More than a thousand years ago, onions began to be grown in Iran, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan. Culture was planted on the mountain slopes, which determined the depth of the root system. Due to the ability to survive on a small layer of earth, the bow has developed the ability to remain dormant with a lack of moisture. Dry scales protect it from damage and drying out.
Currently, onions are widespread as a crop. He is considered moody for growing. If the weather is dry, onions begin to throw arrows, and if wet - rot. However, gardeners figured out how to grow it. Onions need to be planted in the winter.
Onion set: how to choose
The size of the bulb determines the category: first - the diameter of the bulb is 1-1.5 cm; the second - 1.5-3 cm; the third - more than 3 cm; oats - the diameter is less than 1 cm. For sowing in winter, it is better to use the first category sowing or a sow. Why? Bulbs of a small size, as a rule, are not preserved until spring, they dry out. Therefore, it would be better if the winter onions are planted in the ground. Here he will winter well and in July will give a good harvest.
Sevok of the second and third categories, that is, large, it is better not to plant in the winter, it gives arrows. For the cultivation of winter onions use special varieties and crosses obtained hybrids that are able to form bulbs and not give arrows.
Popular winter onion varieties
Each owner chooses what kind of onion he needs. The choice depends on the result that you expect from this culture. Therefore, you need to know the winter varieties of onion sets.
- Stuttgart Riesen - This variety owes its popularity to early ripening. Bulbs of culture are flat-round, dense, large, have a sharp taste, are well preserved and give a high yield.
- Centurion is a high grade. It spins a little, is well preserved, does not get sick, has a high yield. In bulbs of the same size, the outer outer layer of the scales is dry. In the root zone there is a bottom.
- Shakespeare is an early variety, has little arrow, is well preserved, has large bulbs of dark yellow color. The pulp is white, juicy. Scales are very dense.
- Radar - this variety can only be used fresh. It is unsuitable for storage due to flowering.
- The Baron is also great for a winter landing. Ripens early and contains more vitamin C than other varieties. It has a large bulb size and an island flavor. Especially good fresh.
How to properly prepare the soil for sowing
To plant winter onions, choose a well-lit place with rainwater runoff so that the water does not stagnate even when snow melts in the spring. Make a bed one meter wide and 20 cm high. They clean it from the vegetation that grew on it. It is better to plant onions in the place where cucumbers, tomatoes or potatoes grew.
Well disinfect the soil. Copper sulfate is suitable for this, while no more than 1 tbsp is placed on a bucket of water. spoons. This solution is watered with a bed. In order for the onion sets to produce large, strong onions, humus, peat, superphosphate and a bed must be dug into the soil with fertilizers.
When to sow onions
Planting a winter onion makes it possible to harvest from July to mid-August. Sowing date is October. Bulbs need to be given the opportunity to take root before severe frosts.
With an early planting, sowing sprouts before the onset of cold, such plants will not tolerate winter, they will die. When to plant winter onions? You need to look at the weather, it will tell you the exact date of sowing. Tentatively it will be the middle of the month.
Planting onion sets in winter
All summer residents look forward to the time when you can plant winter onions. First you need to prepare planting material. It is sorted. This can be done in the simplest way. Holes with a diameter of 1 cm are cut in thick cardboard and seeds are sifted through such a sieve. Those that went through the holes are good.
After preparing the soil for sowing, you need to level and compact the bed. Then, shallow grooves are made along its entire length, five centimeters in depth and at a distance of 15 cm from each other. Well-dried seeds are carefully sown in the groove at a distance of 3-4 cm. The seeds are planted to a depth of 2-3 cm, after which they are carefully covered with soil mixed with peat and humus. If the plant is planted to a great depth, then the bulbs may not germinate and die. They simply do not have enough strength for this. Planting a winter onion takes a lot of time and patience.
How to protect sevc from freezing
So that the sevka tolerates winter frosts well and gives strong shoots in spring, it is necessary to cover the soil with mulch from peat or humus. So moisture will remain, the seeds will take root well. With the onset of severe frosts, cover the bed with foliage and straw. And when the snow falls, hold it. If you plant correctly and cover the sowing in time, then in the second month of summer it will already be possible to eat winter onions.
In spring, when the snow melts and the soil thaws, you need to remove the mulch from the garden. After the seedlings sprout and the first leaves appear, make top dressing with a liquid solution of manure and bird droppings.
Onions in the winter: what care is needed
With the onset of spring, seedlings sprout and begin to grow rapidly. But not only them. Weeds are more unpretentious, there are always a lot of them, and we need to fight with them. At this time, you need to loosen and weed the aisles.
Moisture is usually stored in the fall. It is enough for the growth of onions before harvesting. But it happens that more than a month there is intense heat and the soil dries up. Then you need to water it several times during the summer season. Winter onions need the same care as normal. If arrows appear, leave a few pieces to collect the seeds, and remove the rest.
Onion pests: how to deal with them
Winter onions are damaged by the onion fly. This is a dangerous pest, if it gets to your landings, it destroys the entire crop. A sign of its appearance are white larvae. They swarm in the bulbs, eating them. Adult insects are very similar to a regular fly.
She appears in mid-May and before the onset of cold weather gives birth three times. Only dry weather can reduce fertility. To prevent onion crops, you can cover them with a net for protection. The odor of calendula and marigold repels the pest. Therefore, plant a spring in the spring, where winter onions grow, with these flowers. You can spray plants with infusion of wormwood or tansy.
Onion Diseases: Fighting Them
Winter onions, the cultivation of which requires knowledge of agricultural technology, are affected by fungi.
- Rust is one of them. Small yellow spots on the leaves appear from mid-summer. The best environment for the development and spread of this disease is warm and humid weather.
- Gray rot often appears during harvesting. Dry the onions well before storing them. Raw will rot.
- Seeds and bulbs are infected with powdery mildew, which remains in them all winter and is often false. If the weather is warm and humid, the infection can affect the entire onion plantation. This disease can be identified by elongated gray spots, which increase in size until the plant dies completely.
To avoid fungal infections, you need to alternate planting of garden crops on the site and when storing onions, ventilate the room well.
Landing for the winter: what are the benefits
- No need to save onion sets in winter.
- Large bulbs grow from small planting material.
- Winter onions, the cultivation of which does not require care, do not release the shooter.
- Onions ripen early and are stored for a long time.
- Bulbs grow healthy, as sick and weak crops freeze in the winter. In the photo, the winter bow is clearly visible.
- This crop is less affected by the onion fly.
- It takes less time to land.
- The family budget wins - in the fall, sowing is cheaper.
What could be the reason for failures in growing winter onions
- Water retention in the beds in spring. This leads to the soaking of the bulbs.
- Deep seed placement in the soil.
- Early planting sevka. This leads to germination of the bulbs before the onset of frost.
- Poor mulching of the soil, which leads to repeated thawing and freezing of the bulbs.