Onions - unpretentious plant. However, certain technologies must be followed when growing it, of course. In particular, seed attention requires attention to itself. You need to choose and store onion sets correctly.
How to store onion sets before planting. General recommendations
Gather sevoc in late August, after the tops turn yellow. Then it is sorted out, removing all sprouted specimens. Healthy bulbs with no signs of rot, with a dry neck are selected for storage. They are preliminarily dried. This is best done using special equipment. It can be a heater or an air heater. Drying is carried out at a temperature of 30-40 degrees for a day or two.
In the event that part of the grown seed is affected by neck rot, heating is performed at a temperature of 45 degrees for ten hours. Healthy onions can also be dried just outside. In this case, direct exposure to sunlight should be excluded.
Warm storage method
Next, consider how to store onion sets before planting in a warm way. This method is used by private traders quite often. It is especially convenient if the owners of the country house or garden do not have a cellar.
The dried sevka is placed in cardboard boxes with a layer of about five centimeters. Instead of boxes, you can take bags sewn from a natural fabric that allows air to pass through well. Store onions in an apartment in a dark place, away from water. In a too humid microclimate, the heads may begin to rot. You can put the box, for example, on the mezzanine of the cabinet. At room temperature, the seed is retained quite well. Giving arrows sets begins at an air temperature of +13 degrees.
The condition of the onion is checked once a month. In the event that wet specimens are found, they will need to be dried. Rotten onions are removed.
Cold method
How to store onion sets is not too complicated if it is possible to put it in the cellar. Previously, the material is kept for a week at a temperature of +20 degrees. Further, the air in the room is heated to +30. Under such conditions, the seeds are also kept for a week. The next seven days, the material is stored at a temperature of +35 degrees. Such gentle heating allows you to save bulbs from putrefactive bacteria.
Material prepared in this way is stored in a cool basement. Before planting, such an onion is kept at a temperature of +35 degrees for twenty days.
Cultivation and care
How to store onion sets before planting, we have found out. What next? Before planting, the material must be calibrated. For this, each specimen is gently cut off the dry top. When performing this operation, try not to damage the sprouts. After this, the seeds are soaked in water for 12 hours. To prevent various diseases, the material is additionally kept in a solution of copper sulfate for ten minutes (1 h / l of powder per 10 l of water).
Sowing is planted in beds, which are best prepared in the fall. When digging, a little ash and organic fertilizers need to be added to the soil. Landing should be done in early May and only after the air warms up to at least +12 degrees. Otherwise, the bow will start releasing arrows. For the first time after planting the beds, it is best to insulate with a dornite or ordinary straw.
Onions are planted at a distance of about 8 cm from each other to a depth of 3 cm. If the holes are deeper, the plants will lack water during the growth process. With too shallow planting, the crop may simply die.
Of course, in order to grow healthy plants, you need appropriate care for them. Onion sets must be fed. To do this, you can use mullein infusions (in the first half of the season). In addition, a month and a half after the shoots appear, the onions need to be fed with mineral fertilizers. The beds should be loosened periodically, otherwise the onion will grow small. If the green feathers do not cut off during growth, the bulbs will grow large. Water the onion periodically until the beginning of July.
Grade selection
A good crop can be obtained only by choosing the right onion variety. There are a huge number of them today. Very popular with summer residents are such varieties of onion sets, such as:
- Stuttgarter Riesen. Very productive grade of early ripening. Brown bulbs have a rounded shape. They grow for three months. You can store onions of this variety for six months.
- Chalcedony. Very suitable for cultivation in the southern regions of Russia. Mid-season grade. Bulbs grow within three to four months. It is stored very well.
- Ellan. Matures very early. It has a sweet taste and is very well suited for salads. The feathers are also very tasty. Undemanding to watering. It can be stored up to 8 months.
Thus, we found out how to store onion sets before planting. You can use both cold and warm methods. Getting a good onion crop is a snap. It is only necessary to give him a little attention in the growth process.