Why aren't the onions pouring? How to grow large onions on your own plot? Soil requirements of onions

Finding a gardener in our latitudes who does not grow onions on his plot is not an easy task. But it’s even more difficult to find that lucky person who has never in his entire career as a homestead farmer asked himself the question why, despite all the weeding, fertilizing and watering, this censored onion turns yellow in the garden, without any twinge of his onion conscience? Agree, this is really very offensive. Especially if this is not the first time something like this has happened. And then gardeners wonder what to water the onions so as not to turn yellow. For those who prefer to see freshly picked green onions in a delicious summer salad, we have prepared this useful material.

Onions are perhaps one of the oldest cultivated plants known to our civilization. The first mention of onion cultivation dates back to the 4th millennium BC. It is known for certain that in Ancient Egypt the bow was considered a gift from the gods. In the ancient world, since the time of Hippocrates, onions were valued not only as a vegetable, but also as remedy. IN ancient Rome red onions were included in the mandatory diet of legionnaires, and Emperor Nero ate leeks with olive oil to strengthen his voice (he was a lover of singing). Today, more than 400 varieties of “cultivated” onions are known.

Healthy onions in the beds should look something like this

Why onions turn yellow in the garden: five reasons and methods of control

Before trying on the light clothes of onion gurus, we must immediately make a reservation - onions in the garden turn yellow not only because of diseases and other negative impacts, which will be discussed below. In August-September, onion stems begin to wither, for a completely natural reason - the crop is ripe and ready for harvest. In this case, you have nothing to worry about - you did everything right. A fair question is “What to do?” if an onion feather turns yellow at a time when, according to all the laws of the genre, it is supposed to continue to grow and grow. Then the source of the “onion grief” should be sought in five possible directions:

• insect pests;
• illness;
• soil condition;
• improper care of plants;
• unfavorable weather conditions.

Now let's look at these misfortunes in more detail and get acquainted with ways to eliminate them.

Reason one: pests

Significant damage to onion plantings can be caused by:

Onion fly (Delia antiqua)

These harmful insects, or rather their larvae, are equally dangerous to both traditional onions and more “noble” varieties - chives, shallots, leeks, etc. During the flowering of dandelion and lilac (approximately in the second half May) the female onion fly lays eggs in the soil next to the plant or under the first dry scales and between the green leaves of the onion. After 5-8 days, the larvae burrow into the bulb (mainly from the bottom) and begin to feed intensively. The onions in the garden turn yellow and then die completely. How to save onions from onion flies? To permanently ruin this pest's appetite, we recommend using the following methods.

In this photo there is an onion fly - malicious pest Luke

• Plant onions in the soil as early as possible. Then he will have time to gain strength before the flies appear.
• Sow onions along with carrots. The fly cannot stand the smell of carrots.
• Use deterrents during summer and egg laying, for example, mix 200 g of wood ash with 1 tsp. tobacco dust and 1 tsp. ground pepper, dust 1 sq.m. with this mixture. planting onions. After the procedure, loosen the soil.
• Against larvae in the soil for 15 sq.m. you can add 30 g of Bazudin granules mixed with 0.5 liters of sand.
• Do not plant onions in the same place every year. The onion bed can be used once every four years.
• At the beginning of summer, flies (if Bazudin was not added to the soil) onion plantings can be treated with Confidor, Leptotsid, Mospilan, Nurell-D.
• If the larvae have already penetrated the bulb (the feathers wilt, the tips of the leaves turn yellow), then spraying with Creocide PRO will help save the plantings.

The emergence of onion fly larvae from eggs

There is another one folk method fight against onion fly - treatment with saline solution (200 grams of salt per 10-liter bucket of water). The effect is enhanced by adding large quantity ammonia. The first watering is carried out when the length of the feather reaches 8 cm. In this case, you need to try not to get it on the leaves. During the season, 2-3 such procedures may be required, before the summer of the new generation of flies. This method has been tested for years, but it leads to soil salinity, and excess chlorine and sodium inhibit plants. Therefore, it must be used very carefully.

The development of the larvae lasts about 3 weeks, then they go into the soil to pupate. Through certain time a new generation appears and everything starts all over again. The second generation is harmful in mid-to-late July. IN southern regions The onion fly can produce a third generation. Pupae overwinter at a depth of 4 to 10 cm.

Onion snail (Ceuthorrhynchus jakovlevi)

This beetle feeds on onion leaves. Its larvae (yellowish, with a brown head, legless, about 0.7 cm) eat away longitudinal passages in the pulp of the leaves, which are visible through the skin. Of course, onion plantings turn yellow in the beds. To get rid of a secretive proboscis you need to do the following:

The onion secretive beetle lives throughout Russia

• Thorough cleaning of the bed after harvesting. Unharvested onion remains are an ideal place for the beetle to overwinter;
• deep digging of the soil before the onset of cold weather. The beetle does not tolerate frost;
• if the pest is small in number, it can be collected. By the way, beetles are very shy; at the slightest touch they fall to the ground;
• loosening the rows with the addition of repellents (wood ash, ground red and black pepper, mustard powder)
• during mass dispersal during the growing season, onions can be sprayed with “Karbofos” at the rate of 60 g (1 package) per 10 liters of water. 1 liter of the resulting solution is treated with 10 sq.m. landing After treatment, the feather should not be eaten for some time.

Larva of a secretive beetle at a crime scene

Stem (onion) nematode (Ditylenchus dipsaci Kuhn)

An innocent-looking, barely noticeable thread-like “worm”. Adults and larvae feed on plant sap, as a result of which the onion feathers turn yellow and dry out. The bottom is destroyed, the rudiments begin to grow through the cracks, it seems that the bulb is turning outward. The main danger of these microscopic (1-1.5 mm) pests is that they occupy the soil for decades. Determining the presence of nematodes in non-onion beds is very difficult. However, over the centuries-old history of fighting this pest, very effective combat techniques have been invented and tested:

Stem nematode (visible only under a microscope)

• Do not plant onions in one place, return to their original bed no earlier than after 4 years.
• Plant only healthy planting material.
• Before planting, treat onions with hot water (45 degrees) for 6 minutes or with a salt solution (3 tablespoons of salt per 3 liters of water) for 20 minutes.
• Sow calendula or tagetis (marigolds) between the rows of onions. You can water the onions with marigold tincture.

Onion (tobacco) thrips (Thrips tabaci Lind)

A yellowish or brownish insect whose body length is no more than 1 mm. The larvae are wingless, gray-white or greenish-yellow. Thrips damage not only onions, but also garlic, cucumbers, and flower crops. They feed on plant sap by sucking it out. The leaves fade, turn yellow, and dry out. They overwinter in the top layer of soil, on the remains of vegetation, under onion scales. Females lay brownish small eggs singly in leaf tissue. The larvae hatch after 5 days.

Onion (tobacco) thrips

• Crop rotation;
• Pre-planting 10-minute disinfection of the seeds with hot water (45 ° C) with further immersion in cold water;
• Spraying the plantings with a solution of “Confidor” (1 ml per 10 liters of water) or “Iskra” (1 tablet per 10 liters of water). Per 100 sq.m. use 10 liters of insecticidal solution.

Onion moth (Acrolepiopsis assectella)

Causes enormous damage to onion plantings in dry, warm weather. The leaves begin to turn yellow and dry out from the tops, and longitudinal asymmetrical spots called mines appear on them.

Onion moth

The first generation of caterpillars damage in late May - June. Butterflies are small (no more than 0.8 cm, with a wingspan of up to 1.4 cm). Their summers occur in July, exclusively at night. Females lay yellowish eggs, 0.5 mm in size, singly on the soil near plants or at the base of leaves. The emerging caterpillars (yellowish-green in color with brownish warts, about 1 cm long) penetrate the leaves and feed there. In October, butterflies hatch from pupae and overwinter in shelters. In the spring they begin to fly.

Onion moth caterpillar

• Crop rotation;
• Cleaning of plant residues;
• Digging the soil before frost;
• Spraying onion moths with Iskra solution (1 tablet per 10 liters of water) during the summer. 1 liter of insecticidal solution is enough for 10 sq.m. planting onions.

Notes in the margins

Most effective method combating harmful insects is a “war on all fronts.” The fact is that the onion fly, the nematode, and the secretive beetle can calmly dine, so to speak, at the same table. Therefore, we recommend using the above measures in combination. For example, combine non-chemical methods of combating nematodes with measures aimed against onion flies (mulching with ash, pollination with tobacco dust, etc.).

Reason two: plant diseases

This name hides several fungal diseases of onions with similar external signs - spotty yellowing of the onion feathers with the formation of convex pads in May-June, followed by their blackening and complete falling of the leaves.

Control measures:

• crop rotation;
• warming up the planting material before storing it;
• warming up the onion sets before planting for 12 hours at a temperature of 30-40 degrees;
• for preventive purposes, planting onions during the period of mass growth can be sprayed with a solution of copper oxychloride (1 tablespoon of the drug per 10 liters of water with the addition of 1 tablespoon of liquid soap). The second spraying is carried out a week after the first with a solution of the drug “Hom”, prepared according to the instructions.

Bacterial rot of onions

It is discovered when the bulbs are cut. Between healthy scales a dark layer of softened tissue is clearly visible. When stored, such bulbs rot. The infection is carried by insects (thrips, onion flies, mites, etc.). When planting diseased bulbs, the plants look depressed, the leaves turn yellow, and the flower stalks dry out.

Manifestations of bacteriosis in an onion bed

• Pre-plant culling of contaminated material. The neck of the bulbs is cut off by 0.5-1 cm so that all the scales are visible.
• Before planting onion sets or turnips, the soil is treated with the preparation “Hom” (40 g per 10 liters of water). consumption 500 ml of solution per 1 sq.m.

Almost all varieties and types of onions are susceptible to this fungal disease. Fungi from the genus Fusarium live in the soil and infect the bulb during the growing season at temperatures from + 13° to + 30° Celsius. In diseased plants, the feathers very quickly turn yellow and die.

This is how unappetizing an onion looks when it gets bottom rot

Agrotechnical measures to combat bottom rot:

• Right choice places for onion beds. The site should not be in a low-lying area to avoid flooding during floods and rainstorms.
• Maintaining crop rotation. The best predecessors for planting onions are cereal grains. If symptoms of the disease are observed on the ridges, the next onion planting in this place should be done no earlier than after 5 years.
• Planting material (seeds or sets) must be healthy and disinfected. Planting (sowing) onions must be carried out in optimal agrotechnical terms.
• Use for cultivation only resistant varieties and hybrids of onions.
• The harvested crop must be stored under the correct temperature and humidity conditions.

Notes in the margins

If you have already begun your crusade against onion pests and have taken a set of measures to combat onion flies, we hasten to please you, these measures are an excellent preventive measure against bottom rot. Now your onions have double protection, which means your chances of getting a healthy, full harvest are doubled.

Reason three: lack of nitrogen in the soil

Your onions will definitely turn yellow if the soil feeding them is low in nitrogen. In fact, nitrogen deficiency in the soil is the most common and most insidious cause of yellow onion feathers. There is only one method of control here - fertilizing the onion beds with nitrogen-containing fertilizers. Organic or organo-mineral fertilizers are perfect for this.

Not only onions turn yellow from a lack of nitrogen in the soil

If you prefer organics when choosing fertilizers, then you can use only rotted manure in preparing the beds, and make a fermented infusion for fertilizing. Adding fresh manure to the soil increases the risk of spreading fungal diseases.

Reason four: mistakes when caring for onions

The most common mistake that can cause onions to turn yellow in the beds is an incorrect watering regime. Of course, water care for each of the many varieties of onions has its own subtleties. Therefore, we will touch only on general recommendations - equally suitable for the entire onion family.

Onion plantation in Valencia. With proper watering, the yield is 8000(!) centners per hectare

• During the period of rooting and beginning of growth, onions should be watered at least once every three days. Moreover, watering should be plentiful. If the soil on the ridges is mulched, you can water it less often - mulch retains moisture remarkably well.
• It is advisable to water the onion at the root.
• The water temperature for irrigation should vary from +18 to +25 degrees Celsius.
• The optimal watering time is before noon.
• If the water for irrigation is hard, it should be artificially softened with special additives.

Notes in the margins

It is convenient to combine watering onions with fertilizing. To do this, fertilizers are dissolved in water and thus a nutrient solution is obtained. Composition of the solution: for 10 liters of water we take 50-70 grams of ammonium nitrate and 20 grams of superphosphate and the same amount of potassium salt. The first feeding of onions should be done when the feather has grown 3 centimeters from the ground level. The second feeding is done approximately a week after the first. For 1 m² of onion bed, 6 liters of solution are needed. When organizing watering of onions, you should remember the golden rule of the “onion grower”: 4-5 days before harvesting, watering must be stopped, otherwise the bulbs will be tasteless. The last watering of “green” onions is carried out 2 days before harvest.

Drip irrigation is one of the successful methods of organizing watering

Reason five: unfavorable weather conditions

All the skills and tricks of gardeners can be nullified by the whims of Mother Nature. In very dry summers, as well as in excessively whiny weather, the onions will turn yellow in the beds even without the participation of the above factors. There is only one way out of this situation - to act like Michurin. That is, “do not expect favors from Nature.” Natural disasters will avoid your onion beds if they, the beds, are protected by a reliable greenhouse.

Green onions in a greenhouse are not afraid of heat or rain

That's all for today. We sincerely hope that our recommendations will help you obtain abundant harvests. Go for it!

Properly grown healthy green onions will be a wonderful decoration for your table.

After landing at open ground onion requires careful care. Watering and fertilizing play a key role here, because water and fertilizers are the main sources of nutrients necessary for growth. Therefore, if the onion does not grow well, the first thing to do is feed.

Basic rules of watering:

• Water the onions It is recommended to use a watering can with a strainer, carefully so as not to damage the feather.
• Approximately 3 weeks before harvesting, stop watering the onions - this helps to avoid cracking of the bulbs and increase shelf life.
• Water the onions generously, moistening the soil to a depth of 15-20 cm.
• The optimal time for watering is evening.
• When a crust forms after watering, the soil is loosened to open oxygen access to the root system.
• However, onions also do not tolerate excess moisture well, so experts recommend sprinkler watering systems for them. Such a system facilitates accurate dosing of water.
• It is useful to add fertilizers to water for irrigation, thus combining watering with fertilizing.

How often and how much to water onions?

The frequency of watering onions depends on weather conditions and the stage of plant development. So, in June, when the weather is mostly hot and dry, water consumption is approximately 10-liter bucket per 1 square meter. In July, the frequency of watering remains the same - once every 8-10 days, but water consumption decreases. Approximately a month before harvesting, watering is stopped - this reduces the risk of cracking of the bulbs and they are stored longer. Based on the recommendations given in the dacha literature that how often and how much to water onions, we have compiled a watering calendar table.

Watering calendar:

How to feed onions to grow?

If onions grow poorly, in addition to watering, they carry out feeding. To do this, use a solution of mullein with water in a ratio of 1 to 12. Add 30 g of ammonium nitrate to the bucket of the solution.

Feed onions mineral fertilizers can be used from the moment of emergence of seedlings:

• In the first week, add ammonium nitrate according to the instructions on the package.
• In the next 3 weeks, add ammonium nitrate, any water-soluble complex fertilizer and calcium nitrate.

The composition of mineral supplements is adjusted taking into account the growing season of the variety and the condition of the plants:

• In the first half of the growing season, nitrogen fertilizing is necessary.
• In the 2nd half of the growing season - phosphorus-potassium (excess nitrogen at this time is dangerous with the likelihood of developing neck rot on the bulbs).

Three-time feeding scheme with mineral fertilizers:

Feeding onions with folk remedies

In addition to those listed above, there are many other feeding options. For the most part this folk remedies, which gardeners share on dacha forums:

• Feeding with ash and mullein infusion. Wood ash is scattered on the surface of the earth around the plants or an ash solution is prepared for irrigation in the dosage: 1 teaspoon of wood ash per 1 liter of water. It is recommended to alternate feeding onions with ash with mullein infusion (diluted in water 1:12). Important: you need to feed at sufficient intervals. .
• Watering the onions with yeast. Very often onions are fed with yeast. The main ingredient here is dry or fresh yeast and bread crumb. Recipe: 500 gr. dissolve the bread crumb in a 10-liter bucket of warm water, add 500 gr. fresh green grass and 500 gr. fresh yeast. The solution should be infused for 2 days. Fertilizing with yeast infusion is carried out instead of traditional watering.
• Watering onions with ammonia will help, if the feathers of the onion have turned yellow. Experienced gardeners are sure that this is a sign of nitrogen deficiency. For feeding, prepare a solution: 3 tbsp. l. ammonia per 10 liters of water. The resulting solution is poured under the roots of the onion in the evening.

Onions are one of the first plants that humans began to grow. It is about four thousand years old from the moment of cultivation and the beginning of cultivation.

It is impossible to imagine any kitchen in the world without this vegetable, because most dishes without its use seem bland and tasteless. There are quite a few varieties of onions, and each has its fans.

Each gardener has his own secrets for good ripening of onions in the garden, but the most important thing is to adhere to the correct agricultural technology in order to obtain a large harvest, whether planted in a ridge or from seeds.

Not the most fastidious plant is considered cold-resistant, grows well at temperatures of twelve to sixteen degrees Celsius, seeds germinate even at five degrees in the cold season. Spicy varieties tolerate frost better; sweet varieties can die in open ground at a few degrees of frost.

Onion responds well to watering in the first stages of growth, in the future it needs dry soil in order to ripen better. He needs more sunlight. Despite its small mass, onions require special attention to the soil composition. The soil in the garden bed should be quite loose and nutritious.

Onions should not be planted in places where groundwater is close to the surface of the earth.

Weeding of the beds must be carried out regularly, since the crop does not tolerate proximity to weeds.

The right decision would be to organize onion beds and plant vegetables in the places where they grew before. cucumbers, cabbage, tomatoes or potatoes. These are the vegetables for which organic matter is added to the soil.

Increased acidity of the soil is harmful to the plant, as it absorbs nutritional components worse and can be affected by downy mildew.

Before planting onions does not tolerate liming of soil composition, it is recommended to use wood ash.

How to grow large and good bulbs in open ground

One of five options is most often used - sets, seeds, seedlings, vegetative method, Chinese.

The Chinese way - how to plant using technology in ridges

This option might help increase productivity. The main feature is planting onions on ridges, and not in the beds themselves. The heads grown in this way are distinguished by their flattened shapes and large sizes. The tops of the vegetable are perfectly illuminated by sunlight, warm up, and from this the onions get good protection from the effects of rot.

It should be added that it is better to loosen and water such beds, and remove weeds from them.

You can sow at air temperatures equal to 5 degrees. The planting material must be sorted out; smaller bulbs can be planted as the soil warms up. Larger ones should be held back until May. This measure will give you the opportunity to harvest at the same time.

After sorting, the seedlings are warmed up a couple of weeks before planting. To do this, it is placed in a box and placed near the battery.

IN mandatory carefully on each bulb the tail is trimmed, excess scales are removed. If you damage the growth neck, you can put the material aside. It is no longer suitable for landing.

One day before planting, the material is soaked in warm water to give impetus to the formation of the root system.

The soil for planting must be prepared in the fall. A spoonful of superphosphate, a teaspoon of nitroammophosphate, and two teaspoons of dolomite flour are added to each square of the plot. In the spring, the bed needs to be dug up again; you can add a little manure, but not too fresh.

Ridges are arranged, the height of which should be about fifteen centimeters, the interval between them is up to thirty. The sets are planted every ten centimeters to a three-centimeter depth. The seeds should not be trampled; it would be better to lightly sprinkle them with earth.

In the first month of growth, if the weather is dry, the onions should be watered twice. But this is only if it rained between waterings.

You can feed three times. In mid-May, mullein is added. In June it is the turn of potassium salt, urea and phosphate fertilizers. It is necessary to fertilize the third time at the moment when the bulbs begin to form.

Another feature of the Chinese method is that Weeding the beds is necessary as the weeds grow, which happens quite rarely.

Copper sulfate is used as a protective measure against powdery mildew.

Method of planting and sowing seeds in the soil

In mid-spring, the seed material is calibrated, more large specimens. After dry sowing, the first shoots will appear in three weeks. To speed up the process, you can soak the seeds in potassium permanganate, and after a day, scatter them on fabric and leave them alone so that they hatch. But at the same time, it is necessary to ensure that the planting material remains sufficiently moist.

Furrows are made at a distance twenty centimeters. One gram of seeds is enough for two meters of sowing, planting depth is up to three centimeters. For convenience, you can mix the seeds with sand and sprinkle the furrows with dry soil after planting.

When to plant in the garden

Landing time depends on weather conditions. If established in the spring warm weather, then sowing can be done in last days April. Otherwise, you will have to wait until the earth warms up.

Pre-grown seedlings are transferred to the ground no earlier than mid-May.

Sevok lands in the first decade of May. Residents of the northwestern regions can be guided by the flowering of bird cherry when planting onions.

For winter sowing, the beds are prepared in the fall. Landing is underway in the second half of November, until frost.

Secrets of proper agricultural technology

Do not allow crust to form on the surface of the soil or weeds to appear. For this purpose, the beds need to be loosened more often to a depth of up to five centimeters. It is better to remove weeds in the initial growth phase, when the seedlings are still reddish.

After the turnip begins to form, it needs to be opened a third

It must be remembered that onions love to show off. When a turnip begins to form, it must be open a third, releasing the hangers. This technique helps the bulb to form well and fully ripen.

Harvesting turnips and feathers and storing them

As soon as new feathers have stopped appearing and the onion has acquired a characteristic shade, it can be removed. As a rule, this occurs on mid-August – early September. If you skip harvesting time, the vegetable will begin to grow again and will be of little use for storage.

The collected bulbs are washed, cleaned of husks and dry feathers, roots are trimmed. To dry, lay it out in one layer in a well-ventilated room. After a few weeks, new golden scales appear on the bulbs. This means that the vegetable is ready for long-term storage.

As a rule, gardeners prefer to grow onion sets, purchasing them in special stores. It can be planted in winter by first preparing the bed.

We can talk endlessly about the benefits of onions, but the question of how to grow large onions is always of interest to many summer residents and gardeners. The agricultural technology of growing onions is not complicated, but it has some tricks and subtleties...

To ensure that the onions are large, we prepare the bed correctly

Onions grow in any soil, but it would be best to grow them on fertile and loose soil. Clay soils are also not suitable for growing onions; they are too heavy for them. In this case, the area for planting onions must be sunny. It will be good if you plant onions in the place where you previously grew: potatoes, cucumbers, cabbage, tomatoes or zucchini.

The land allocated for beds must first be dug up and fertilizer added, as well as all weeds removed. It is advisable to prepare the soil for planting onions in the fall, spread rotted manure, compost or humus. Fertilizers usually include saltpeter, potassium chloride, and superphosphate.

As a rule, onions grow well in soils with neutral acidity. Well, if the soil is acidic, then it can be diluted, for example, with ash or lime.

To ensure that the soil for the onions warms up enough, dig up the bed again in the spring and only then start planting. The length and width of the beds can be whatever is more convenient for you, the most important thing at this point is that it is advisable to make the distance between the rows at least 20 centimeters. The seedlings are deepened by 2-3 centimeters maximum. Sowing too deep will inhibit the growth of the bulb, which can cause the onion to go into the shoot.

How to increase onion yields by fertilizing?

In order for the onion to be large, it must be fed. Even a crop like onion also requires feeding. You can fertilize with both mineral and organic fertilizers. During the entire growth period, it is recommended to feed onions no more than three times. The first fertilizers can already be applied 10-14 days after the onions have been planted. It is advisable to apply nitrogen fertilizers so that the onions increase their green mass. The second stage of fertilization is carried out about a week or two after the first fertilizing. In this phase, nitrogen fertilizers are reduced and potassium and phosphorus are increased. The third time occurs at the stage of formation of the bulb itself. This type of fertilization of onions is usually carried out on depleted soils, and if your land is fertile, then you can refuse this fertilizing.

Now there are a large variety of mineral fertilizers on the market, so in order to increase the yield of onions, fertilizers such as Agricola-2 for onions, Vegeta, and Effecton-O are usually used. The solution should be diluted according to the instructions. Usually use a maximum of two tablespoons per 10 liters of water. It is advisable to fertilize in the evening.

The following solutions can also be used as the first feeding:

• you need 1 tablespoon of ammonium nitrate, 60 grams of superphosphate and an incomplete tablespoon of potassium chloride, and shake it all in 10 liters of water;

• dissolve 60 grams of ammonia in a bucket of water. Such fertilizing will not only increase the yield of onions, but will also rid the onions of some pests, for example, the onion fly.

An example of the second feeding: take 10 liters of water, add 30 grams of ammonium nitrate and potassium chloride, add 50-60 grams of superphosphate. You can also dilute a tablespoon of salt and ammonium nitrate in a bucket of water, adding manganese on the tip of a knife.

For the third feeding, dilute 50 grams of superphosphate in a 12-liter bucket of water, you can also add about 30 grams of potassium salt.

Often onions dry out in the garden, so it is necessary to find out why this happened and, of course, eliminate it, since the consequences may not be comforting and the onion yield will be low because of this.

When fertilizing onions, try not to get the solution on the feathers. And it is very important to monitor the onions in the garden, and not what everyone around is recommending. If your onions are green and healthy, then the soil on the site is very fertile, so it is better to refrain from fertilizing. If there is a lack of potassium, the onion feathers will turn yellow, then fertilize it. If the tips of the feathers of the onion dry out, it means that it lacks phosphorus. And pale and weak feathers indicate a lack of nitrogen. Therefore, if you want the onions to be large and the onion yield to be large, it is extremely important to maintain a balanced fertilizer and know what to feed the onions in each specific case.

ogorodko.ru

Onion secrets. Growing onions from sets

It’s time for us to talk, perhaps, about growing onions, about one of the very first plants that people began to grow, because it is believed that onions were “cultivated” approximately 4 thousand years ago.

It is almost impossible to imagine any kitchen in the world without this “tear-tear” vegetable, because many dishes without it will seem bland and tasteless.

And although there are a great many types of onions, each of them finds its admirers. These include onions and more tender and delicate leeks; perennial chives can decorate our summer cottage just as well as flowers, but, for example, slime successfully combines the taste of both onion and garlic.

I have not listed all types of onions; there are many more of them, and with a variety of flavors, onions are quite capable of conquering the most demanding gourmet.

A little history

Onions were well known back in Ancient Egypt. On the paintings of the tombs, and the oldest of them dates back to approximately 2800 BC, images of a bow were found.

The Egyptians valued him very highly as a very effective remedy from the general pestilence and, therefore, onions were grown everywhere. It was necessarily included in the daily diet of slaves who built the pyramids in order to avoid various epidemics, since their number reached up to 100,000 people, and on a relatively small construction site.

And Roman legionnaires believed that consuming large amounts of onions increased their energy and made the warrior fearless.

The ancient Germans crowned brave warriors who distinguished themselves in battle with onion flowers.

During the era of the Crusades, the onion had such a high healing and occult authority that the French knights even exchanged their prisoners with the Saracens for 8 onions of each of them.

And the ancient doctors, not without reason, believed that there is not a single disease in which onions, if prepared in the proper way, would not benefit the patient.

In Rus', onions also contributed invaluable help during the years of terrible epidemics - plague, cholera, typhoid. To prevent any infection from entering the room and to purify the air, bunches of onions were hung in living quarters.

Useful properties of onions

Preparing to write an article about onions, I re-read a large amount of literature about them and was simply amazed at how much beneficial properties at the onion. Of course, I knew before that he had medicinal properties, but in such quantities!!!

Now I really regret that as a child I really didn’t like onions and almost didn’t eat them, as did probably many other children.

I will try to briefly note at least some of the invaluable properties of onions: wound healing, anti-influenza, anti-burn, expectorant, diuretic, laxative, antiscorbutic, antiarrhythmic, antimicrobial, antifungal, antisclerotic, antithrombotic, antispasmodic and hypotensive, anthelmintic, antihemorrhoidal.

Onions can be of great benefit to people with disorders of the circulatory system and edema of any origin, as it is able to stimulate and regulate cardiac activity and the secretory activity of such organs as the bronchi, liver, kidneys, and pancreas.

Onions are also valuable because they reduce the prothrombin index (blood clotting), cholesterol and blood sugar levels; normalizes blood pressure, increases the elasticity and strength of blood vessels.

Modern medicine has discovered numerous carbohydrates in onions - sugars, pectin substances, fiber, proteins, a large number of various vitamins, minerals (potassium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, manganese, zinc, selenium, sulfur), phytoncides.

For medicinal purposes, onions can be used in any form: raw, boiled, baked, dried onions, fresh leaves, outer shells (scales) and seeds, in the form of juice, in the form of gruel, as well as decoctions and infusions.

I have listed, my dear readers, only a small fraction of the beneficial properties that onions have in order to show you what a treasure we grow in our gardens.

But it should also be noted that onions also have their contraindications. For example, onions are contraindicated for many diseases. gastrointestinal tract, biliary and urinary systems, since essential oils contained in it can aggravate the course of the disease.

Persons suffering from these diseases should be careful when ingesting fresh onion pulp and its whole juice, but at the same time they can successfully use baked or boiled onions.

Basic requirements for growing onions

In this section, we will consider the general conditions that must be met when growing this plant. Although onions are not the most fastidious crop, they still require attention.

It is important for him that the soil in the beds is loose and nutritious. It is best to set aside an open, well-lit area for planting onions, since the plant reacts sharply to the intensity and duration of lighting. Length daylight hours is one of important conditions when growing it.

Onions feel great and grow well in low humidity. But the soil should be moderately moist. Watering onions is important at a time when mass regrowth of feathers and the formation of bulbs is underway, and at the end of the growing season, excess moisture is not welcome, as it will delay the ripening of the onion and reduce its keeping quality.

In areas where groundwater comes close to the surface, it is better not to plant onions.

He also really does not like weeds, so onion plantings must be weeded regularly.

It is best to make beds for onions in those places of our summer cottage where cucumbers, cabbage, tomatoes, potatoes grew in the previous season - those crops for which we usually apply large doses of organic fertilizers.

In no case should you plant onions in an area that has been occupied by any type of onion, since: firstly, various pathogenic bacteria and other microorganisms, as well as those pests that “specialize” in this crop, may remain in the ground; secondly, the soil in these places is already depleted of the nutrients that are necessary for the growth of onion plants.

It is also not advisable to plant onions after plants such as garlic, carrots. Onions can be planted in the same place no earlier than after 3 years, and best of all after 5 years.

Onions also do not like to grow in acidic soils, because in this case the plants absorb nutrition much worse and are more often affected by such a terrible disease as downy mildew (peronosporosis). Having fallen ill, the plant weakens and can no longer fully fight pests.

Preparing the area for planting onions

It is best to prepare the soil for planting onions in the fall. We dig up the soil to a depth of 15-20 cm, after adding well-rotted manure or peat manure compost.

It is not advisable to apply fresh manure, as this can cause onion diseases; also, weed seeds can get into the soil with manure and it will not be so easy to get rid of them later. Also, adding fresh manure will provoke increased growth of the above-ground part of the plant, which is why the bulbs will not be able to fully ripen.

If the soil on your site is acidic, then in order to get a good harvest of onions, you need to lim the soil in the fall. But here it is necessary to take into account the fact that it is extremely undesirable to simultaneously add manure and lime to the soil, since the nitrogen content in the fertilizer is reduced.

To avoid this, it is better to add dolomite flour, ground limestone, ground chalk, and wood ash to the soil instead of lime.

In the spring, we will only have to apply mineral fertilizers and it is better to apply them not all at once, but in several stages, since onions have a very negative attitude towards the high concentration of mineral fertilizer salts.

Therefore, we apply half of the established dose when digging the ground before planting, and distribute the second half between 2-3 additional feedings during the growing season.

Onion

In the previous sections we got acquainted with general conditions that must be followed to successfully grow onions. Now it’s time to consider the requirements of specific species, of which there are a large number, but among our gardeners several types are most widespread, these are: onions, shallots, spring onions, chives, slime onions, leeks, multi-tiered onions, wild garlic.

Let's begin our acquaintance with the onion family with the most famous species, which is grown by all summer residents - onions. Most often, onions are grown from onion sets, which can be purchased at gardening stores or grown yourself from seeds.

Breeding seedlings is a rather labor-intensive process, because you not only need to put a lot of effort into growing it, but also then properly preserve it.

Therefore, I never dare to grow onions from seeds, although I would like to try. In the next article we will look in detail at the agricultural technology of growing onions from seeds, but now let's talk about how to grow good onions from sets.

Preparing for landing

If we bought a set in a store, then immediately after purchase we need to dry it in any warm place, spreading it in a thin layer, but not on a radiator.

If you have a seedling that you grew yourself and which was stored at a low temperature (below 18ºC), then it needs to be warmed up in order for the growth processes to begin.

It is best to warm up the seedlings in several stages: first, we keep them at a temperature of 20ºC for 15-20 days; then we raise the temperature to 30-40ºС, but only for 8-10 hours.

Warming up is necessary not only to stimulate growth, but also to prevent the onion from bolting in the future. At the same time, it is very important to prevent the sets from overheating, since in this case the germination of the onion sets will be very noticeably reduced.

If you were unable to gradually warm up the set, then before planting, be sure to fill it with hot water (45-50ºC) for only 10-15 minutes, and then immediately cool it in cold water.

It is very good if, after warming up, we also treat the seedlings with some kind of growth stimulant (for example, Zircon, Humisol, Rost-1) or, instead, we can keep it in a solution of complex mineral fertilizer for 5-6 hours.

And in conclusion, all that remains is to disinfect the bulb sets in a solution of copper sulfate (1 teaspoon per 10 liters of water) or in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Well, now the sets are ready for planting.

Planting sets

The timing of planting onion sets directly depends on weather conditions. If the spring is early and warm, then you can plant the seedlings at the end of April, but if it is cold, then you need to wait until the ground warms up to the depth of a finger.

There is no point in planting onions in unheated soil (temperature below 12ºС), as they will go to waste. But you also shouldn’t be late with planting, especially if the spring is warm and dry.

This can lead to the fact that at first the plant will intensively develop green feathers, and root system will begin to lag behind in its development, and then due to lack of moisture and high temperature The onion greens will stop growing, but the resulting bulbs will still develop slowly and remain small.

So the well-known saying “If you throw it in the mud, you will be a prince” fully applies to the bow too. You can only clarify further - in the warm mud)))

We plant the onion sets in rows on the prepared beds, having previously sorted them by size. So we plant sets with a diameter of up to 1 cm at a distance of 4-5 cm from each other; with a diameter of up to 1.5 cm - at a distance of 6-8 cm; with a diameter of up to 2 cm - at a distance of 8-10 cm.

It is best to take the distance between the rows about 20 cm, so that it is better to process the onions and so that the plantings are better ventilated.

We press the planted bulbs tightly with earth and cover the top with a layer of mulch approximately 2.5-3 cm thick. A week after planting, the first shoots may appear.

Planting care

Loosening. You can (even need) to start caring for onion plantings even before the emergence of shoots, since at this time you need to try to prevent the formation of a dense crust of soil.

Therefore, we will loosen the soil more often, which will also help us get rid of weeds. In the future, loosening the soil should be carried out regularly to ensure constant access of sufficient oxygen to the roots of the plant. Onions especially need to loosen the soil after watering.

When our bulbs reach medium size, we begin to gradually rake away the earth from them (untilt them). This is done so that they grow larger and ripen faster.

Watering. As mentioned above, onions need watering in the first half of the growing season. At this time, we water the plants abundantly and regularly about 1-2 times a week (depending on the weather).

In July, when the bulbs begin to ripen, excess moisture is no longer needed, so we first reduce watering, and then stop altogether 2-3 weeks before harvesting the onions.

The only thing is that if the summer is very hot and dry, the plantings can be watered occasionally to avoid wilting and stunted growth of the bulbs.

Weeding. It is also necessary to prevent onion plantings from becoming overgrown with weeds, as they create high humidity, which contributes to the development of fungal diseases.

In addition, onions growing in unweeded beds develop a thick, juicy neck, which makes it difficult to dry the onions in the future and, accordingly, store them. Therefore, let's pay special attention to weeding onions.

Feeding. The first time we fertilize approximately 15-20 days after planting and, preferably, with diluted slurry (1 kg of manure per 10 liters of water) or bird droppings (1 kg of droppings per 15 liters of water). We calculate the fertilizer consumption at the rate of 10 liters of solution per 1 sq. m.

The next time such nutritional feeding can be done in three weeks.

If you are going to feed the onions with mineral fertilizers, then add nitrogen first. This could be ammonium nitrate - 10-15 g per 1 square meter. m.

And after three weeks it would be a good idea to add potassium fertilizers in the same amount to nitrogen fertilizers.

Mineral fertilizers can be applied dry, sprinkling them on the beds before watering or before rain, or you can pre-dissolve them in water and water the beds with this solution.

Treatment. Since diseases are easier to prevent than to treat, it is possible to carry out preventive treatment of onion plantings against fungal diseases and onion flies.

To do this, you need to make the following solution: dilute 1 teaspoon of copper sulfate or copper oxychloride, 1 tablespoon of liquid soap in 10 liters of water and spray onion leaves.

Processing is best done when the onion leaves reach a length of 12-15 cm.

For preventive purposes, you can also dust plants and soil with wood ash and tobacco dust. After 20 days the treatment can be repeated.

Onion harvesting

The ripening time of onions largely depends on the weather and ranges from July to early September. The main signals that onions are ready for harvesting are: the cessation of the formation of young leaves, lodging of the leaves, as well as their yellowing and drying, the onion neck becomes soft and thinner, the bulbs acquire a characteristic color for this variety.

And here you can’t delay cleaning, otherwise the plants may begin to re-grow roots and such onions will be stored much worse.

In addition, you should try to remove the onions before the air temperature drops at night and the morning dew begins. We carefully remove the bulbs along with the tops from the ground and lay them out to dry and ripen in a well-ventilated area.

Ideally, of course, it is better to dry it directly on the garden bed under the sun, but at this time the weather is very changeable and there usually are not so many fine days (7-10) in a row. So it's better not to take risks.

During drying, all nutrients from the remains of the leaves pass into the bulbs. Then we cut off the dried leaves and remaining roots, leaving a neck 3-4 cm long, and lay out the onion for additional drying, but in a heated room.

For 8-10 days, keep the onion at a temperature of 25-30ºС. If possible, it would be good to hold the onion at a temperature of up to 40ºC at the end of this drying for 10-12 hours.

This procedure effectively disinfects onions from various pathogenic infections and increases their shelf life during storage.

That, it seems, is all I wanted to tell you about the general requirements for growing onions and about growing onions from onion sets. In the next article we will talk about how to grow onions from seeds, how to get onion seeds and how you can grow onions in one year.

See you soon, dear readers!

Tags: bow

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How to grow large onion bulbs?

Growing onions to obtain a head (bulb) in the summer cottages of experienced gardeners does not cause difficulties. However, in order to obtain large (200-400 g) bulbs, it is necessary to strictly adhere to cultivation techniques, which have their own characteristics.

General approaches to obtaining healthy, quality onions

Large onions start from seeds. Onions per bulb (head) can be grown through seeds (nigella), sets (arbage) and seedlings. In a garden wedge of a summer cottage for growing large onion bulbs for food consumption and winter storage, it is more practical to grow the crop from sets.

Bulb onions

To obtain a harvest of large heads (up to 200-400 g) of onions, several conditions are necessary:

• selection of a zoned variety with a large onion;
• proper storage of seed;
• compliance with the requirements of agricultural cultivation technology.

Bulb varieties and sizes

Do you want to get a large onion? Be careful about the varieties you plant. Onion - plant have a long day and reacts painfully to the ratio of dark and light periods of the day. Onions have a very interesting varietal feature of their reaction to the length of daylight hours. The culture tolerates climate change more easily than lack of daylight.

Southern varieties of onions are genetically predisposed to grow and form a storage organ (bulb) as the length of daylight approaches its maximum - 13-15 hours. The approach of the maximum in the south takes a long period, and the zoned variety manages to build up a large vegetative mass, including a large storage organ.

If a southern variety of onions is planted in the northern region, where daylight hours in the summer season very quickly reach a maximum of 15-18 hours, the plants will tend to finish the growing season as quickly as possible and form bulbs. The formation of the storage organ (bulb) means the end of development and retirement. The bulbs do not have time to gain mass and remain small.

Northern varieties of onions planted in the south will constantly form a leaf mass in anticipation of the onset of the longest day at 15-18 hours. And since in the south the maximum length of daylight hours ends at the 15 hour mark, the crop continues to increase its leaf mass, but does not form a bulb at all. The variety does not have enough light time to move to the next phase of development.

Therefore, dear readers, if you want to get a large onion bulb, be sure to take into account the culture’s reaction to photoperiodicity. Grow southern varieties of onions in the south, and northern varieties in the north. Otherwise, the onion heads will be small, unripe, or not formed at all. In this case, a large-headed, but not zoned variety, and compliance with all the requirements of agricultural technology will not ensure the production of a large onion.

Onion

Selection and storage of seed material

It is possible to obtain a high yield of large onion bulbs only by sowing with high-quality seed, which can be purchased in a store or grown independently and properly stored until planting in the ground.

When independently preparing seed, it is necessary to divide them into fractions after harvesting and drying the bulbs:

• Oatmeal, 0.5-0.7 cm in diameter;
• Group I, 0.8-1.5 cm in diameter;
• Group II, 1.5-2.2 cm in diameter.

The best for sowing is considered to be the waterweed of groups I and II.

Before planting, the selected seeds are stored in a cool room at a temperature of 0...+2°C and no higher, and in a warm room at +17...+18ºC (away from heating radiators).

If it was violated temperature regime and the arbage was stored at home at a temperature of +2...+15°C, it makes no sense to hope for a high-quality harvest of onions. When planted in open ground in spring, such onion sets will begin to bolt. A thick, hollow peduncle will take away some of the nutrients, and the onion bulb will be small. In addition, the base of the peduncle in the bulb will serve as a source of rotting in the autumn-winter period.

Thus, the mandatory conditions for obtaining a harvest of large onion bulbs are the variety and quality of planting material.

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

Onion sets can be planted in late autumn or in early spring. In practice, spring planting of onions is preferable. Climate disasters recent years can provoke early seedlings and their death during return frosts, and cause partial rotting of the sets 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, watermelon 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.

Optimal temperature soil for sowing seedlings is +10...+12°C, and air +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. Disinfected onions room temperature dry until flowable. 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 reaction pH = 6.4-6.7 units, be moisture-intensive, water-permeable, 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 in a single-row manner 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 in good condition during the growing season. wet, loose, without weeds. 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 onion heads and their loss taste qualities.

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.
• You can't water onions 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 size is about Walnut usually 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, gliocladin. For treatment against pests, actofite, aversectin-C, bitoxybacillin, verticillin, and bicol 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.

Harvesting onions

The beginning of harvesting is determined by the state of the above-ground mass of onions. Depending on the variety:

• plant leaves turn yellow,
• lodging,
• lose turgor, etc.

When harvesting, onions are pulled out of the soil and left for 1-2 weeks under a canopy for final drying. The dried onions are sorted out and dense bulbs with a dry root collar, covered with dry upper scales, are put aside for winter storage. Before placing them in containers for storage, dried stems are cut 3-5 cm into a stump or braided and hung in a dry, warm place.

Harvesting onions

Thus, growing onions with large bulbs requires careful implementation of agrotechnical techniques, the main of which are:

• selection of a zoned variety;
• quality of seed material;
• timeliness of sowing;
• compliance with the rules of care, which include timely watering and fertilizing, keeping the soil moist, weed-free, with optimal plant density.

High-quality implementation of agricultural technology requirements creates all the prerequisites for obtaining a high yield of large bulbs.

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Why do onions grow small?

Onions would seem to be one of the simplest vegetables that we grow in our garden. Most succeed, as they say, “with flying colors,” but for some, literally year after year, the onions turn out to be small, why this happens, let’s figure it out.

So, let's start with what onions generally prefer, what is more acceptable for them. To make an onion large, it should not grow in the same area every year; it is best to choose a different area for it every year.

You should start planting bulbs from which you later want to get large and beautiful bulbs only when the soil has warmed up and is warm. Our grandmothers very simply checked the readiness of the soil for planting onions, they took off their shoes, socks and stood with their bare soles on the ground, they used to say “if the legs are comfortable, then the onions will be too,” warm earth was the signal to land.

If the weather is cloudy outside and the sun doesn’t want to warm the soil, then you can warm it up yourself. To do this, you can use a simple but quite effective technique - prepare the soil, make holes and pour hot water over them, but not boiling water. Do this, boil the kettle, wait 15-20 seconds and only then use the water to warm the soil. After such artificial heating, the onions can be planted after 3-4 hours. With this technique you can kill two birds with one stone - warm the soil and destroy various microorganisms.

But we only described what needs to be done immediately before planting; in order for the bulbs to be large, there are secrets to the pre-planting preparation of the bulbs. For example, before planting, we strongly recommend soaking them for 1-2 minutes in a 1.5% solution of potassium permanganate, removing in advance those husks that practically fall off on their own, that is, completely dry ones. After soaking in a solution of potassium permanganate, transfer the bulbs to any container filled with wet sawdust and leave for several hours so that excess potassium permanganate is absorbed into the sawdust.

Some gardeners, by the way, even advise germinating onions in wet sawdust; to do this, before planting, they need to be placed in containers for 3-4 days, carefully moistening the sawdust so as not to over-moisten them.

In the future, in order for the onions to become real heroic bulbs, it is necessary to select loose, moist, fertile soil for the onions, but if it is heavy, poorly cultivated, and clayey on your site, then you will never get large onions. In this case, it will need to be loosened by adding non-acidic peat and river sand in the amount of 1-2 buckets per square meter.

A separate point concerns fertilizers, for example, manure, it must be added to the soil on which you plan to grow onions two seasons before planting this plant, and it’s great if it’s a predecessor for the crop. If you do it differently, then the onion will not only be small, but may even rot right in the soil.

Do not forget that large onions will never grow if they are planted in the shade, if they are flooded with water, turning the area into a swamp (although you should never overdry the onions), or if the beds are turned across to the sun or made too big low.

About watering separately - you need at least ten waterings per season, but you need to water depending on the “weather outside the window”, if it’s dry, then a bucket of water per square meter is required, but if it's raining, then you can forget about watering. You can completely stop watering only a month before harvesting to allow the onion to ripen. After watering, be sure to loosen the soil; onions do not tolerate crust on the surface; its roots must breathe, so pay attention to the surface of the soil more often to see if it is too compacted. The soil becomes especially compacted and a crust forms after heavy rains or watering.

The size of the onion is also affected by the depth of its planting; for example, two centimeters is considered optimal. They say “the deeper you place the onion in the soil, the shallower you will get it out of there, the soil seems to squeeze the onion and it does not have enough strength to push the soil apart.” Both the size and the planting scheme affect the size of the bulb, “onions love space,” as our grandmothers used to say, so don’t thicken the plantings, it’s better that the quantitative yield of the bulbs will be less, but their quality will be significantly higher.

Well, don’t forget about feeding, don’t be too zealous, usually good bow it turns out even with periodic feeding with ordinary wood ash. The amount of ash is 100-120 g per square meter - frequency 2-3 times per season.

And of course, before planting, always and very carefully select the onions, take the healthiest, well-executed, not damaged or diseased, nothing good will grow from them anyway.

N.V. Khromov, Ph.D. biol. Sciences, gazetasadovod.ru

Problems when growing onions - of course, many summer residents are engaged in growing onions, but very often, due to improper care, many problems arise that can lead to a complete lack of harvest in the future.

Many gardeners believe that growing onions is very easy, but in reality this is not true. So, first of all, you should remember that crop rotation is very important for onions. Therefore, it is necessary to change the place of sowing onions every year. The optimal solution would be to plant this plant in place of cabbage, potatoes, cucumbers or tomatoes.

Onions grow very poorly in acidic soils; in such beds there may be no harvest at all. The soil reaction for the favorable development of onions should be as close to neutral as possible, so the optimal solution would be fertile loamy chernozems. The soils in which it is found big number sulfur are also important for onions. For this reason, it is recommended to bait with superphosphate, ammonium sulfate and potassium sulfate.

It should be noted that onions do not tolerate weeds. Therefore, it is recommended to always destroy them. At the very beginning of growth, onions will suffer greatly from insufficient watering. You should constantly loosen the soil between the beds, and also regularly water the plantings. However, it is very important to remember that watering should be done along the furrows, but in no case by sprinkling. If you choose this particular method of watering, the plant may develop downy mildew, known as peronospora.
Hilling up plants is not recommended, so the best solution would be to loosen the soil. Onions have a fairly shallow root system. It is for this reason that the soil should not be over-moistened, and watering should also be stopped three weeks before the harvest. Also during this period, fertilizing is not allowed. This period actually begins around mid-July.

When planting onions, it is very important to lay out the bulbs and under no circumstances press them into the soil. The seeds should be placed in grooves that have been prepared in advance. After this, the grooves should be sprinkled with earth.

The deficiency of certain microelements can be determined by the color of the feather. If the leaves are pale and thin, then this is a sure sign of nitrogen deficiency. When the tops of the leaves slightly wither and turn black, this indicates a phosphorus deficiency. When a plant is deficient in potassium, the leaves will turn yellow and become wrinkled. Fragile feathers combined with white spots warn that the plant lacks magnesium. If the plants themselves begin to wither and their leaves turn pale yellow, this means that it is necessary to supplement the plants with copper.

Actually, cleaning and proper storage are also very important for onions. The harvest date can be determined by the lodging of the leaves themselves. After the onion has been pulled out of the ground, it must be left in the garden bed to ripen and dry. After this, you should move the onion to a well-ventilated area.

So, the optimal day for harvesting will be dry, windy weather and bright sun. After all, this is how you can dry onions. It should be noted that the rays of the sun will also help disinfect the bulbs. Allow the onion to dry before the end of the day, and then cut off the leaves. The bulbs are transferred to a storage place, where they will dry for the required amount of time: this usually takes several weeks.

Actually, you can leave the onions to dry directly on the floor, but this room should be well ventilated. After this, the onions are placed in baskets, because this is how they will be stored for the rest of the time. It is recommended to choose wicker baskets; buckets and basins are not the best solution. In such containers, the onions will lack air, which will lead to them rotting completely over time.