Every year, many gardeners are faced with the fact that the feather of the onion turns yellow. If you do not take measures in time, you can remain completely without a crop. This is especially worrying for people who grow large quantities of onions for sale. To choose a way to get rid of this scourge, it is necessary to determine why the feather of the onion turns yellow. An incorrectly chosen method will not help save the crop, a significant part of which may die.
So, why does the feather of the onion turn yellow? There are three main reasons that lead to this. Two of them are related to the work of pests. We are talking about the onion secretive hunter and the onion fly. How to determine who exactly spoils the onion? Carefully inspect damaged plants.
The larvae of the secretive hunter eat long longitudinal passages inside the onion feathers, similar to whitish stripes. And adult individuals eat out holes around which white spots form as the leaf dries. As a result of the activity of these pests, the tips of the onion feathers turn yellow, the feather itself curls and dries. Winter beetles can spend in uncleaned onions or topsoil. Therefore, it is recommended to destroy the remnants of the onion. If possible, transfer onion crops 200-300 meters each year so that the beetle does not reach them. If the onion has already suffered from the pest, cut off the feathers, leaving only 3-4 cm. More often loosen the soil, including between the rows.
Why does the feather of a bow turn yellow? The cause may be an onion fly. Garlic can also suffer from it. If the onion is populated by larvae, it will begin to turn yellow and wither early. At the same time, the onion fly damages the bulbs, which then rot, and the plant is easily pulled out of the ground. As we see, the signs of pest damage are different from the previous ones, so you can diagnose which one you have to get rid of. In this case, it is possible to recommend early sowing of onions, the destruction of plants that are already damaged, deep plowing. Sow onions next to carrots, with their smell the plants will drive away pests from each other. Do not leave plant debris in place. You can sprinkle the beds with onion ash, shag or tobacco dust. Based on popular experience, it can be advised to water the onion with saline (1 glass per bucket of water) three times, with an interval of 20 days.
Why does the onion feather turn yellow if there are no signs of pest damage? The most common reason is a lack of nitrogen. Heavy rains can lead to the fact that nitrogen compounds leave together with water in the lower layers of the soil, from where the roots of onions cannot get them. Therefore, it is recommended to feed onions with nitrogen fertilizers.
Now we know enough to determine the true reason why the feather of the onion turns yellow. If there are no beetle larvae in the feathers and flies in the bulbs, it is worth fertilizing the beds with nitrogen-containing fertilizers. And do not forget that by the end of July, yellowing of feathers is associated with the natural aging process of the plant. If the onion began to turn yellow only during this period, it is not necessary to take any measures. The main thing is to recognize unfavorable signs in time and establish the reason for their appearance so that the crop succeeds.