Owners of private plots are wondering whether it is profitable to grow onions as greens in winter? This question may arise from a person who has never cooked food on his own. Any housewife knows perfectly well that it is impossible to live without this greenery either in summer or in winter. Its cultivation is possible not only on the windowsill in the house, but also in a greenhouse. Especially when there is a desire to get some profit from it.
It is important to remember that growing such a crop in a greenhouse in winter is very profitable for several reasons:
- it will be possible to achieve higher yields;
- this makes it possible to use racks in several tiers;
- this type of greenery will be available not only in winter, but also in other months;
- This is a very profitable business that brings in a solid income.
It is also necessary to remember that onions grown for greens in winter in a greenhouse are those vitamins that are so lacking in the cold season. But due to their insufficient quantity, you can encounter colds.
Varieties
Which onions for greens in a greenhouse in winter are best to deal with? Not all varieties of this crop are suitable to be grown in this way. It may turn out that you do everything right, invest a lot of effort and money into this business, but the profit turns out to be insignificant. And all because the wrong variety was chosen, since it grows poorly in such conditions or bears fruit late.
It is important to know: Not only late or mid-late, but even medium varieties are completely unsuitable for this purpose.
It is better to grow onions in winter in a greenhouse, which produce greens very quickly:
- Slime onion – great for year-round cultivation;
- Onions – characterized by high yield;
- Trampoline onion - in any winter month it will give a good harvest;
- Leek, the feather of which is somewhat similar to garlic, but has its own taste;
- The Egyptian variety is distinguished by the fact that it easily tolerates even frost. It is better to plant onion no earlier than December. It is very profitable to grow the Chinese variety, as it is a perennial plant.
Growing onions for feathers: sampling or sowing
For growing onions in a greenhouse, onion sets are also used, samples with a diameter of 3-4 cm and a weight of 20-40 g. The best varieties will be multi-germ varieties. The speed of forcing varies depending on the type of onion, the quality of the material, and ranges from 12-15 to 22 days. The first greenery appears on the 4th day, the rate of subsequent growth is up to 4 cm per day.
How to grow onions for greens in a greenhouse in winter: these rules are important to know and the tricks to remember.
Secret No. 3. To speed up the germination rate and productivity, the selections are pruned - the upper part of the neck is cut off to the level of the “shoulders”. This will speed up the awakening of dormant buds.
Planting is carried out using the late bridge method - placing the bulbs close to each other. The consumption rate of planting material is from 10 kg to 20-25 kg per m2, depending on the fraction. The ridges for planting can be multi-line or two-line.
Among the substrate options: turf soil + humus + ash, peat + river sand or tyrsa - there are many options.
It will speed up the forcing of onions in a greenhouse and soaking them in warm water for a day - at temperatures up to +22...+25 °C. Taking it speeds up expulsion by a week.
The method of stepwise planting is effective: planting at intervals of 10-12 days for continuous cutting in the future. The bulbs are not buried deeply: when pressed in, the opposite effect is formed: the bulb is “squeezed out” from the soil, lies on its side, and the feather grows back deformed.
We grow onions in a greenhouse in winter.
Before planting, disinfection is carried out in a manganese solution. A week before planting, superphosphate, potassium chloride, and possibly compost are added to the soil, after which the soil is leveled.
Onions are sorted for quick shoots, otherwise the timing of forcing will differ. During sorting, onions are freed from excess covering scales.
To increase productivity and speed up forcing, the bulbs are warmed up - watered with warm water +30 C, kept covered for 3-4 days, then cut.
Greenhouse equipment
When planning to grow onions in a greenhouse in winter, you need to prepare everything correctly. It is important to equip the greenhouse so that it is not damaged by precipitation or sharp gusts of wind. For these purposes, a polycarbonate greenhouse is best suited. It can be placed even in a small area. And installing it is not very difficult.
In order for the soil to warm up well in winter, you need to worry about a reliable foundation.
Also, when equipping it, you must not forget about the following systems:
- watering;
- heating;
- lighting.
It is important that the plants continue to grow both during the day and at night. In this case, such a crop will give a higher yield.
Most of the money will go to the greenhouse complex itself, but such expenses will be justified. If you want to save money, then you can assemble and install such a structure yourself. Also, if you don’t buy ready-made hydroponics, but manage to prepare it yourself, this will also help you save something. And you will need a lot of ready-made planting solution.
Growing technologies
It doesn’t matter, we are talking about growing onions for harvest in a greenhouse in the winter for yourself or for sale, you want to have a ready-made harvest as quickly as possible. And the second important point is the presence of such greenery throughout the cold season. And in early spring, you want to saturate your body with vitamins. And you need to know how to quickly get this green harvest.
Seeds or bulbs
In any case, feathers as greenery can be obtained both from seeds planted in the soil and from bulbs. But the ripening period will be different. And this plays a significant role when it comes to making a profit. And I myself want to get ready-made greens as quickly as possible. So it turns out that it is more profitable to plant bulbs in prepared soil rather than seeds. The feather will grow out of them much faster. If the greenhouse is unheated, then it is better to plant nigella in it in early spring. But for this, the seeds must be properly prepared. Before planting, they need to be soaked.
In the sawdust
Many gardeners grow onions for greens on sawdust. Sawdust retains moisture well. But at the same time, they allow oxygen to pass through perfectly. This is achieved due to the porous structure of sawdust. But in order to disinfect them, in order to remove various bacteria and microorganisms, the sawdust must be treated with boiling water. The landing process consists of the following steps:
- preliminary soaking of the bulbs using a solution of potassium permanganate;
- sawdust is prepared and placed in containers;
- bulbs are laid out on top;
- then all this is covered with an additional portion of sawdust;
- after this you can start watering the sawdust with warm water;
- To make the feather appear faster, areas with planted bulbs are covered with film.
Hydroponics
Growing onions hydroponically seems more attractive, since there is no need for soil at all. The bulbs are simply placed in vessels with water, where nutrients are added. But this option is not very cost-effective, because it will require significant costs for a hydroponic installation. True, these costs are later compensated.
Subtleties of agricultural technology in a greenhouse in winter
If you place onions in a cold, unheated greenhouse, you will not be able to get the desired amount of onion harvest. It is extremely important to monitor the temperature, water the plants in a timely manner and fertilize them. Of particular importance is lighting, without which feather forcing will be unsuccessful.
Temperature
Maintaining the temperature regime is extremely important in the process of forcing onion feathers. During the daytime, the temperature in the greenhouse should be about 20 degrees. At night the temperature drops slightly and varies between 13-14 degrees. Under such conditions, rapid growth of greenery will be observed.
Illumination
Even if the greenhouse is located in a fairly bright area, additional lighting is indispensable. This is due to the fact that in winter the daylight hours are quite short.
With the help of lighting devices it should be extended to 12 hours. Without this condition, the greens will not be able to grow at the proper pace.
Soil preparation
Sandy soil is used for forcing onions. It must be fed with manure and peat. Before planting, the soil is dug up.
Then fertilizers are applied. The following amounts of nutrients are used per 1 square meter:
- compost bucket;
- a teaspoon of sodium chloride;
- two teaspoons of superphosphate.
When using garden soil, it is extremely important to consider crop rotation. Ideally, onion predecessors should be tomatoes, beets or eggplants. For forcing, soil can be used up to four times.
Planting can be done not only in the soil. It is allowed to use small sawdust that absorbs moisture well and does not need to be replaced. At the same time, sawdust is initially poured onto the racks, and ammonium nitrate and ash are placed on top of them. Due to this, the bulbs are saturated with nitrogen and do not require additional feeding.
Landing schemes
There are several ways to plant onions in a greenhouse. Each of them has a number of features.
The bridge method involves planting the bulbs closely. This leaves no free space. Due to this, energy and time are saved. There is no need to mulch the soil and weed out. Planting material is simply pressed into the soil. This turns out to be quite enough for feather growth to begin.
The belt planting method differs in that the bulbs are placed in prepared furrows at a distance of about three centimeters from each other and up to twenty centimeters between rows. The method is suitable for planting seeds. When seedlings appear, they must be thinned out.
Watering and fertilizing
When forcing onions, fertilizing is optional. This is due to the fact that all the fertilizers that were needed were applied to the soil before planting. Plants begin to be fertilized additionally when thin, pale feathers appear. The nutrient solution is prepared from a teaspoon of urea and ten liters of water. All greens are sprayed with the prepared liquid. Immediately after this, it is watered with water.
To speed up the growth of feathers, feeding is carried out at intervals of one and a half weeks. The last time the onions are processed is ten days before harvest. Fertilizers such as Humisol or Vermistim can be used.
Plants need to be watered as the soil dries out. Typically, this procedure is carried out at intervals of two or three days. Water at room temperature is used. It is extremely important to monitor the soil moisture level. An abundance of liquid can cause the bulbs to rot.
The soil
Onions are not very picky about the type and composition of the soil. Therefore, almost any land can be used for planting it. But still, in order to increase productivity, several conditions regarding the soil must be met.
The soil should be:
- wet;
- loose;
- with feeding.
How can you make black soil loose? You just need to add sand to it.
If we are talking about growing onions in a greenhouse in winter for beginners, then such preparation may be quite enough. But it is much more profitable to use not just soil, but to make special racks. And then boxes are installed on them, into which soil is already poured. It will definitely need fertilizing in the form of wood ash. This will help achieve a higher yield.
Gardener Ilya Bydyashkin in his video shows the arrangement of his greenhouse with racks for the profit of green onions.
Temperature
The temperature in the greenhouse is also important, as it should be ideal for growing such greens. For its germination you will need from +15 °C to +18 °C, and in some cases up to +20 °C. The temperature depends on the selected variety. But if we are talking about growth, then you can save a little on heating. Here you can keep the temperature to +10 °C, this will be quite enough. And given that it takes more time just for growth than for germination, a lot of money will not be spent on heating the greenhouse in the winter.
- If the temperature in the greenhouse is high, reaching +25 °C, the grown feather will be tall, but thin, and bitterness will be felt in it. And because of their height and weight, they will begin to lie on the ground, so you won’t be able to get much profit for them.
- If the temperature is lower, the leaves will stand straight and are distinguished by their strength.
Watch a video of gardeners from Krasnoyarsk who have been successfully growing onions in a greenhouse in winter for many years, even in the harsh conditions of Siberia.
Caring for green onions in a greenhouse
The temperature is maintained within +18…+20 °C during the day, at night +13…+15 °C. Care comes down to regular watering with water heated to room temperature and loosening. The application of fertilizing - urea up to 10-15 g, a mineral complex, including potassium, phosphorus, microelements, is carried out together with irrigation water, using the fertigation method with drip irrigation.
Fertilizing should not be excessive: for example, greens lose their keeping quality, become watery, and stretch out when there is an excess of nitrogen.
Cutting is carried out after 25-30 days and up to 40 depending on the type.
Onions are different from onions: choosing the type and variety for the greenhouse
The most productive species for a greenhouse will be perennial species, with or without a short dormant period.
Leek on a feather (pearl)
Recognizable by the white base and delicate smell of wide-line narrow feathers, reminiscent of garlic, valued for its delicate taste. It is characterized by frost resistance down to – 7 C and dislike of acidic soil.
The photo shows leeks grown in a greenhouse in winter
Leeks are grown for greens in a greenhouse using the seed method. Seeds are planted in boxes and containers with an amount of soil not exceeding 2/3 of the volume. Leeks love abundant watering and weeding. To form a juicy, fleshy white leg, soil is periodically added to the base as it grows.
The yield of leeks in a greenhouse will be up to 18-20 kg per 10 m2. Good varieties include Winner and Columbus.
Onion in a greenhouse for greens (sandy, fistula)
With an even green feather, it is not picky about the composition of the substrate: it is cultivated on a mixture of sand with humus or peat, and on waste compost. In a greenhouse it can be grown on racks. Planting material: false bulbs.
Unpretentious to the length of daylight hours, not expensive in terms of additional lighting. But - it is demanding on humidity - at least 75-85%, frequent watering. Temperature range is about +15…+16 °C.
Onion in the greenhouse: planting and care in winter.
The cost of onions when grown in a greenhouse is 5-6 times lower compared to growing a selection of onions for greens.
The period of forcing depends on the time of year: the closer to spring, the faster the forcing. Thus, an onion planted in a greenhouse in February shows a forcing period of two weeks.
Has a short rest period. To plant in a greenhouse, planting material is dug up in October, planted in November, and until then stored with a small amount of soil. The period of forcing at t +18...+20 °C when planting in November is up to 20 days, in February - 2-3 weeks. The bridge method is used with a planting density of 500-800 pieces per 1 m2.
For cultivation in a greenhouse, onion varieties are used: Parade, Totem, Green Banner, Green Line, Baia Verde, Performer, Local Uralsky, Salatny, Maysky 7.
The yield when forcing onions is up to 35 kg per 10 m2.
Chives (chives)
With awl-shaped narrow aromatic leaves that retain tenderness and juiciness for a long time. It reproduces by thickening of the rhizome. It is dug in at the end of autumn, maintained a dormant period of 3-3.5 weeks, and planted.
Chives grown in a greenhouse.
Planting material is watered with warm water to speed up awakening. It is practiced to grow chives in a greenhouse in boxes with a soil or substrate height of up to 10 cm. Light-loving: good additional lighting is needed.
Does not like wet soils: the optimal indicator would be 80% - watering is carried out infrequently, in portions. Air humidity 65-75%. Feathers that have reached marketable length (up to 25 cm) are cut off at a level of 5-6 cm.
The yield of chives is in the range of 27-30 kg per 10 m2. For closed ground, greenhouses, tunnels, greenhouses, Siberian K-1670 and Pink K-1669 are suitable.
Shallots on a feather
It is profitable to grow shallots in a greenhouse in winter, starting in December. With thin graceful feathers with a pungent taste, heat-loving and drought-resistant, with a complex bulb, superior in cutting quality to trumpet and onion. The yield in relation to the consumption of planting material is high due to the division of a complex bulb.
Shallots in a greenhouse for feathering.
It is unpretentious, but prone to growth, and when planting, maintain a distance of about 15 cm.
The productivity of shallots is high - 25 to 40 kg from 10 m2 and above. Pervomaisky is one of the best suitable for indoor ground.
Multi-tiered (Egyptian, Canadian)
Very juicy - cannot be compared with onions, not demanding of light, but loves watering. The duration of forcing is 20-45 days. The most frost-resistant species, superior to others in feather quality and productivity. Bulbs of the first and second tiers, underground false bulbs, or bulbs are used. Planted in the ground after root tubercles or roots appear on the bottom.
1 kg of material gives about 25 kg of greenery in 25-30 days, or up to 30 kg/10 m2. Gribovsky and Odessky winter are good for greenhouses.
Lighting
You definitely need to worry about the light in the greenhouse. In winter, daylight hours are short, so artificial lighting is indispensable. But you don't have to worry about this too much because these plants won't need light 24 hours a day. It is necessary to ensure that there is at least 12 hours of daylight. This means that artificial lighting will only be used for 6-7 hours. Particular attention should be paid 12-14 days after planting, when feathers begin to develop. Otherwise, development will slow down, the feather will not only be elongated, but will not gain the required green color and will turn out to be light green. To achieve good results, a large dose of light will be needed during the last week before harvest.
It is important to choose the right spectrum of lighting for growing onions in winter. It is best to choose fluorescent lamps with a blue spectrum. For this purpose, linear metal halide lamps are usually used.
However, among amateur gardeners, there is successful experience of growing onions in a greenhouse in winter without the use of artificial lighting. Denis Ulyanov, who has been forcing onions for several years, shares his experience:
What varieties should I choose for growing green feathers in a greenhouse made of polycarbonate and other materials?
You can grow green onions from onion varieties, the bulb of which has a diameter of about 3-4 cm. But not all of them are suitable for planting in a greenhouse. When choosing a variety, you need to consider the following factors:
- Number of primordia. They are visible in a cross section of the bulb. The rudiments look like separate nests of yellow-green color. This feature allows you to distinguish between single-germ and multi-germ onions. For growing for feathers, multi-germ is used because it is more prolific in greenery.
- Rest period. Green onions with a long dormant period grow longer in winter. For greenhouses, you should choose southern varieties with a short dormant period.
- Variety It is selected according to individual taste preferences, feather width and height, frost resistance, etc.
Slime (“Leader”, “Green”)
Contains a large amount of iron and vitamin C. The feathers of this species are wide, tall, and bright green. The taste of the onion gives off light notes of garlic, but the smell does not contain any admixture of garlic aroma.
The species is early ripening and sensitive to frost, so special attention should be paid to heating the greenhouse.
This type of onion is grown here all year round.
Batun (“Salad”, “Maysky”, “Local Ural”)
The feather of this species is long and wide, juicy. Productivity is high - up to 4 kg per 1 sq. m. The crop grows once a year.
Multi-tiered (“Gribovsky 38”, “Odessky Winter”).
Able to grow in greenhouses without increased heating, as it has high frost resistance . The yield is about 3 kg per 1 sq.m. and grows throughout the year. The green mass of this type of onion is thick and has a bright green color.
Shallot or Ashkelon (“May Day”)
This species is characterized by high frost resistance and early ripening. The feather tastes sweetish, and there is practically no smell.
Schnitt (“Pink”, “Siberian”)
This type of bow is very demanding on lighting. It has a delicate aroma and taste, the green feather grows up to 15 cm. The yield with proper care reaches up to 3.5 kg per 1 sq.m.
Humidity
When you plan to grow onions in a greenhouse for greens, you need to think about ensuring optimal humidity of both the soil itself and the air in the greenhouse. Air humidity should be between 70 and 85%. But the onion variety also plays a big role here, so you need to know when to water the plants more and when less moisture is needed. The water for irrigation should be a little warm. If it turns out to be cold, the desired result will not be achieved, the plant will simply slow down its growth.
For the first 2 weeks you need to water at least twice a week. And in some cases, more often. And then you can water it only once a week.
When watering is carried out, we must not forget about the correct temperature regime. If it was from +15 to 18 °C, then when watering it needs to be raised to +18 or even 22 °C. This only needs to be done once a week, and then the temperature can be lowered again.
Planting and growing
When planting onions, you should consider its variety. In some cases, it is more preferable to cultivate by seed. But other varieties are planted by selecting seedlings. It is necessary to check that the soil is moist. But under no circumstances should overflow be allowed. In this case, the bulbs will begin to rot.
It is advisable to plant the bulbs in rows, this will make it easier to care for them. You can sit next to each other. It is better not to use pure black soil for growing this crop. It is much better if the soil is sandy. But it is advisable to fertilize it, if not with peat, then at least with ready-made humus. It is important to remember that this plant loves light and warmth, but elevated temperatures are dangerous for it.
Look what crops gardeners from northern Asia managed to grow in a greenhouse in winter.
Top dressing
When growing onions in a greenhouse in winter for sale, you must not forget about periodic feeding. For this purpose, nitrogen-mineral fertilizers are usually used. They must be combined with watering. That is, you need to add them once a week. It is best to use a mixture of ammonium nitrate. But it’s good if such fertilizing is combined with potassium chloride. Urea is also great.
To grow onions in winter in a greenhouse, it is better not to use organic fertilizer. That is, it is advisable to exclude any humus.
When fertilizing is applied, under no circumstances should drops of it be allowed to fall on the stems, as this will lead to the appearance of light spots.
Preparation of planting material
Onions are planted with seeds and bulbs before winter.
The seeds are pre-disinfected: soaked for 20–30 minutes in a 2% solution of potassium permanganate or for 5–10 minutes in 70% alcohol. Then they are dried to a free-flowing state at room temperature.
For planting, select a solid seed without damage, measuring from 2.5 to 4 cm. It is soaked for 20–30 minutes in a solution of potassium permanganate and dried at room temperature.
Reference. To obtain uniform seedlings, choose bulbs of the same size.
Soil preparation
The selected area is cleared of the remnants of the autumn harvest to avoid fungal diseases and pests.
The soil is dug up to a depth of 20 cm, humus or compost is added (1-2 buckets per 1 m2). Potassium and phosphorus fertilizers are added to depleted soils (15 g of potassium chloride, 25 g of superphosphate, 25 g of ammonium nitrate per 1 m2) so that the planting material takes root and overwinters.
To reduce acidity, add ash (150 g per 1 m2). Then the beds are formed.
Harvesting
Whatever the winter turns out to be, cold or not, if you choose the right onion variety, you can get a harvest very quickly. If, according to forecasts, it will be very cold in winter, and the temperature in the greenhouse will drop to zero, then it is better to plant the Egyptian variety, it is not afraid of such changes. In any case, harvesting is already possible a month after planting.
Watch a video in which a gardener compares technologies for growing onions in a greenhouse in winter using pine sawdust and soil.
How to grow onions in a greenhouse in spring?
Onion seeds are not often used for planting in winter in a greenhouse. Firstly, this option is more suitable for growing in large-scale production. Secondly, the initial costs will be too high. And thirdly, it will not be possible to get a harvest very soon; usually the feather will be ready for cutting no earlier than after 2 months. So it turns out that it won’t be possible to sell it profitably with small production.
It is best to plant seeds in a bud in early spring. To do this, select varieties that are able to reproduce non-vegetatively. The landing method here is as follows:
- soaking in potassium permanganate a week before planting;
- for good swelling the temperature should be +20…+25 °C;
- After swelling, the seeds are removed from the vessel with water to dry.
To dry, the seeds are distributed on fabric, and when sprouts appear, they can be planted in the soil. For this purpose, furrows are used, which are then covered with earth.
Greenhouse equipment
A greenhouse for forcing onions made of polycarbonate or any other material must be equipped with all the necessary equipment. It is extremely important to take care of the availability of shelving, lighting, irrigation and heating systems. With their help, growing a large amount of greenery will not be difficult.
Racks and containers for planting
It is very convenient to plant onions before winter in a greenhouse on racks with several tiers. In this way it will be possible to significantly increase the yield.
The width of the structures is about 35 cm. Containers for the bulbs are selected of the appropriate size. The soil in them will warm up faster, and due to this, the feather will begin to germinate much earlier. In addition, caring for plants will be much easier. When placing them on racks, there will be no need to constantly bend over to the beds.
Lighting
To ensure the proper level of lighting, it is recommended to use vertical lamps. They need to be placed on each of the tiers of racks.
As a rule, fluorescent lamps with a power of up to 60 W are used, but if desired, they can be replaced with LED or strips. The distance from one lighting fixture to another should be 1.2 m.
Irrigation and heating systems
Only with timely watering of onions will it be possible to grow a lot of greenery. In this case, warm water that has settled in barrels is used. The soil needs to be moistened systematically. A drip irrigation system can simplify this task.
It will be possible to maintain the temperature within normal limits using heating devices. For this purpose, gas or electric boilers are used. Pipes are located around the perimeter of all greenhouses. Stove heating is also suitable for heating. The use of electric heaters is allowed.
