In addition to the usual turnip, in the areas of domestic gardeners one can often see unusually useful perennial onions. It is this variety that opens the vitamin spring season, releasing its green leaves almost the very first in the garden. The features of perennial onions can be attributed primarily to unpretentiousness in care and high productivity.
General characteristics
There are several types of perennial bows. Of course, all of them, like any other garden crops, require watering, cultivation and top dressing. However, in general, caring for them is practically no different from caring for ordinary turnip onions. These plants are related, and in fact there are not so many differences between them. Turnip and other annuals are grown mainly for large and juicy bulbs. Perennials are planted in the garden for the sake of leaves - on the greenery. The latter is usually cut 2-3 times per season.
The only distinctive feature of perennial onions from ordinary onions is increased demands on soil quality. Such crops are planted most often on loamy and sandy loamy nutrient soils. The soil acidity should be close to neutral. If this indicator is 5.5, lime should already be added to the ground.
Sometimes perennial onions are planted on sandy soils. However, on such soils, plants produce a lot of peduncles and give a not too good yield of leaves.
In the same place, perennial onions usually grow 2-4 years. Then it needs to be re-planted, as the quality of greenery begins to deteriorate. The pen not only fades, but also loses its characteristic rich taste.
Varieties
Varieties of perennial bows, unfortunately, are very few. But there are just a huge number of its varieties. Today, more than 600 of them are known. But, of course, far from all of them are grown in vegetable gardens and orchards. The most common and popular are types of perennial onions, such as:
- batun;
- multi-tiered;
- schnitt;
- fragrant;
- slime.
Onion
This variety has gained popularity in our country recently. The homeland of the batun is China. In this country, it is still found even in the wild. This perennial onion is very popular in Mongolia, Korea, Vietnam. In another way it is called "winter", "sandy", "duochny".
The best predecessors for this onion are tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage and cucumbers. The batun is usually planted on moist soils (without stagnation of water). Dig the ground before landing on a bayonet shovel.
This species can grow in the same place for one, two or three years. In the first two cases, spring onion is planted (as early as possible). With a three-year cultivation, the beds are sown from mid-summer to October.
How to grow onion
To accelerate germination, the seeds of this culture are usually soaked for 24 hours. During this time, they manage to swell well. When soaking, water is changed 2-3 times. After swelling, the seeds are removed from the saucer and dried.
Onions are planted in carefully prepared beds in two to six lines. Seeds are buried in the soil for 1-2 centimeters. The distance between the rows and individual plants should be about 18-20 cm.
Care for the onion-batun consists in periodic watering and feeding. For the first time, the soil on the bed is fertilized in the spring before planting seeds. In this case, mineral fertilizer is used. Further feeding is carried out after each cutting of the pen. In this case, a mullein diluted with water will be an excellent option for feeding. Very well, perennial onion-batun also responds to a solution of ash. Too often watering the bushes is not necessary. The soil under this plant is usually moistened only with prolonged drought. The crust formed after rain is broken by a rake.
For food, the leaves of this onion can be used after they have reached a height of 10-15 cm. The plants are cut off at the very base, leaving two or three arrows on the seeds. After a while, the leaves grow back. For a season, from a batun you can get 2-3 crops.
Layered perennial onions
This variety has one very unusual feature. Layered onions do not produce seeds. Therefore, it is propagated exclusively vegetatively. Instead of seeds, 2-3 tiers of small air bulbs grow on the inflorescence. They are planted in the soil immediately after harvesting, as they are characterized by very poor keeping quality. In another way, multi-tiered onions are also called "viviparous", "horned" and "Egyptian". Its leaves are hollow, can reach a length of 50 cm.
Unlike a batun, bulbs of this variety do not have a rest period. They begin to form leaflets while still on the mother plant. The features of this variety include, among other things, very early ripening dates. Many-tier onions release their leaves from under the ground even earlier than a batun.
Growing Features
Caring for this species is also very simple. It is possible to grow multi-tiered onions both as an annual and as a perennial. To get greens the next year, air bulbs need to be planted in the summer until mid-August. In spring, plants are fed with full mineral fertilizer.
In the third year after cutting bulbs, the multi-tier onions must be thinned out, separating daughter bulbs. The latter can be used as planting stock.
Allspice onions
The birthplace of this variety, like the batun, is Mongolia and China. In a different way, fragrant onions are also called Siberian, as well as "Chinese garlic." In one place, it can grow 4-5 years. For food, like other perennial onions, fragrant leaves are used. The bulbs of this plant have no commercial value. Leaves can reach a length of 25-40 cm.
How to grow
This onion can reproduce both vegetatively and by seeds. In a small area, the first method is usually used. With this method, the crop can be obtained already in the same year. Seeds are used much less often, since plants planted in this way develop much more slowly. During the summer, only 5-6 very small leaves are formed on each bush.
With any method of planting, organic and mineral fertilizers should first be added to the bed . Seeds of perennial onions of this variety are planted in rows, the distance between which should be approximately 35 centimeters. They are buried in the soil by 2 cm. Seeds can be taken only from two- and three-year-old plants.
Caring for scented onions is very simple. The bed should be periodically weeded. After each cut, the soil is shed with a mullein solution. Bulbs of this culture do not have a rest period, and they can be transplanted at almost any time.
Slime Onion
This variety is characterized by flat long leaves and can grow in one place for 1-2 years. Slime onions are also called “drooping” or “glandular”. Its distinctive feature is its not too sharp taste and slightly more tender leaves than other varieties. In the wild, this onion grows in Mongolia and Transbaikalia. It also occurs in the Altai Mountains. This is perhaps the most delicious of all known varieties of onions for many years. Varieties of it, unfortunately, are extremely few in number. The most famous and popular among domestic gardeners is Green, bred by experts of the Timiryazev Academy.
Growing
Like most other varieties, slime onions prefer moist, neutral soils. It can be planted both in areas well lit by the sun, and in partial shade. It propagates vegetatively or by seed. In the first case, the planting of perennial onions-slug is made in early spring or at the end of July. The depth of seed placement is very small - about 1.5 cm. Between the rows leave 70 cm, between plants - 20 cm. The best predecessors for this crop are cabbage, lettuce, parsley, dill.
This onion is fed in the same way as all other perennial varieties: in spring and after leaf cutting. Harvested 3-4 times a season.
Chives
The main distinguishing feature of this variety are very thin and not too long tubular leaves. In the second year after planting, the chives begin to branch and give up to 50-100 shoots. Both leaves of this plant and its juicy false bulbs are eaten. In our country, most often Altai or Siberian chives are grown (perennial onions resistant to frost). Varieties of Bohemia, Chemal and Medonos are among the most popular.
Growing Features
Unlike most varieties of perennial onions, chives are completely undemanding to the composition of the soil. It does not grow too well only where the soil is very heavily clogged with perennial weeds with a well-developed root system. It gives few seeds, and therefore most often it is propagated vegetatively. In this case, the bushes are simply divided into parts, leaving 8-10 bulbs in each. Plants are planted in rows, between which leave a distance of 30 cm.
Seeds are sown in early May or in July. To accelerate germination, they are first soaked and then slightly dried.
This perennial onion is grown on greens, using very simple technology. All that is needed to get a good harvest is periodic watering and top dressing, as well as loosening and thinning. Fertilize this onion usually once a season - in the middle of summer. A distinctive feature of the species is its hydrophilicity. Therefore, it should be watered quite often. Otherwise, the leaves will coarsen and lose their pleasant taste. Moisturize the soil under this plant 3-5 times during the growing season.
Thinned chives, starting from the first year of planting. From those bushes from which it is supposed to take seeds, the leaves are not cut. Otherwise, planting material will be very few.
How to grow perennial onions on greens in winter
All the varieties described above are excellent for distillation in the cold season. Feathers of perennial onions contain a lot of vitamins. In this regard, as well as in taste, they surpass even onions. Planted them with turf. That is, they dig a bush and divide it into several parts, leaving as much land as possible. In the turf of the chives, there should be about 30 bulbs, for other perennials - 3-5. Leaves, in the event that they have not yet burned, are cut. So prepared turfs are stored in a cool place until November – December. At this time, they are transferred to prepared containers. Pots for the forcing of perennial onions should have a height of at least 15 cm. Light nutrient soil is poured on their bottom with a layer of 10-12 cm. Then the sods themselves are installed and lightly sprinkled on top of them.
As soon as sprouts appear on the surface, the pot of onions is transferred to the windowsill. Too often watering plants is optional. Long-term onions are fed, the cultivation of which on the windowsill is a simple procedure, several times during the winter with a weak solution of urea (1 g per 1 liter of water). This allows you to get a plentiful harvest.
As you can see, this care culture is very unpretentious - a perennial onion. Even a completely inexperienced gardener will probably be able to grow it in the summer or even in winter. After all, all that is required to get a good harvest of this useful plant is to carry out watering, top dressing and cultivation on time.