How to grow perennial onions from seeds: planting and care rules

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Yakov Pavlovich

Professor, Head of the Department of Vegetable Growing

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Gardeners prefer perennial onions for the high yield of greens, which can be obtained in early spring. The culture is similar to two-year-old fruits in terms of nutritional, bactericidal and phytoncidal characteristics. Also, onions do not require special care, so during the April-May period, a large amount of greenery can be grown in the beds.

Perennial onion: description and characteristics of the plant

Perennial onions are very diverse. Each variety differs in taste, duration of ripening, external characteristics and subtleties of construction. Gardeners liked perennial onions due to the opportunity to get an early harvest. The plant also contains amino acids and vitamins that are essential for the normal functioning of the human body. The culture has a beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal tract, metabolic processes and immunity.

Varieties of perennial plants tolerate low temperatures well, so they are grown in regions where the thermometer drops to -40°C.

Features of cultivation

Unlike most varieties of perennial onions, chives are completely undemanding to the composition of the soil. It does not grow very well only where the soil is very clogged with perennial weeds with a well-developed root system. It produces few seeds, and therefore is most often propagated vegetatively. In this case, the bushes are simply divided into parts, leaving 8-10 bulbs in each. Plants are planted in rows with a distance of 30 cm between them.

Seeds are sown in early May or July. To speed up germination, they are first soaked and then slightly dried.

This perennial onion is grown for greens using very simple technology. All that is needed to get a good harvest is periodic watering and fertilizing, as well as loosening and thinning. This onion is usually fertilized once per season - in mid-summer. A distinctive feature of the species is its love of moisture. Therefore, it should be watered quite often. Otherwise, the leaves will become coarse and lose their pleasant taste. Moisten the soil under this plant 3-5 times during the growing season.

Chives are thinned out starting from the first year of planting. Leaves are not cut off from those bushes from which seeds are supposed to be taken. Otherwise there will be very little planting material.

Pros and cons of growing

The advantages of growing perennial onions include:

• the ability to produce crops on the same plot of land for up to 5 years;
• Plants contain a large amount of useful substances;
• to grow a crop, you do not need to prepare the soil for a long time and difficultly;
• the false bulb is capable of producing leaves without interruption;
• the culture is frost-resistant; some varieties are able to withstand temperatures of -40°C;
• the vegetable resists most pests and is not afraid of diseases such as onion nematode;
• ability to develop under a layer of snow;
• the first harvest is obtained after the snow cover melts;
• many varieties have a pleasant spice and aroma;
• The crop is grown both in greenhouses and in open ground.
• flowering species are characterized by decorativeness.

Perennial onions have few disadvantages:

• Only the green part of the plant can be used;
• The crop requires regular weeding to prevent the beds from becoming overgrown with weeds.

Diseases and pests

Multi-tiered onions almost never get sick. Sometimes it develops fungal diseases: powdery mildew and downy mildew, the occurrence of which can be prevented by spraying the plantings with 1% Bordeaux mixture long before cutting the leaves . The same remedy is also used in case of illness.

Downy mildew is almost the only disease that threatens multi-tiered onions

Of the pests, the onion fly is the most dangerous: its larvae settle inside the leaves and spoil them. Sowing carrots nearby reduces the risk of flies to a minimum. The onion weevil is much less dangerous: in the spring it itself and its larvae begin to gnaw on feathers. Timely removal of plant debris is the best preventive measure against weevils. If pests appear, you will have to use approved insecticides according to the instructions, but this can be done long before cutting the leaves.

Onion fly is the most common pest

Varieties and varieties of perennial onions

Many gardeners plant several varieties of perennial onions in their garden beds at once, and there is an explanation for this. Thanks to the large number of species, the crop is capable of performing several functions at once: satisfying gastronomic preferences and decorating the garden plot.

shallot

The names of perennial onions are excellent; each variety has an original “name”. Shallots are a type of onion, but are more sugary. The plant forms a nest consisting of small bulbs. The leaves are erect, delicate, with an emerald tint. Onions are grown for their aromatic greens. It is considered the most delicious variety. Greens have a sweet taste.

Schnitt

This species is similar to spring onions in biological characteristics and method of planting. A distinctive feature is the appearance of the leaves: succulent, narrow and tubular. After cutting, they do not fall apart, but are kept in a bundle. They stretch up to 30 cm in length. Flowers grow in the form of purple balls. The leaves can be eaten, but chives are mainly used as an ornamental crop in garden beds.

Multi-tiered bow

Multi-tiered onions are characterized by high productivity and longevity. The crop can bear fruit in one area for up to 7 years. Inflorescences are formed in the form of aerial bulbs growing in several tiers. The leaves are palmate and hollow. They grow up to 50 cm. Multi-tiered onions are planted all year round. The greens grow to the desired length in 30 days.

See also How to deal with onion fly

Slime Bow

Characterized by a flat sheet. Grows in the form of a bush. The leaves reach 30-40 cm in length, with a width of 4 cm. The color is light green. A feature of the slime onion is the presence of juicy and tender leaves throughout the growing season. The inflorescences grow in the form of large purple balls. The roots are close to the surface of the earth, the greens need abundant watering. The taste is pleasant, with a hint of spiciness.

Batun

The variety is popular in east and southeast Asia. In these places it can be found growing wild. The batun came to Russia from China.

The long false stems are used for food. The species acts as a two-year culture. It has excellent cold resistance.

The bush has many branches, succulent leaves reach a height of 50 cm or more.

Popular varieties

Knowing about the advantages of the crop, no one will refuse to grow perennial onions. Greens that appear in early spring are rich in vitamin C, which the body needs after the winter period. There are more than 500 species of onions that used to grow exclusively in the wild. Today, the vegetable is successfully grown by people. Any variety of perennial onion takes root on a plot of land without any problems.

Batun

One of the most common types of perennial onions. Popularly it is called the bow or tatarka. The benefits lie in the components included:

• riboflavin;
• vitamin C;
• potassium;
• magnesium.

Tatarka is not a compact species. The bush tends to grow widely and, at the same time, the greenery bulges in different directions. In appearance, each feather resembles a pipe. It is round along its entire length, and empty inside.

The height of green feathers can reach 60 cm, and the diameter - from 1 to 2 cm. Onions have one unusual feature - propagation using arrows. Their appearance changes the taste of the vegetable. To please your loved ones with dishes with the addition of herbs, it is recommended to cut the flowers when they first appear.

fragrant onion

In appearance, the vegetable is similar to a drooping onion. Its leaves are flat and can grow to a length of more than 50 cm. Fragrant green onions do not change their taste both at the beginning and at the end of the season, which other types lack. The culture is rich in ascorbic acid, but has low fiber content.

The feathers at the site of the breakdown quickly grow back, so the plant continues to produce greenery until mid-November. Bulbs of this species are not eaten. They are small in size. The bulb is covered with a special shell that helps it survive severe frosts.

See also

How to grow and care for onions in open ground to get a good harvest? Read

Slime

Gardeners often neglect this representative of the onion family. Slime or drooping onion has the ability to germinate quickly. Thanks to this, it can be enjoyed in the first days of May. Green feathers are rich in iron and at the same time have a piquant taste containing garlic notes.

The taste of slime may vary depending on the season. At the beginning of germination it is soft and pleasant. At the end of August, the onion feels stiff. For this reason, many gardeners refused to grow it, and in vain. The garlicky taste of the vegetable helps housewives use it in canning. This is a great alternative to garlic.

Penetrating bow is indicated for people suffering from anemia. Has a high iron content.

Shallot

This variety of perennial onion is grown for the purpose of preparing restaurant dishes. Not only the green part is eaten, but also the bulbs. This type is especially appreciated by chefs working with French cuisine. New feathers quickly grow at the cut site.

Outwardly it is similar to onions, so it is difficult to distinguish them. The difference is that shallots have more feathers than shallots. Free of characteristic pungent odor. Therefore, girls often choose it as an additional ingredient in salad.

Perennial varieties of onions are used as ornamental plants, but this rule does not apply to shallots and it is not a matter of appearance. Not every crop can have a positive effect on a vegetable. If the onion doesn’t like the neighborhood, it will affect its taste - it will completely lose it. This fact is confirmed by people who planted onions with unsuitable crops.

Schnitt

Onions also have other unusual names - skoroda or chive. It is used not only for cooking, but also for decorating the garden. A representative of alliums grows well in open ground, front gardens and on the balcony. A distinctive feature is small flowers that look like balls. The color varies from soft pink to deep purple.

Bulb-like flowers appear in late spring and do not disappear until autumn. Perennial chives are used before obtaining greenery on the land. The bulb, which is underground, is unsuitable for food. It may not be dug up and remains in the soil until the next season.

The feathers reach 45 cm in length. They are about 5 mm in diameter. Shredded green empty tubes can decorate even the most boring dish. With the beginning of flowering, the vegetable changes its taste, begins to age, and the arrows themselves become hard. Therefore, it is better to use it for food in early spring.

Landing specifics

Perennial onions are easy to care for. However, when planting, you should follow the rules to avoid problems in the future.

Site selection and preparation

The soil must be fertile and drained. You should not add fresh humus before planting. The bed should not be highly acidic. This soil is not suitable for perennial onions. Before the autumn digging of the earth, lime is added.

A landing site is chosen without shade. It is advisable to stay in a bed protected from the wind.

In the process of digging the earth, organic matter (compost or humus) is added to the bottom layer. In the spring it is worth adding mineral fertilizing (nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus).

Disembarkation dates and schemes

The seeds of perennial onions hatch earlier than nigella. The crop can be planted on a flat bed, in ridges or ridges. The choice is made based on the type of soil, weather conditions, and the depth of groundwater.

The best option would be to plant according to a row pattern: 20 cm between plants in a row, 70 cm between rows. This way the plant will get maximum space for development.

Expert opinion

Stanislav Pavlovich

Gardener with 17 years of experience and our expert

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Attention! In regions with cold climates, perennial onions are planted in seedlings. Planting material sown in January is ready to be transferred to open ground in April.

How to grow

This onion can reproduce both vegetatively and by seeds. For a small area, the first method is usually used. With this method, the harvest can be obtained already in the same year. Seeds are used much less frequently, since plants planted in this way develop much more slowly. Over the summer, only 5-6 very small leaves are formed on each bush.

With any method of planting, organic and mineral fertilizers must first be applied to the garden bed. The seeds of perennial onions of this variety are planted in rows, the distance between which should be approximately 35 centimeters. They are buried 2 cm into the soil. Seeds can only be taken from two- and three-year-old plants.

Caring for fragrant onions is very simple. The bed should be weeded periodically. After each cutting, the soil is shed with mullein solution. The bulbs of this crop do not have a dormant period, and they can be replanted almost at any time.

Rules of care

Caring for perennial crops is not difficult. That is why gardeners give them preference. However, there are some nuances.

1. It is necessary to remove greens in a timely manner.
2. After planting the seeds, mulching is carried out with humus, peat, compost and sawdust.
3. Plants need systematic feeding from the second year of cultivation. In the spring, fertilizers based on potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus are applied. In autumn, the soil is not enriched. You will have to fertilize the beds again in early spring.
4. Weeds pose a threat to young perennial plants. Therefore, the soil near the plants should be loosened regularly.
5. You need to moisten the soil in the evening.
6. It is necessary to carry out preventive treatments against pests and diseases.

Useful properties of batun

Today is only March 29, and the batun has already grown quite long leaves that can be cut off and added to some salad. I only trim the feather without damaging the growing point - the place where the leaves begin to grow.

This type of onion contains many different vitamins that we need so much in early spring, and by sowing such an onion in your garden, you can make up for the lack of vitamins in the body until other useful greens appear. I only have a few bunches of bean growing, and this is not enough for my family, so today I want to sow a few more rows of this tasty and healthy crop.

Preparing for winter

Perennial onions are not fussy and tolerate winter well. But a gardener can take measures to help the crop feel better:

• 10 days after the final harvest, the crop is given phosphorus-potassium fertilizer with the addition of microelements;
• in the last days of October, dry foliage and arrows are removed, it is also necessary to remove unhealthy parts of the bushes that have twisted feathers;
• To prevent the plant from freezing into the ground in winter, the soil is loosened and lightly hilled, and mulching is also carried out using sawdust or peat;
• After snow falls, the beds are lightly trampled down to prevent rodents from making holes in the crop.

See also: Planting and caring for onion sets in open ground

Sowing onion seeds in the fall

Having adopted the technology of the Flowered Summer Resident, I sowed onions with seeds in the fall (today, October 19) in a couple of minutes:

Sowing onion seeds in the fall can be done easily and simply!

• cut the black covering material with a cross
• dug a hole
• put an inflorescence with seeds there upside down
• dug a hole

All!

In the same way, you can plant the heads (inflorescences) of any perennial onion, for example chives or slime, which bloom beautifully every year and produce many heads with seeds.

But I don’t need it, because I have a lot of clumps (bushes) of these onions and I even distribute them among my friends.

Of course, I did this for the first time sowing onions before winter with seeds (the whole head). But I think that the seeds will germinate one hundred percent. I don't even doubt it!

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Breeding technology

There are several technology options for breeding perennial onions.

Seeds

Planting of perennial onions into the soil occurs in spring or late autumn (before winter). This rule affects how quickly seedlings emerge.

When sown in open soil in spring, the plant will hatch after 14 days. In this case, the crop grown from seeds will develop slowly. At the same time, the gardener should not lose sight of the onion. Experienced specialists, in order to avoid a long germination process, resort to the seedling method. The method includes several stages. Firstly, the planting material is washed in potassium permanganate and soaked for 24 hours in warm water. Secondly, surface sowing of onions in seedling containers is carried out.

For the development of culture, it is necessary to provide appropriate temperature conditions. The air should warm up to +20-22C until shoots appear and to +18-20C from the moment they appear. The seedlings sprout within two months. The seedlings are transplanted in May. Before planting in open ground, the soil is loosened, drained and, if necessary, fertilized.

To obtain early greenery, sowing is done before winter. When the thermometer drops a couple of degrees in autumn, seeds are sown thickly. The norm increases by 25%. This planting will allow you to get seedlings 14 days earlier in the spring. Another advantage of the method: low temperature conditions prevent rapid bolting of the crop. For this reason, it is possible to collect succulent feathers of perennial onions for a long time.

Root division

Typically, gardeners divide bulbs in mid-spring or late summer. To do this, roots are taken from adult specimens of perennial onions and the fruits are divided so that each has one mature shoot.

Planting is done in the following beds: 20x70 with onions deepened 8 cm into the soil.

Sow onion

Using a flat cutter, I make wide grooves in the ground and fill them with water. If the soil is wet, there is no need to water it additionally; you can start sowing immediately. However, we have had dry and warm weather for a long time, so I will still shed the grooves from the watering can. I recently scattered wood ash over this bed, so I won’t be adding fertilizer to the furrows.

I transferred the seeds from the napkin onto a saucer (it’s easier to sow this way) and simply poured them into the grooves, trying not to let them lie too thickly. There were enough seeds for three rows. All that remains is to plant them to a depth of 1-1.5 cm and slightly compact the soil so that the seeds come into closer contact with the ground and do not end up in an air gap between two layers of soil.

Now I will look forward to the seeds sprouting. I wish you friendly shoots and excellent harvests.