Good onions can be obtained not only from sets, but also from seeds!

Soil selection and preparation

Light, crumbly soil with good air and moisture permeability properties is best suited for growing onions.

For high yields, you need to monitor not only the structure, but also the acidity of the soil - it must be neutral. With increased soil acidity, the absorption of nutrients worsens, increasing the risk of developing downy mildew and other diseases. If the soil is acidic, it must be deacidified in advance using lime, chalk, dolomite flour or wood ash (300-400 g per 1 sq. m).

The selected area must be prepared for planting onions. This is done in the fall - the soil should be dug up to the depth of a spade bayonet while adding rotted manure. It is not recommended to use fresh manure, as it provokes increased growth only of the above-ground part of the onion.

Compliance with crop rotation

To get a rich onion harvest, you need not only to choose the right site for its cultivation, but also suitable “predecessors”. It is advisable to plant it after crops that have been generously fed with organic fertilizers.

Optimal “predecessors”:

• potato;
• tomatoes;
• radish;
• carrot;
• cabbage;
• cucumbers

Experienced gardeners do not advise planting onions immediately after onions. In this area, the soil is already depleted and does not contain the nutrients that the vegetable needs for growth and fruiting. Onions can be planted in beds after onions no earlier than 4-5 years later. Carrots and garlic are also considered undesirable “precursors”.

Caring for family onions

Until the leaf grows to 10cm, I don’t do anything. I don't even water it. Let the roots go deep in search of moisture. I don't do any fertilizing. I don't spray anything. I didn’t notice any illnesses.

Onions grow very quickly and it’s time to mulch the beds. To mulch an onion bed, you need to chop up a decent amount of organic matter.

Mulched beds retain moisture better and onions grow well. I mulch to the height of the hilled rows (approximately 5cm - 10cm) with mowed weeds, immediately after chopping them, without drying them out. When dry, the mulch covers the bed with a dense, porous layer.

I water the onions once a week. The garden bed takes 200 liters of water. From the beginning of July I stop watering.

At the end of June, the bulbs begin to separate and the number of bulbs in the nest can be counted. The optimal quantity is 3-5 pcs.

If the quantity exceeds 5 pieces, then you can normalize - remove excess bulbs.

The remaining bulbs will grow larger.
When to rake the family onions? - at the beginning of July. You can simply push the soil away in a circular manner with your finger. The onion will be all in sight. In the sun the bulb will ripen faster.

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 grow a good harvest of onions?

Beginning gardeners are often faced with the problem of poor harvest of onions. Many people, having grown it once, refuse to plant it the second year, citing the fact that the crop quickly deteriorates. But experience is a great thing.

Only three main rules determine the possibility of obtaining a large number of bulbs and green mass:

• choosing the right variety, depending on the growing area;
• proper preparation of seed;
• compliance with agrotechnical conditions.

If everything is clear with the first stage - southern varieties are planted in the south, northern varieties - in the north, then seed preparation should be considered in more detail.

The most important rule of a gardener: a high yield is a consequence of high-quality seeds. You can buy excellent seed material in the store, but there is a risk of not guessing the variety or germination rate. A proven method is to prepare the seeds yourself.

After harvesting in the first year of cultivation, the bulbs are dried and sorted by size. The first group is fruits about half a centimeter in diameter, or wild oats. These are not suitable for a good harvest. They are planted in the winter, giving them a “second chance.” The second group consists of bulbs up to one and a half centimeters in diameter, which are usually the majority. The third is from 15 to 22 millimeters. The last two categories of planting material are also called arbage or set. They are the basis for large bulbs in the second year.

In order for planting material to sprout well in the spring, it must be stored correctly. So, in a cool place, the required temperature should be 0...+2 ºС, while constant air circulation is required. You can store the seeds in a warm place, but do not allow the thermometer to rise above +18 ºС. Large changes from cold to heat and vice versa are extremely undesirable. The watermelon stored in such conditions will germinate, but incorrectly. All the plant’s forces will be directed to the formation of a porous peduncle. Its base in winter will serve as a source of bulb rot, which will practically not accumulate nutrients.

Seed preparation

The growth rate of onions, resistance to diseases and insect pests, as well as productivity depend on proper preparation of the seed material. Most often it is grown from sets, which are prepared as follows:

1. Fill the bulbs with hot water (not higher than 50°C) for 15 minutes, then put them in cool water.
2. Soak the seeds in a solution of Epin, Zircon or another growth stimulant. If you don’t have it at hand, use any complex mineral fertilizer.
3. Be sure to disinfect the bulbs before planting by soaking them for 30-35 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

Before planting, the onions must be thoroughly dried and sorted, discarding shrunken and rotten specimens. The top part of the bulbs should be cut off - this will help it germinate faster.

Planting methods

There are no special requirements for the location of seedlings in the soil. Plant the sets in one row, or in two- and three-row ribbons. The choice of method depends on the preferences of the gardener. It is important to remember that the arbage sits exclusively vertically and it is necessary to slightly compact the soil above the onion.

During planting in one row, the seedlings are immersed in holes as deep as the diameter of the bulb with a frequency of 9...10 centimeters between seeds. The distance between the rows should be at least 20 cm. Options for a dense arrangement of the arbage are possible, but then thinning will have to be carried out.

Initially, planting material is immersed in the ground every 2 cm. When the first feathers appear, it should be thinned out to a frequency of 4 centimeters. Plucked young leaves can be safely eaten. A month later, it is necessary to carry out a second thinning, bringing the gaps between the bunches of greenery to the size of the row spacing, that is, 7...10 centimeters.

When belt sowing, gaps of 8...12 cm are left between the rows, and the ribbons themselves are separated by a space 22...25 cm wide.

Landing dates

You can start planting onions immediately after the snow has melted and the soil has warmed up well. The optimal time is the second half of April or the beginning of May.

The ripening time of onions depends on its variety:

• early ripening - 88-90 days;
• mid-season - 115-120 days;
• late – 145-155 days.

When planting onions, you need to take into account not only the variety, but also the weather conditions. If the weather is damp and cool, it is better to postpone planting to another day. The soil temperature is at least +13°C, otherwise you will have to forget about a good harvest.

Rules for planting onions

Onions can be planted in an open bed in three ways - seed, seedling or set. Many gardeners prefer the third method, as it is characterized by simplicity and excellent yield.

When planting onion sets, you need to remember several features:

• prepare even furrows for the bulbs, leaving a distance of 20-25 cm between them;
• planting depth should be no more than 3-4 cm;
• the space between the bulbs should be 7-10 cm, if they are large - up to 15 cm.

After placing all the bulbs in the furrow, it is advisable to mulch it with peat. Thanks to this, the first shoots can be expected within 9-1 days.

Growing sets from seeds

For the next planting, sets are grown from the collected nigella either in a greenhouse or at home, if conditions permit. Sow as any seeds during the winter crop season. When the tops wither, the seedlings are collected, dried and stored until planted in open ground.

If you don’t want to bother with growing sets at home, then nigella is sown in open ground in the spring. But this will be a sowing for winter planting or for spring planting next year.

Please note that excessive watering can lead to rotting of the bulbs.

No less interesting article: Cabbage pests and how to deal with them at home

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Secrets of watering and fertilizing

For a good harvest of onions, watering and fertilizing are very important. The beds need to be watered regularly until the bulbs ripen. If there is a lack of moisture, fruiting will be minimal. Excessive watering is no less dangerous - it leads to the harvested crop quickly deteriorating during storage.

Timely fertilizing ensures active growth and high yield of onions. The first fertilizer can be applied 15 days after planting. For this purpose, you can use organic fertilizers - 700 g of chicken manure, 1 kg of manure or 100 g of yeast per 10 liters of water.

During the ripening period, the bulbs need potassium-phosphorus supplements. The best option would be superphosphate or potassium salt - 15-20 g per 1 sq.m.

Onion growing technology

Predecessors of onions

Good predecessors for onions in crop rotation are tomatoes, cucumbers, early and medium-sized potatoes, zucchini, legumes, and early cabbage. Onions combine well with carrots, beets, radishes, and greens, which makes it possible to use these crops as compactors in combined beds.

Planting onions

Seed planting period

Planting onion sets can be done in late autumn or early spring. In practice, spring planting of onions is preferable. Climatic disasters in recent years can provoke early seedlings and their death during recurrent frosts, and cause partial rotting of seedlings during the winter. The stressed state of plants will cause the formation of small bulbs.

Depending on weather conditions and warming up of the soil, arbage is sown in warm regions in the last ten days of March–early April, in colder regions (middle zone) in the last ten days of April–early May. In the northern regions, after the frosts have passed and the soil has warmed up to +6...+10°C.

The optimal soil temperature for sowing seedlings is +10...+12°C, and air temperature +3...+5°C.

Onion shoots will appear on the 5th–6th day. If you plant a seedling in unheated soil, it will begin to bolt. If you are late with planting, then, once in dry, overheated soil, the onion will slow down its development and will not form a large bulb. That is, to obtain a large onion bulb, it is very important to meet the timing of planting the sets.

Onion seedlings are tolerant of cold weather and easily tolerate short-term frosts down to -3°C. But during autumn planting and the onset of spring return frosts, the grown plants stop growing and developing when the temperature drops -3...-5°C, which subsequently affects the size of the bulb.

Preparing seed for planting:

• Select only absolutely healthy onion sets for planting;
• Carefully trim the dry ends at the top of the set with scissors;
• To protect the seeds from fungal infections, be sure to disinfect them with hot water, a solution of potassium permanganate, and other known methods. The disinfected onions are dried at room temperature until they flow. Before planting, it is stored in damp burlap.
• The next day they are planted in prepared soil.

Soil requirements of onions

Onions do not tolerate acidified soils and fresh organic matter. Therefore, when growing in crop rotation, organic matter and deoxidizers are added 2-3 years before planting onions under previous crops. Onions do not like soil liming, so if deoxidation is necessary, 3-4 cups of ash per square meter are added during the main soil cultivation in the year of planting. m area.

For normal growth and development of plants, the soil under onions must have a neutral pH = 6.4-6.7 units, be moisture-absorbing, permeable, and fertile.

Onion planting material - sets

Fertilizer application

Onions carry significant amounts of nutrients from the soil with the harvest, but there is no need to feed them. A uniform supply of nutrients and moisture during the growing season will contribute to the constant increase in the vegetative mass of the bulb. On depleted and dense soils, in the fall, during the main digging of the soil for onions, add ripe crumbly humus, no more than 1/3-1/2 bucket per square meter. m or sow green manure.

Rye, oats, mustard, and rapeseed work well to loosen the soil. On dense, floating soils, you can use mustard with legumes, sweet clover, and vetch-oat mixture. Mixed green manure crops will not only fluff up the soil, but also saturate it with available nutrients.

From mineral fertilizers, nitroammophoska 50-60 g/sq.m. is applied to onions. m. or only phosphorus-potassium fertilizers, respectively 25-30 and 15-25 g/sq.m. m, and in the spring, no more than 20-25 g/sq.m. of urea is added for sowing. m.

If the soils are depleted and higher rates of fertilizer are required, then it is better to apply 2/3 of the dose in the fall, and apply the rest in the spring before planting.

Rules for planting arbage

Sowing is carried out in prepared soil using a single-row method or in 2-3 line tapes. In the tape, leave 8-12 cm between the rows and 20-25 cm between the tapes.

With the first method, the distance between the bulbs in the row may be different:

• When planting “shoulder to shoulder”, the planting density is high, since the distance between the sets in the row is 1.0-1.5 cm. With this planting method, 2 thinnings are carried out:
• during the first thinning, the distance is increased to 4 cm, and the young onion is used for food;
• after 25-30 days, a second thinning is carried out, leaving a distance between young plants of 7-10 cm.

The second landing method is ordinary. The sets are planted at a distance of 8-10 cm in the row, 20 cm between the rows. Thinning is not carried out. Arbazheika is placed vertically upward in the furrows, to a depth of 4 cm, covered with 2.0-2.5 cm of soil on top and lightly compacted with the palm of the hand.

Onion greens

Caring for onions during the growing season

It is very important to keep the soil moist, loose, and free of weeds during the growing season. Weeds shade the bulbous zone at the base of the plants and provoke the accumulation of fungal infections.

Mulching after watering of onions is mandatory. The crust that forms after watering causes an uneven supply of moisture to the top layer of soil (sometimes dry, sometimes wet), which reduces the possibility of the formation of a large bulb. Loosening is only superficial, in wide row spacing. When loosening in a row, damage to superficially located roots negatively affects the growth of the bulb. Onions cannot be hilled. On the contrary, during the growth of the bulb, the “fashionista” opens the hangers towards the sun. Timely watering plays a significant role in the formation of a large bulb.

Watering onions

Watering and feeding onions are especially important in the first 2-3 months. Interruptions in the supply of nutrients and violation of the irrigation regime during this period lead to small onions and loss of their taste.

Approximate frequency of watering:

• For the first month, watering is carried out once a week, followed by obligatory loosening and mulching with crushed mulch. Pests settle under large mulch and fungal infections accumulate. Fine mulch protects the soil from drying out the top layer and quickly decomposes when exposed to moisture. During this period, the soil is soaked to a 10 cm layer when watering.
• In June, towards the bulb growth phase, the amount of watering is reduced to a 10-day break, but the soil is soaked to a 20-25 cm layer. To avoid stagnation of water, watering is carried out with fine spraying.
• In July, watering is carried out once every 8-10 days as needed (preventing the soil from drying out in the root layer).
• In the second half of July, the soil is only kept moist and they switch to “dry watering.” The soil is loosened, mulched, and be sure to get rid of weeds.
• 2-3 weeks before harvesting, stop watering and carefully “expose” the shoulders of the bulbs from the ground. The procedure promotes the ripening of the bulb, especially the stem at the base. Immature stems in winter are affected by fungal and bacterial rot.

Mistakes when watering

• Watering with high pressure breaks the feather, causing interruptions in the supply of nutrients to the plant, weakening it. The plant gets sick.
• Do not water onions with cold water. When watering with water below +18°C, the crop becomes sick with powdery mildew.
• It is necessary to keep the plantings absolutely free from weeds, not allowing them to grow above 5-8 cm.
• In a clogged, unweeded and improperly watered area, the root collars of the onion remain juicy, which sharply reduces the keeping quality of the onion.

Onion bed

Fertilizing onions

The formation of large bulbs requires a fairly large amount of nutrients. Their supply to the crop should be uniform, without hungry breaks and overfeeding. It is better to fertilize onions with nutrient solutions. Applying dry fertilizers is not as effective.

First feeding of onions

With sufficient basic soil filling, the first feeding of onions can be postponed until June, and if necessary, it is carried out 2-3 weeks after germination. Thin light feathers are a signal for feeding.

To fertilize, dilute a spoonful of ammonium nitrate or urea in 10 liters of warm water. Apply at the root to 10-12 linear meters. If the soil (for various reasons) was not sufficiently fertilized before planting, then it is better to carry out the first fertilizing with full fertilizer, using nitroammophoska, Kemiru-Lux, crystallin in the form of a solution (25-30 g/10 l of water). After fertilizing, the plants must be washed with watering using a fine-mesh nozzle.

Second feeding of onions

The second feeding is carried out in the second ten days of June with a solution of phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. 20 and 10 g of superphosphate and potassium sulfate are dissolved in 10 liters of warm water and applied to the root of the plants. During this period, instead of a phosphorus-potassium mixture, you can once again feed the plants with nitroammophos, increasing the concentration of the solution to 2 tablespoons per 10 liters of water. Additionally, foliar fertilizing is carried out with microelements or boron with the addition of ash extract (0.5 l per 10 l of water).

Third feeding of onions

The third feeding is carried out if necessary, if the development of the bulb slows down. The third feeding is carried out when the bulb is the size of a walnut, usually with a superphosphate solution. 40 g of superphosphate are diluted in 10 liters of water. The solution consumption is approximately 5 l/sq.m. m of planting area.

It should be noted that onions on fertile and well-filled soils with mineral fertilizers do not need to be fed with fertilizers, limiting feeding with microelements and ash extract.

Onion

Protecting onions from diseases and pests

To protect onions from diseases and pests, plants are treated with biofungicides (against diseases) and bioinsecticides (against pests) for preventive purposes. The most common biofungicides are Planriz, Gaupsin, Alirin-B, Trichodermin, Glyokladin.

For treatment against pests, “Aktofit”, “Aversectin-S”, “Bitoxibacillin”, “Verticillin”, “Bikol” are used. It is better to prepare solutions for treatment in tank mixtures. Always select biological products, dosage and mix them according to the instructions. Onion treatments are carried out at least 3-5 times during the growing season in the morning. The last treatment can be carried out 2-3 days before harvesting. Biological products are absolutely safe for people and animals.

Treatments begin at the first visible changes in the color of the feather or the condition of the plants.

Protection from diseases

Onions are often susceptible to various diseases that can cause serious harm to the crop and completely destroy the crop.

Common onion diseases:

1. Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that negatively affects the immunity and viability of the plant. To prevent the development of powdery mildew, seeds should be soaked in a weak solution of potassium permanganate before planting. To combat an existing fungal disease, the drugs Baikal, Fitocid M, Trichodermin, Fitosporin are used.
2. Rust affects onion feathers. To combat the disease, drugs based on copper oxychloride are used.
3. Gray rot - damages the neck part of the bulb, such a crop quickly deteriorates after harvesting. Fungicides from the triazole group are used against gray rot.

To combat onion diseases, you can use both chemicals and folk remedies - for example, garlic broth. To prepare it, pour 650 g of garlic cloves with a bucket of water and simmer over low heat for at least 3 hours. Dilute the prepared broth with clean water and use it to spray onion beds.

Features of cultivation

Onions are a perennial plant that bear fruit only in the second year. It grows in almost all garden plots. In the first step, seeds - nigella - are sown in the soil. Before winter, small bulbs are formed with a diameter of up to two centimeters and weighing about five grams - they are called arbazheika, arpazh or set.

The results of this intermediate stage bring marketable bulbs in the second year. Depending on environmental conditions, their weight can reach 400 grams with a diameter of 10 centimeters. To get nigella seeds again, repeat bulbs are planted in the third year. The cycle ends. In warm latitudes, it is possible to obtain a marketable harvest in the first year, and in the second year to collect nigella seeds.

Onion seeds are formed in the testes, rising on one peduncle, which, unlike the leaves-feathers, has a solid structure.

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Table salt – Sprinkle the rows with regular table salt. The onion fly will not appear in the beds.
5. 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.

Feeding onions to make them large

Three weeks after planting, it is necessary to fertilize with chicken droppings or mullein. But this must be done in compliance with all proportions so as not to harm the plants. For three square meters you should take a bucket of water and dilute a half-liter jar of fertilizer in it. If it is not possible to fertilize the onions with organic fertilizers, then you need to use a urea solution. You usually need to take a couple of spoons of the substance per bucket of water, and then water the plants at the rate of a bucket per four square meters of bed.

It is recommended to carry out the next feeding in the second stage of the onion growing season, about a month after the previous one. At this time, onions have little need for nitrogen; they require phosphorus and potassium. Therefore, it would be advisable to feed the plants with superphosphate (30 g) and the same amount of sulfate, diluted in ten liters of water. This solution should be poured over the onions.

Another feeding can be done by the time the bulb is fully formed. These days the plant needs calcium, and lime is a good source. It will not only allow the bulbs to grow large and strong, but will also reduce the acidity of the soil. Before fertilizing and after fertilizing, the bed with onions must be watered generously with cold water. There is one more rule that will allow onion heads to grow large - do not tear off the feathers! If you do not do this, then even good feeding will not allow you to get large onions; they will grow very small and sick.