Growing onions from sevka

As a culture, onions were known, eaten and used as medicine by the Sumerians. In Russia, the culture of onions appeared around the 12th century. Today it is cultivated all over the world. The culture gained such popularity for its medicinal and nutritional qualities. Onion and green onions contain phytoncides - compounds with strong bactericidal properties, vitamins A, B, B1, B2, C, PP, mineral salts and other substances necessary for a person. It is eaten fresh in salads, as well as in the preparation of hot dishes and in canning.

Biological features of onions

Onions are one, two and three year old plants. From onion seeds (nigella) in the first year, onion sets or arbazheyka are obtained - small onions 1-2 cm in diameter with 2-5 grams in weight. For 2 years, a large bulb (womb) is obtained from the set. The uterine bulbs are commercial onions. In the third year, planting the uterus, they get onion seeds, which are called nigella for their color. In the southern regions, onion seeds can also be obtained with a two-year cultivation: in the first year, a large bulb-womb is obtained and in the second year, the testis, which forms on a high straight peduncle in the form of capitate rounded inflorescences.

Varietal variety of onions

Onions, in relation to the length of the light period, are divided into 2 large groups:

• group of varieties of the northern direction. They develop normally and form a vegetative (bulbs) and generative (nigella seeds) crop only when the day length is 15-18 hours per day. Northern varieties in conditions of short daylight hours have time to grow only a green feather, and do not form bulbs at all.
• Varieties of the southern regions form a normal crop with a short light day - 12 hours a day. With the lengthening of the light period in the southern varieties, the bulbs do not ripen, they are poorly stored.
• Today, breeders have bred varieties that do not react so painfully to the length of daylight hours and grow and develop normally in the north and south, under other optimal conditions.

By taste, onions are divided into 3 groups:

• sharp,
• peninsular,
• sweet or salad

Essential oils, or rather the ratio between sugars and essential oils, give specific pungency or bitterness to onions. The less sugar, the less essential oils, and hence the less sharpness of the onion and leaves (pen) of the onion. Today, breeders offer varieties without bitterness, the so-called sweet salad.

General approaches to onion farming

Predecessors and Compatibility

Onions have a fibrous root system, which cannot form high yields without additional nutrition. Therefore, onions are placed after crops that received manure during autumn tillage (early cabbage, tomatoes, cucumbers, early and medium potatoes, zucchini, melons, legumes). Onions have good compatibility with all types of cabbages, carrots, beets, radishes, greens, which allows you to combine these crops in compacted crops.

Soil Requirements

Onions normally develop on neutral soils at pH = 6.4-6.7. If the soils are acidified by long-term application of mineral fertilizers, then 2-3 years before sowing onions, the soil under the previous crops is deacidified by the introduction of slaked lime, dolomite flour 200 g / m². Liming the soil before sowing and planting does not tolerate onions. You can use wood ash at 300-400 g per 1 m² of area.

Onions do not like fresh organic matter, but on depleted soils in autumn or spring, mature humus can be applied under it at 1.5-2.0 kg / m² of area. Since autumn, part of the phosphorus and potash fertilizers are also introduced for digging. The second half with the addition of nitrogen fertilizers is used in the spring before sowing and planting crops. On rich chernozems, they are limited to introducing decomposed organic matter for digging. On peaty soils, nitrogen fats are excluded, and the dose of phosphoric ones is increased by 30-40%.

Environmental requirement

Onions are cold-resistant crops. Therefore, sowing and planting is carried out in early spring, when the soil temperature in a 10 cm layer rises to +10..+12°C, and the air will not fall below +3..+5°C. Onion shoots are not afraid of short-term return spring frosts. Cooling down to -3°C does not harm seedlings, but adult plants stop growing and developing, seed maturation at the onset of low temperatures (-3..-5°C).

Onions need a sufficient amount of moisture, especially during the formation of seeds and uterine bulbs. Seeds with a lack of moisture are puny with low germination, and the bulbs are small and low-juicy.

Bulb onions are grown in several ways: seeds, sevkom (arbazheyka), sampling, seedlings.

The specifics of growing onion-turnips from sets

The most common method of obtaining large marketable bulbs in all regions is growing from sets.

Soil preparation for sowing

In the garden crop rotation, onions are returned to their original place after 3-5 years. In autumn, after harvesting the predecessor, the soil is freed from weeds and watered, provoking weed shoots. Then they dig deep (25-30 cm). Before digging on depleted soils, ripened humus or compost (0.5 buckets) is applied per 1 m², and complete mineral fertilizer - 25-30 g of urea and granulated superphosphate, 15-25 g of chlorine-free potassium fertilizers. In the spring, before planting the sevka, 10-15 g of nitroammophoska are applied for loosening.

Onions like to show themselves in all their glory, therefore, on loamy soils, they are planted on ridges, on which the bulb from the turnip growth phase is opened by 1/3 (the shoulders are released). This technique helps to form a large bulb and ripen in time. The top, hidden under heavy soil, accumulates water (especially in rainy weather) and is affected by a fungal infection. On light permeable soils, following the same technique, the arbazheyka is planted on a flat surface. The mulched surface does not allow rapid evaporation of moisture, and open hangers receive the right amount of sunlight.

Sewing preparation

In autumn, after harvesting and drying, the harvested crop is divided into 2 fractions. Planting material with a diameter of 1.5-3.0 cm (sevok) and smaller than 1 cm (oatmeal) is selected. Oatmeal is usually sown in warm regions before winter in open ground, and in cold northern regions in a greenhouse.

In the spring, 2 weeks before planting, the seedlings are sorted into fractions and single-sized bulbs are planted separately, which makes it possible to obtain bulbs of uniform size. The selected material is freed from shrunken and diseased bulbs, dry scales and other small debris. Arbazheyka with a diameter of more than 3 cm (sample) is planted separately. Large bulbs shoot early and do not form normal bulbs. Therefore, they are usually used to obtain a green feather.

The material selected for planting is heated for 6-7 hours at a temperature of +40..+45°C. Before planting, planting material is disinfected in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate (0.5 hours). Recently, solutions of biofungicides (planriz, gamair, phytosporin) are more often used. Sevok is soaked for 1-2 hours before landing on a permanent basis.

Planting sevka

Arbazheyka is planted for their own use, usually in a single line method, leaving row spacings of 40 cm and 4-6 cm in a row. Multi-row sowing with row spacings of 20 cm can be used for planting. In this case, the middle row of a 3-line tape is used on a feather. The freed area will allow you to form a larger bulb. Planting depth is regulated by the size of the arbazheyka. Plant it so that the "tail" is not covered with soil. In dry weather, pre-emergence irrigation is carried out or, before planting, the furrows are watered from a watering can in a jet.

Seedlings appear on the 9-12th day. It is very important not to start crops and get rid of weeds and soil crust in time. Loosening is superficial, so as not to damage the delicate root system of the set, located in the upper 10-30 cm layer. You can't spud an onion!

top dressing

The first top dressing is carried out in the phase of leaf growth, after 2-3 weeks, especially if the onion develops a thin light feather. Urea is usually used at the rate of 20-25 g per 10 liters of water and a solution is added under the root for 10-12 linear meters. During this period, good results are provided by top dressing with nitrophosphate, nitroammophos, 25-30 g / m² of area under irrigation or solution, like urea. When fertilizing with solutions, be sure to wash the plants with clean water from a watering can with a fine-mesh nozzle.

The second top dressing is carried out with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers in the second decade of June or 3 weeks after the first. A solution is prepared from 20-30 g of superphosphate and 10-13 g of potassium salt. You can use nitroammophoska - 40 g / 10 l of water (2 tablespoons without top).

On depleted soils, a third top dressing can also be carried out (look at the condition of the plants), but nitrogen fertilizers must be removed from the composition. You can use the phosphorus-potassium composition in the dose used for the second feeding.

It should be noted that the soil, well seasoned before planting, excludes top dressing. Removal of weeds, loosening and watering are sufficient to obtain an average yield of organic vegetable products.

Watering

Onions for normal growth and development use little water, but require constantly moist soil in the first month after germination and during the period of growth of the bulbs. At first, watering is carried out once every 2 weeks, and if the weather is dry and hot - once a week, followed by obligatory loosening of the soil (destruction of pests and their larvae), mulching. The soil is soaked in the first month up to 10 cm layer, increasing it to the bulb growth phase up to 20-25 cm. earth.

Protection against diseases and pests

Of the diseases, onions are most often damaged by fungal diseases (downy mildew, root rot) and numerous pests (onion fly, moth, thrips, nematode, hoverfly, secretive proboscis) associated with a violation of the recommended cultivation practices. At the first visible changes in the color of the leaves, the appearance of light dots, dashes, withering of the feather, its twisting, it is necessary to spray the leaves with a tank mixture of biofungicides and bioinsecticides, according to the recommendations. They are harmless to humans and animals. Chemical means of protection on onions are not recommended, and when cultivated on a green feather, it is prohibited.

Harvest

The onset of the phase of ripening and harvesting is determined by the condition of the leaves. Their lodging and yellowing indicate the maturation of the bulbs. In dry and sunny weather, the bulbs are pulled out of the soil and left in place or transferred under a canopy and dried for 7-10 days. They sort and cut, leaving a stump of 5-6 cm. If the soil is dense, then the roots are cut, trying not to damage the bulb.

Onion varieties for growing turnips in summer cottages

For northern regions:

• Peninsular - Azelros, Crimson ball;
• Acute - Bessonovsky local, Rostov local;
• Salad - Lisbon white, Ailsa grit, Alice, Albion F1

For the southern regions:

• Peninsular - Kasatik;
• Acute - Sunny;
• Salad - Dniester, Kaba, Kaba yellow.

The varietal variety of onions is much richer than the examples given. But when choosing seeds or sets for growing in the country, be sure to use local zoned varieties. Varietal confusion is unacceptable. You will not get the expected yield, and the grown bulbs will be of poor quality and lack keeping quality.