A step-by-step guide on how to keep onion sets until spring at home

After collecting or buying onion sets in the fall, many gardeners are interested in how to keep it at home until spring. To do this, choose a suitable place and monitor the temperature and humidity in the room.

Following these rules will help preserve the seeds until planting and get large bulbs without an arrow. Let's talk about the details further.

General rules for storing seedlings before planting

Use containers with good ventilation for storage.... Seeds are folded in several layers, but not higher than 30 cm. Self-harvesting is carried out at the end of August.

Whole bulbs are sorted out without any signs of decay, dried in the fresh air in the shade or in a warm place at a temperature of + 25 ... 30 ° C.

Save sevok intact before planting will be possible only in a room where the temperature and humidity level are observed.

Choosing a storage location

To avoid early germination, onion sets are stored at a temperature of + 2 ... 3 ° C with a humidity level not exceeding 65%. Such conditions can be created in a basement or cellar. If the temperature is too low, the seeds will lose their germination.

Previously, the bow was kept braided in braids. During the Soviet era, the methods were improved: stockings, wicker baskets, bags of natural material or boxes with holes were used for storage.

Plastic and wooden boxes

For long-term storage, small boxes are chosen. When using plastic boxes, they must have holes for even air flow. The bulbs are folded in several layers. This storage method is convenient when there is a lack of space in the room.

Linen bags

Select small bags with a bulb capacity not exceeding 20 cm in height. They are kept filled, hung from the ceiling or placed on supports, since contact with the floor or walls causes the accumulation of moisture and the rapid decay of the planting material.

Egg containers

If there is a lack of containers for storage, containers for eggs are used. The trays are moved to racks or special stands and the onions are placed separately in each cell.

Optimal conditions

To create optimal conditions, attention is paid to the temperature, humidity and ventilation in the room. The most difficult task is to ensure a constant level of air humidity. With increased onion sprouts, putrefactive diseases develop, with reduced onion it dries up. Ideal rates are 50-65%.

To protect the crop from drying out, sprinkle it with the remaining onion husks. Reduce humidity in the room by installing a container with lime, wood chips or ash.

The room in which kept onion, air out. Crop boxes are positioned so that there are no obstacles to the free movement of air.

How to prepare a set for long-term storage

To keep the onion for a long time, follow the rules:

1. Sevok is sorted and sprouted specimens are removed. The bulbs must be whole, with a dry tail.
2. For planting, choose seeds ranging in size from 1 to 2.5 cm.
3. After purchase, the seed is dried at a temperature of + 30 ° C for two days. They do it outdoors in the shade, in rainy weather - indoors.In a private house or apartment, onions are laid out next to heating devices, where the air temperature is + 25 ... 30 ° C.
4. If there are traces of rotting on the surface, the onion is peeled. If necessary, complete removal of the husk, the planting material is re-dried. Then the top layer of the onion will turn into an integumentary scales.
5. It is recommended to prepare in advance the room where the seeds will be stored. The underground is aired in late summer or early autumn. The equipment in the cellar is dried in the fresh air. In the presence of mold, the damaged areas are cleaned. If there are rotten boards, they are replaced.

Storage methods

Depending on the type of onion keep warm, cold or combined methods.

Cold

This method involves placing the set in a refrigerator, underground or cellar, where the temperature is kept within -3 ... -1 ° C. This will protect the bulbs from sprouting and drying out. Two weeks before planting, the seeds are warmed up to enhance the growing season.

Important! In no case should the balcony be used for storage winter sevka... A constant change in temperature will lead to decay or death of the planting material.

Warm

This storage method is suitable for those who plan to keep onions for sowing in an apartment. To do this, choose a dry, dark place where the air temperature does not exceed + 17 ... 23 ° C. The seeds are placed in boxes or bags.

The temperature and humidity in the apartment often change, so the planting material is periodically poured out and checked for early germination and rot.

Combined

This method involves changing the temperature during storage. Until the first frost, the bulbs are kept in a warm place. With the onset of winter, they are placed where the temperature does not drop below zero.

In the spring, the seed is placed in a warm room warmed up to + 25 ° C for 5 days. After this time, the temperature is reduced to + 22 ° C and left until sowing in the ground.

Storage of seedlings until spring in the garden

One of the storage options is planting seedlings in the garden in the fall. Onions are resistant to cold weather, the seeds break through with the onset of the first warm days of spring.

In the absence of a cool room, seeds are buried in the ground in this way:

1. The bottom of the 12 liter bucket is covered with sawdust.
2. Fill in the seeds, leaving a little space for another layer of sawdust.
3. The bucket is closed with a lid and buried in a hole one-third the length of the bucket.

What to do if the sevok begins to rot

To avoid the problem of onion rotting, it is important to properly prepare the planting material and provide suitable storage conditions.... But even if all the rules are followed, fungal diseases, stem nematodes, and onion root mites can become a source of damage.

When the first signs of rot or damage appear, action is taken immediately. To begin with, pour out all the planting material on a flat surface and sort it out, rejecting all damaged bulbs. If traces of rot appear on the surface or the husk has become wet, it is peeled and dried in a warm place until a new husk is formed.

Storage periods

The shelf life of onions depends on the dormancy stage of certain varieties and the sufficient content of essential oils and dry matter. For long-term storage, sets of late and spicy varieties are suitable. Early sweet ones, on the contrary, are not stored for more than two months - they begin to deteriorate and germinate.

White onions with yellow husks are the most popular and hottest. They are stored for the longest time if favorable conditions are created before sowing.

White onion seeds can be stored for up to six months, but are more demanding on indoor conditions. At high humidity, this variety begins to rot.

Red onions are not stored for long: under normal conditions, no more than two months.

Tips

A paper bag will help extend the shelf life. The bulbs are folded into a container, after making numerous holes with a hole punch.In such a package, the storage time will increase to two months.

In order for the set to be stored longer, it is recommended to cut off the top of about 5 cm.

Rotating crops on site will help prevent pest infestation. Onions are planted the next year after early potatoes, cucumbers or cabbage. The garden bed is reused under the onion only after 3 years.

Reviews

Experienced gardeners share their secrets on how to preserve onions until spring.

Tatiana, Rostov-on-Don: “The onions were dug up last week and put under the shed to dry. Today I cleaned the husk to the first coat and put it in wooden boxes. In a week I plan to lower it underground and leave it until spring. The temperature there is from 0 to + 3 ° C, every year it is stored perfectly. "

Natalia, Volgograd: “We are used to storing onions in our apartment. I usually make holes in the box and put the seeds there. Then I put it in a dark place and take it out 2-3 times during the whole winter to check the condition of the seed. In winter, the apartment is dry, so the onions are stored until spring. "

Alena, Izhevsk: “I used to keep onion set in a refrigerator. But often at a temperature of 0 ... + 4 ° C and high humidity, onions germinate. Therefore, recently we have been removing the seeds to the basement or burying them in the ground. "

Conclusion

The main condition for storing onion sets is proper preparation and maintaining the temperature at 0… + 3 ° C. In apartments, seeds from 2 cm in size are stored until spring, but too small can dry out.

Experienced gardeners recommend planting the latter before winter. Medium specimens are sorted, and, choosing only suitable bulbs, they are stored in appropriate conditions.