or slightly alkaline in acidity. Acidic soil is deoxidized with dolomite flour in the fall. To grow vegetables, choose a sunny place, but such that the sun shines on it all day. Infrared rays promote the ovary of a larger fruit.
Prepare the bed in advance: dig up the soil, adding humus, compost, and rotted manure. Don't forget about wood ash, onions love it very much. Ash is added to the soil when digging, or when planting, dipping the wet bulb into a dry and sifted substrate.
When planting vegetables with turnips (heads), leave enough distance between the bulbs so that they grow large. Onions are planted in rows, the distance between them is approximately 15 cm. In a row, the distance between the bulbs is 10-15 cm. The onion is stuck into the ground shallowly, bottom down, slightly pressing so that the tail of the onion is visible. If desired, the bulbs can be lightly covered with soil, but this is not necessary.
Sometimes all efforts come to nothing when the bulbs are attacked by the onion fly. Plant carrots next to the onion bed. A carrot fly will repel an onion fly and vice versa.
Kinds
Bulb onions
Onion is the most common of all. This is one of the most important vegetable crops on our planet. This species is an annual plant with a stem height exceeding 1 m. The bulb of this species reaches 15 cm in diameter. The outer scales of the bulb can be yellow, white or purple. The leaves of the plant are gray-green and tubular in shape. White flowers are collected in umbellate inflorescences. When grown industrially, it has a fantastic yield - more than 800 centners per hectare. The plant has many varieties and varieties, differing primarily in taste. The classification of onions includes hot, sweet and semi-sweet varieties.
Leek
Leeks Also known as pearl onions. The homeland of this plant is the Mediterranean. It was known back in the times of Ancient Egypt. A characteristic feature of this onion is the absence of thickenings on the bulb, which is why it has an elongated shape, turning into a false stem. The height of the plant is about 80 cm. The leaves are lanceolate, flat and long (up to 60 cm), folded in the shape of a fan. Leeks have small flowers, white or pink, collected in large inflorescences, up to 8 cm in diameter.
The plant is quite cold-resistant, it takes root normally and can be grown in the northern regions of temperate climates. Unlike onions, they can be grown on heavy soils. The main requirement for cultivation is a sufficient amount of moisture.
Chives
Chives have oblong, ovoid bulbs with a diameter of about 1 cm. The height of the plant stem is average - no more than 60 cm. It has cylindrical leaves 20-30 cm in length. One of the early ripening onions: flowering begins in May and fruiting in June. Due to its short growing season, it is ideal for growing in regions with short summers. Has high cold resistance. In the northern regions it is practically the only source of vitamins in greens. It is eaten in a wide variety of forms - from raw and as a seasoning to preservation.
In floriculture it can be used as an ornamental plant. The main role is as borders. Decorative properties last until late autumn.
fragrant onion
Fragrant onion Another name for the plant is branched onion. It is believed that this perennial has all the properties of both onions and garlic. It comes from the northern part of China, where it is traditionally eaten in a variety of forms. It is a low perennial (up to 60 cm) plant with a small bulb, about 1.5 cm in diameter. The leaves are long and fleshy. There can be up to 15 of them on one plant. Small white flowers, about a hundred in number, are collected in umbrella-type inflorescences.
The plant is incredibly popular in its homeland. About half of all Northern Chinese dishes use fragrant onions in their composition.
A unique feature of the plant is its need for continuous cutting of leaves. New ones immediately begin to grow in their place. Thanks to this, the onions retain their fresh appearance until late autumn. But if cutting is not done, the plant begins to wither and dies within a few weeks.
Slime Bow
Slime Onion Also known as drooping onion. A perennial plant growing in Siberia and Eastern Europe. It got its name from its thick juice that resembles mucus. It has a thick stem ranging from 30 to 70 cm in length. The stem of a young plant is drooping, straightening as it grows. The stem is framed by about a dozen leaves about 2 cm wide and up to 30 cm long. The leaves are quite thick and juicy, and it is from them that the “mucus” is released.
It is a frost-resistant plant, resistant to diseases and pests. It ripens quickly, so it is especially popular in those areas where other greens either do not grow or ripen very late.
shallot
Shallot A variety obtained in Asia Minor, characterized by early ripening. Most often, cut leaves are used for food; they are quickly renewed, just like the fragrant onion. It is a compact plant with a height of 30 to 40 cm with a thin stem and a small bulb.
The variety is very popular in the cuisines of many countries around the world, since the plant does not have as strong a taste as onions and can be combined with many other seasonings and flavorings.
Some varieties of this onion have fairly large bulbs, but at the same time retain the taste qualities of shallots. When assembled, it can be stored for a long time.
Onions are one of the indispensable components of almost any temperate climate cuisine. This plant has many useful, sometimes even irreplaceable properties.
Onions can exist in almost any conditions and there are very few basic requirements for growing them. But, despite all the unpretentiousness of onions, its cultivation requires constant attention. Skipping even one loosening can have catastrophic consequences for the yield of this crop.
Planting onion sets in spring
A set differs from a turnip in that a set always grows one head, while a turnip grows 3-8 onions in one nest at once. When planting turnip sets, take “oatmeal” or bulbs with a diameter of no more than 1.5 cm.
Prepare the soil for sowing in the fall, fertilize it with rotted manure, compost, and add wood ash to normalize the acidity of the soil. A good solution would be to sow green manure before winter; they will further fertilize the soil and normalize its acid-base balance. Therefore, the onion will grow excellent in such soil.
In the spring, immediately before planting the seedlings, the bed is loosened again. If you think that not enough organic fertilizers have been applied, then add more. Under no circumstances should you fertilize the beds with fresh manure; this will contribute to the development of fungal diseases on the onions.
The onions are planted by pressing them into the ground so that only their tails remain on the surface. First, make grooves at a distance of 10 cm from each other, and then plant an onion in them every 10 cm. If you have already gotten the hang of it, plant the planting material without making a groove, but immediately stick it into the ground at the same distance. Afterwards, the bulbs can be leveled with soil, although this is not necessary.
Growing from sets
The use of sets allows you to get a harvest of onion in the first year of planting.
Gardeners who decide to use onion sets as planting material receive undeniable advantages over those who used nigella:
- large uniform harvest
- plants grown from seedlings are less susceptible to bolting;
- early stages of bulb ripening;
- resistance to diseases and pests.
To obtain such results, it is necessary to follow simple agrotechnical processes.
Pre-planting preparation of seedlings
The seedlings need to be prepared for planting; for this, the following manipulations are carried out:
- bulkhead bulbs. In its process, dry and disease-damaged specimens are rejected. Calibration by size will allow you to obtain a crop that is uniform in terms of ripening and size. Bulbs of the same size are planted in the garden bed;
- two weeks before planting, the onions are heated for 10 hours at a temperature of 40 - 45 degrees;
- on the last day before planting, the seedlings are soaked in a pink solution of potassium permanganate or specially purchased preparations;
- onions respond well to treatment with growth stimulants and complex fertilizers;
- Before planting, trim the tip of the top - this will speed up the forcing of the first leaves.
Landing
Onion sets are planted in prepared soil.
The depth of the furrows is selected for the size of the seedlings, the width between them is up to 40 cm.
Before planting, watering is carried out.
The distance between plants is from 6 to 8 cm. After sprinkling with earth, the tops of the bulbs should remain on the surface.
When choosing a planting site, take into account that the best neighbors in the garden for onions can be beets and carrots. Cucumber, tomatoes, and potatoes do not pose any threat to onions.
There may be exceptions for other types of onions. For example, chives do not tolerate proximity to beets.
Watering and fertilizing
Frequent watering is not required for onions to develop properly. In the first month, you need to ensure that the soil does not dry out. Watering should be done once a week, or 2 times in dry weather.
It is believed that in the first month of growing onion sets, the soil should be shed to a depth of 10–12 cm, and as the turnip grows, the moisture should penetrate 20 cm or more. A month before harvesting, watering is stopped, replacing it by loosening the soil. Watering at the last stage of cultivation will lead to an increased moisture content in the bulbs, and as a result, a reduction in shelf life.
Fertilizing is done for the first time as the leaves grow. This usually happens 20 days after planting. The indication for adding nutrients is the appearance of the plants: the pale appearance of the feathers and their thinness.
Water-soluble fertilizers are available in abundance on the market, and the rates of use are indicated on the packages. Fine-mesh watering cans are used for application. After finishing, it is necessary to wash off the remaining fertilizer solution from the leaves with a stream of water.
Harvesting
Harvesting begins as the bulbs ripen en masse. This is done in dry weather. Crops harvested in the rain will not be stored for long. 20 - 25 days before the expected ripening date, stop watering. A sign of ripeness is the lodging of the feather. Harvesting is carried out in a short time, preventing the onion from starting to grow again.
Carefully digging up the bulbs, pull them out along with the roots. In sunny weather, onions are dried directly in the garden. When it rains, the harvest is brought indoors and prepared for storage there.
Raising the temperature to 40 degrees for 10 hours will help avoid cervical rot.
After drying, a tail of about 3–5 cm is left on the bulbs. Damaged specimens are selected and used immediately after collection. For storage, healthy bulbs without signs of rot or disease and without mechanical damage are left. The containers are boxes and nets that provide air circulation.
Growing onions for feathers at home
Who among us doesn’t love pies, salad or okroshka with green onions? To prepare such dishes, many simply break off the outer feathers of the bulbs. But you can’t do this; after this, the plant begins to grow worse. Therefore, to prepare delicious dishes with green onions, plant the bulbs specifically on the feather. For this purpose, small turnip onions or selection sets are suitable.
To grow greens, choose an area with fertile soil in a well-sunny location. The bulbs on the feather are planted at a distance of 5 cm from each other. This is quite enough. When the green feathers grow 10 cm, they can be used for food. There is no need to pluck feathers for food; just pull out the entire onion at once. And not in a row, but after 1-2 onions. This creates better conditions for other plants to grow further.
Harvest and storage
Onion harvesting begins in mid-August, depending on the variety and region. The plant should not be kept in soil to prevent re-development of roots and growth. As soon as new green feathers have stopped appearing, the shoulders of the turnip and the top have dried, the plants can be dug up.
After harvesting, remove the exfoliated scales from the bulb, cut off the roots, and remove dry, weak stems. The main thing before storing is to thoroughly dry the crop. To do this, you need to send it to a well-ventilated area, such as an attic or a barn. The above-ground part of the turnip should be completely dry, and the scales should acquire a yellow-golden color.
How to grow onions on a windowsill at home
May is still far away, but now I want to diversify the menu with dishes with green onions. Of course, you can plant the onions in a jar of water. However, to get a larger harvest, how many cans will have to be used... and this will take up a lot of space on the windowsill. Therefore, plant the bulbs in boxes with soil.
Take any box the width of the window sill of your apartment, fill it with nutritious soil. You can use store-bought, or prepare it yourself by taking soil from the garden and adding humus or peat to it.
Prepare the bulbs for planting by first soaking them in warm water with the addition of growth stimulants. Plant the onions at a distance of 3-4 cm. Water the plantings and cover the top with film so that shoots appear faster. Place the box on a warm windowsill, preferably on the sunny side. As soon as green sprouts appear, remove the film. Caring for plantings involves regular watering. But do not overwater, otherwise midges will appear on the seedlings.
Onions from seeds in one season - video
To grow onions from seeds in one season, you must first grow seedlings from nigella seeds. The best varieties for this are white onions - Exhibition, Stuttgarter Riesen, Holcedony, Odintsovets, red varieties - Red Baron, Carmen, Carmen MS.
When buying seeds, pay attention to the expiration date. If the year of planting coincides with the final shelf life, it is better not to take such seeds, since their germination rate is no more than 30%. Take seeds that have another 2 years left; their germination rate is 90%.
I have already written about how to grow Exhibition onions on my website, read it. Any onion from seeds can be grown in the same way. Having planted seeds for seedlings in the second half of February, by May the seedlings will grow with 2-3 strong feathers. This will be exactly the time when the seedlings are planted in open ground.
Watch the video on how to grow seedlings from nigella seeds.
How to plant a bow correctly so that it doesn’t shoot
The main reason for bow shooting is improper storage and, in particular, storage in cold conditions. Of course, it can be stored at a temperature of +3-4ºС. But then, before planting, if you decide to warm up the onions, do not immediately put them out of the cold room to warm them up. Most likely, such an onion in the garden will go to waste.
To prevent this from happening, bring the bulbs from a cold room and let them get used to the warmer room a little. Take your time to warm it up. Let him first lie in the apartment in a dry place for a day or two, and only then send him to warm up at a temperature of +40-45ºС.
Harvest
Harvesting begins after a third of the onion leaves turn yellow, dry out and fall to the ground. At the same time, the neck of the bulb becomes soft, thins and dries.
After digging, the crop can be dried directly in the garden. If the weather is rainy, then the onions are put indoors. It takes about two weeks for the bulbs to dry completely.
To store onion crops, it is better to choose a cool, dry, dark room with good ventilation. The air temperature should be approximately +3 degrees.
Onion - care after planting in open ground
After planting in the ground in dry weather, the plantings are watered daily with warm water. Watering is best done in the evening. When watering in the morning, droplets of water remain on the feathers, which, without drying out, act as lenses in sunny weather. Because of this, burns - yellow spots - may remain on the feathers.
Loosen the plantings regularly, this will help air penetrate to the roots and also get rid of weeds. It’s best to mulch the plantings after loosening. Mulch will prevent weeds from growing, will protect the soil from drying out, and will also prevent a crust from forming on the ground after watering.
Onions need feeding in summer.
The first fertilizing is carried out 5-6 days after planting in the soil with nitrogen fertilizers. Nitrogen promotes the growth of vegetative mass, which is necessary at first for the development of a powerful root system. Urea is suitable as a mineral supplement. It is diluted at the rate of 10 g per 10 liters of water. If you have liquid organic fertilizers, use them by diluting 1 liter of solution per bucket of water. Water under the root or from a watering can. If you water from a watering can, be sure to water the feather with clean water afterwards.
The 2nd feeding is carried out after 2 weeks. It is carried out with a mixture of mineral fertilizers: superphosphate - 30 g, urea - 10 g, potassium sulfate -5 g. All components are diluted in 10 liters of water. Herbal infusion works well as an organic fertilizer. Take 1 liter of it per bucket of water.
The 3rd feeding is carried out at the end of June with the same composition as the 2nd. Feeding with potassium and phosphorus is very important for the development of bulbs, they help increase the mass of the bulbs.
Pest Control
The most common pest of onions is the onion fly, which causes serious damage to the vegetable crop. To prevent and control the pest, you can use effective and safe folk remedies:
- Ammonia - dissolve 2 tablespoons of ammonia in a bucket of water. Use to water the beds after the first 2 true leaves appear, using 4-5 liters per 1 square meter. m. The next day, water the onions with clean water.
- Table salt - 15 days after treatment with ammonia, water the onion beds with a saline solution by mixing 10 tablespoons of salt with a bucket of water. After 15 days, repeat the procedure using a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
- Wood ash - to prevent the appearance of onion flies on the garden bed, you can scatter ash, at least 150-200 g per 1 sq.m. She not only fights pests, but also feeds the onions.
- Table salt – Sprinkle the rows with regular table salt. The onion fly will not appear in the beds.
- It is advisable to alternate onion beds with carrot beds - the pest does not tolerate its smell and will not appear on the site.
Onion flies and other insect pests cannot tolerate the smell of herbs, so their decoctions and infusions can be used to protect onions. For this you can use wormwood, tansy, peppermint or valerian. Fill a glass of chopped plant with 10 liters of boiling water, then cover with a lid and leave to steep for 2-3 hours. Use the prepared infusion to spray onion beds.
