Planting onions before winter in 2022 will help you get a harvest at the beginning of summer.
Winter varieties do not require careful care, but in order for the seeds to harden and prepare for frost, it is necessary to prepare the beds, decide on the variety and not miss the planting date. Experienced gardeners recommend not only focusing on the vagaries of the weather when choosing the time to sow onions before winter, but also looking at when to plant the vegetable in 2022, according to the lunar calendar. The influence of the earth's satellite on all plants has already been officially confirmed by scientific research. Dear readers! For you, we have created communities on social networks in which useful articles and interesting ideas are published several times a day! Subscribe and receive useful content in a convenient format!
When to plant onions before winter - timing
Experts say that onions can be planted in the ground not only in spring, but also in autumn. However, the latter method was not widespread until recently and only today has gained popularity among gardeners. For this purpose, it is worth choosing special ones - winter varieties of onions that are not afraid of cold weather and survive the winter well right in the ground.
Autumn planting of onions before winter begins in the last days of September and ends in the first ten days of November, depending on the planting region and weather conditions. The signal to start planting wild oatmeal can be the temperature on the street thermometer, which remains at +5 °C degrees for several days in a row, while the night temperature should not be lower than -3 °C. As a rule, the soil temperature will be +3 °...+4 °C, which is necessary for planting onion sets before winter.
Some summer residents prefer to plant onions before winter according to the lunar calendar, just to be sure and not make a mistake. In this case, if you trust the heavenly body, keep in mind that the weather can be unpredictable, and the likelihood of getting a rich harvest will be reduced to a minimum. Sudden thaws or sharp frosts, which are not to the liking of winter plantings, will simply destroy the planting material, one way or another.
Also read: Planting onion sets in spring
Experienced farmers do not trust dates and rely on weather conditions: before it gets cold outside, onions must develop their root system. It is impossible to allow green shoots - feathers - to appear. If onions are planted in the ground ahead of schedule, they will germinate and then freeze. Late planting will result in the seedling not having time to take root and rotting.
conclusions
At first glance, it may seem that the procedure for growing winter onions (sets) is very complicated, but in fact this is not the case. The main thing is to remember the basic rules for planting (how to plant correctly, plant according to technology) and care. And already in the spring you will be able to enjoy the first portions of vitamins that onions are so rich in.
The rules for processing onions before planting in the fall are described here.
Most gardeners are accustomed to growing onions in the warm season, believing that the winter method is a thankless task and requires professional skills. However, a properly selected variety and compliance with planting and care rules allow you to get an excellent harvest of winter onions.
Territorial features of growing onions before winter
Requirements for how to plant onions before winter will vary depending on the area. So, for example, when to plant onions before winter in the Moscow region, Leningrad, Pskov, Smolensk, Kostroma, Lipetsk, Voronezh regions depends on the temperature conditions outside. In this case, special attention should be paid to too frosty winters. For the purpose of prevention, when severe frosts occur, a lot of snow is thrown on the beds with onions, and in snowless winters they are mulched with peat and leaf litter. If the winter is snowy, then under the cover of snow the onions are not in danger of freezing.
The technique of planting onions before winter in the Urals and Siberia differs in that it is necessary to start planting earlier, in early autumn; it is better to do this before mid-October, or even earlier, due to the climatic characteristics of the growing region. It is also worth noting that not every variety of winter onion is suitable for cultivation in this zone; you need to choose varieties with high winter hardiness. Be sure to cover the plantings!
Planting onion sets in the Kuban and throughout the Krasnodar Territory, Astrakhan, Volgograd, Rostov regions, also in the republics of Adygea and Crimea, can be carried out much later than the conventional deadlines, here the warmth sometimes lasts until November, and accordingly, planting is carried out at a later date.
Harvest and storage
Mesh, cardboard boxes, wooden boxes with holes for air intake are suitable as storage containers.
How and when to collect
Onions are harvested after the above-ground part of the leaves turns yellow and dries - in late spring and early summer. Full collection is carried out before the beginning of August, in dry, windless weather. The dug up crop is left for some time in the garden bed to dry, left in the sun, spread out in a thin layer. The top feathers are removed. Then they are placed in containers and moved to a cool room for permanent storage.
Storage features and keeping quality of the variety
If onions are stored in an apartment , the temperature should be +18...+22°C, humidity – 50-70%. In basements, the optimal values are 0...+3°C with a humidity of 75-90%. During storage, vegetables are sorted, rotten ones are removed, and wet ones are dried.
Important! Winter onions can be stored for about 6-8 months.
Rules for planting winter onions
Low onion yields can often be explained by the poor preparation of the owner of the plot for growing vegetables. Few people know how to plant onions before winter in order to get a rich harvest. First of all, do not forget that onions after onions can be planted only after two years, then the planting location must be changed. It is optimal to plant winter onions after crops such as grains, beets, tomatoes, and cabbage. It is not recommended to plant onions after potatoes or beans.
Before planting onions before winter, and in order to have a large fruit, it is necessary to properly prepare the set for planting. Onions must be sorted by size; they are divided into wild oats (less than 1 cm in diameter), sets (1–3 cm) and selection (more than 3 cm). For green feathers, the last option is suitable; for large fruits, it is better to plant small sets for the winter. Large bulbs in most cases go into the arrow.
Many gardeners are wondering whether to cut onions before winter or not? Agronomists have a clear answer - no, you can’t prune. If you prune, you may lose the harvest, because cutting off the top tail in the spring promotes faster germination of the bulbs. If you cut off the bottom of the seedlings in the fall, they simply won’t take root and will rot in the ground in the winter.
It is important to choose the right soil where our vegetable will grow. The ideal option is drained humus-sandy soil or loam rich in humus. The soil must be rich in nutrients to grow large onions; in poor soil you cannot expect a good harvest.
Next, you need to figure out how to plant onions before winter, at what depth to do it. In the prepared bed we make grooves, the depth of which is approximately 5 cm, and the distance between the rows is 20 cm. Place the bulbs 7-10 cm apart with the bottom down and sprinkle with earth. Planting at such a depth is considered optimal so that the seedlings do not die in the winter and germinate well in the spring. No need to water. You can plant the sets thicker, after 3-5 cm, then in May you will need to thin out the bed, pulling out the specimens for greenery and leaving the onions in the ground for a large turnip.
If the soil is fertilized, you can sprinkle a little wood ash into the furrows before planting, which is not only an excellent fertilizer, but also resists fungal diseases. Humus (1/2 bucket), compost is added to depleted soils, and mineral complexes are added. Fresh manure is not applied when planting onions in the fall. With the onset of cold weather, the bed needs to be mulched with any available material - withered leaves, peat, sawdust, spruce branches, etc.
A lot of controversy arises about the fact that onions are planted only on greens before winter - it’s not true, they are also planted on large turnips. The advantage of winter planting is that the bulbs grow larger and the harvest can be harvested as early as early July. It is worth noting that onions are not processed before planting in the fall.
In the spring, when the soil has warmed up sufficiently and the threat of frost has passed, remove the mulch from the beds. It is important to do this in time, before the onions begin to sprout. Don't forget to loosen the soil and fight weeds and pests.
Nuances of care
Winter care does not involve any additional actions other than insulating the beds and creating a snow layer at temperatures below 10-15°C. This is especially true for the northern regions.
Watering mode
Do not water the onions immediately after planting . In dry weather, watering is carried out after 10 days. In the spring, when the snow melts, the ground contains a sufficient amount of moisture, so water as needed if spring and the first month of summer are hot.
Loosening the soil and weeding
During the growth process, the soil is loosened as needed , and also a day after watering; this is done carefully so as not to pull out the fruits. Weeding is carried out twice per season.
Top dressing
The first fertilizing is carried out after the emergence of seedlings in the spring . To form greenery, add a solution of 30 g of ammonium nitrate, 20 g of potassium chloride, 40 g of superphosphate, diluted in 10 liters of water. After three weeks, re-feeding is carried out, increasing the amount of superphosphate to 60 g, potassium to 30 g.
The third time, a solution consisting of 10 liters of water, 20 g of potassium, 40 g of phosphate is added.
Disease and pest control
Most often, the crop is susceptible to downy mildew . To protect the plant from disease, in the fall, before planting in the ground, the seedlings are inspected for damage by disease or insects. At the slightest sign, the fruits are treated with fungicides, following the manufacturer's instructions. Fermented milk products, iodized or soda solution are also used to fight the disease.
To avoid infection by fungi , ensure compliance with the rules of crop storage and crop rotation.
The most popular varieties of winter onions
What varieties of onions are especially popular before winter among leading experienced gardeners? Let's talk about a few:
- Rubin is a variety bred by Donetsk breeders. The vegetable has a light purple color, large bulb size, and is suitable for long-term storage.
- Buran is a universal variety; it is characterized by a large round bulb and a bright yellow color. The variety has a high yield level, is well stored, its main drawback is instability to downy mildew.
- Black Prince is one of the varieties of purple onions, which has a round, dense bulb and an islandy taste.
- Onions for winter Radar is a Dutch variety that is resistant to both frost and drought. The bulbs are characterized by high density and a beautiful yellow color.
- Siberian onions are the best option for growing onions. The shape of the bulb is flattened at the poles, the color is yellow. The variety not only stores well, but is also resistant to arrowheads.
in the bag there are different varieties of onion sets - in the photo
These are not all winter varieties; Sturon and Stuttgarter Riesen are also suitable, but now you know how to plant onions before winter! Have a good harvest!
Advice from experienced gardeners
A few recommendations from experienced farmers:
- Onions planted close to each other are broken through in the spring, leaving only strong, high-quality specimens with a distance of 8-10 cm.
- Several varieties are planted at once. Thus, after harvesting, the most productive crops are selected for further cultivation.
- It is better not to use film as a cover.
- Fresh manure is not suitable for fertilizing onions.
- To prevent the bulb from becoming green, the bed is watered with boiling water before planting, and the material is dipped in a solution of potassium permanganate for 10-15 minutes.
What problems may arise when growing
Taking into account the possible freezing of the bulbs during severe soil freezing, increase the amount of seed by 20%.
Some gardeners, in order to avoid freezing of the seedlings, deeply bury the bulbs when planting. This leads to a delay in the emergence of seedlings , since it is difficult for tender sprouts to break through the thick layer of soil.
Many summer residents, fearing the early formation of feathers before the onset of frost, plant seedlings at the end of November. Late-planted small bulbs do not have time to take root before the soil freezes and die.
Beds that are not covered with mulch for the winter quickly freeze . Frequent, abundant watering leads to rotting of onion heads.
If the beds are located in dark places, the turnips will grow small.
