More than a thousand years ago, onions began to grow in Iran, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan. The culture was planted on mountain slopes, which determined the depth of the root system. Due to the ability to survive on a small layer of earth, the onion 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. It is considered capricious to grow. If the weather is dry, the bow begins to shoot arrows, and if it is wet, it rots. However, gardeners figured out how to grow it. Onions need to be planted in winter.
Onion sets: how to choose
The size of the bulb determines the category: the first is the diameter of the bulb 1-1.5 cm; the second - 1.5-3 cm; the third - more than 3 cm; oatmeal - a diameter of less than 1 cm. For sowing in the winter, it is better to use a set of the first category or oatmeal. Why? Bulbs of small size, as a rule, do not persist until spring, they dry out. Therefore, it will be better if the winter onion is planted in the ground. Here he will winter well and will give a good harvest in July.
Sevok of the second and third category, that is, large, it is better not to plantin winter, he gives arrows. For the cultivation of winter onions, special varieties and hybrids obtained by crossing are used, which are able to form bulbs and not give an arrow.
Popular varieties of winter onions
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.
- Stuttgarter Riesen - this variety owes its popularity to early ripening. The bulbs of the culture are flat-round, dense, large, have a sharp taste, are well preserved and give a high yield.
- Centurion is a high class variety. It shoots a little, is well preserved, does not get sick, has a high yield. In bulbs of the same size, the covering outer layer of the scales is dry. There is a bottom in the root zone.
- Shakespeare - an early variety, little arrows, well preserved, has large dark yellow bulbs. The pulp is white, juicy. The scales are very dense.
- Radar - this variety can only be consumed fresh. It is unsuitable for storage due to coloration.
Baron is also great for winter planting. It ripens early and contains more vitamin C than other varieties. Differs in the big size of bulbs and sharp taste. 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 the snow melts in the spring. Make a bed one widemeter 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.
Disinfect the soil well. Copper sulphate is suitable for this, while no more than 1 tbsp is placed on a bucket of water. spoons. Water the bed with this solution. In order for the onion sets to give large, strong bulbs, you need to add humus, peat, superphosphate to the soil and dig the bed along with fertilizers.
When to sow onions
Planting winter onions makes it possible to harvest from July to mid-August. Sowing time is October. The bulbs must be allowed to take root before a hard frost.
When planting seeds early, sprouts before the onset of cold, such plants will not survive the 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 are looking forward to the time when you can plant winter onions. First you need to prepare the planting material. It is sorted out. This can be done in the simplest way. Holes 1 cm in diameter 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, along its entire length, shallow grooves are made, five centimeters deep and at a distance of 15 cm from each other. Well dried seedssow in a furrow at a distance of 3-4 cm. Sewing is planted to a depth of 2-3 cm, after which it is carefully covered with soil mixed with peat and humus. If the sevok is planted at a great depth, then the bulbs may not germinate and die. They just don't have the strength to do it. Planting winter onions takes a lot of time and patience.
How to protect sevok from freezing
In order for the sevok to endure the winter frosts well and give strong shoots in the spring, you need to cover the soil with peat or humus mulch. This will retain moisture, the seeds will take root well. With the onset of severe frosts, cover the bed with foliage and straw. And when it snows, hold it back. If you plant it correctly and cover the sevok in time, then in the second month of summer it will already be possible to eat winter onions.
In the spring, when the snow melts and the soil thaws, you need to remove the mulch from the garden. After the seedlings germinate and the first leaves appear, feed 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 they need to be fought. At this time, you need to loosen and weed the aisles.
Moisture is usually stored in the soil from autumn. It is enough for onion growth until harvest. But it happens that for 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 regular onions. If arrows appear, leave a few pieces to collect seeds, and the restdelete.
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 plantings, it will destroy the entire crop. A sign of its appearance are white larvae. They swarm in the bulbs, eating them. Adult insects are very similar to the common fly.
She appears in mid-May and gives birth three times before the onset of cold weather. Only dry weather can reduce fertility. To prevent damage to onion crops, you can cover them with a net for protection. The smell of calendula and marigold repels the pest. Therefore, in the spring, plant a bed where winter onions grow with these flowers. You can spray the plants with an 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 at harvest time. Let the onion dry well before storing. Raw will rot.
- Seeds and bulbs are subject to infection by 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 that increase in size until the plant dies completely.
To avoid fungal disease, you need to alternate planting garden crops onarea and when storing onions, ventilate the room well.
Landing for the winter: what are the benefits
- Don't save onion sets in winter.
- Large bulbs grow from small planting material.
- Winter onion, which requires no care, does not shoot arrows.
- Onions ripen early and store for a long time.
- The bulbs grow he althy as diseased and weak crops freeze out in the winter. In the photo, the winter bow is clearly visible.
- This crop is less susceptible to onion fly infestation.
- It takes less time to land.
- Family budget wins - sets are cheaper in autumn.
What can cause failures in growing winter onions
- Water retention in beds in spring. This causes the bulbs to get wet.
- Deep placement of seeds into the soil.
- Early planting sevka. This causes the bulbs to germinate before frost sets in.
- Poor mulching of the soil, which leads to repeated thawing and freezing of the bulbs.
