Features of planting and caring for bunk and multi-tiered bow

This bow, which looks like an alien plant, has many popular names: Egyptian, Canadian, horned, viviparous. Despite the tremendous resistance to adverse conditions and amazing yields, multi-tiered onions are still very little familiar to domestic gardeners.

We decided to fill this gap and tell you more about this amazing plant.

Description of tiered bow

There is no exact information about when and under what circumstances the multi-tiered bow appeared. Presumably, it was bred in China, as indicated by references in Asian herbalists of the 14-15th centuries about a bow with several "floors". It was brought to Europe in the 19th century, where it became known as "Egyptian" and "tree-like".

The multi-tiered bow came to the territory of Russia thanks to European travelers. Today it is successfully grown in the northern regions of the country, in Siberia, in the Far East and in the middle lane. Three varieties of such onions are registered in the Russian state register.

Bulb characteristics, appearance, taste

The name "multi-tiered" reflects the main distinguishing feature of the bow: it has both underground and aerial bulbs attached to a flower arrow... The first tier is located at a height of 65-80 cm, instead of an inflorescence, a rosette of bulbs is formed here; from it, in turn, a new arrow grows with an "inflorescence" of bulbs. At the first level, air bulbs are 2-3 cm in diameter and weighing about 15-25 g, on subsequent ones their size decreases to 3-4 g. Depending on agricultural technology and growing conditions, the number of tiers can be from 2 (then the onion is called two-tiered) up to 5, and the number of bulbs on them is from 3 to 30.

Reference. The unusual appearance of the plant makes it suitable for landscaping. For example, a tiered bow is used in rock gardens and allaria.

Underground bulbs grow weighing 40-50 g. The color of the husk depends on the particular cultivar and can be yellow, brown or purple.

The feathers are hollow and wide - 1.5-2 cm each - reaching 40-50 cm in length. The green mass is juicy, tastes like a bunch of onions, but more crispy and elastic. The taste of the feathers is pleasant until airy bulbs are formed, then the shoots become too bitter and pungent.

Chemical composition, trace elements and vitamins, useful properties

Like other members of the onion family, multi-tiered onions are rich in vitamins and useful micro- and macroelements. So, phytoncides - volatile biologically active substances - have powerful antimicrobial properties. Quercetin - a substance from the group of flavonoids - is a powerful antioxidant.

In addition, onions contain vitamins A, B1, B2, C and minerals: calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus.

Onion juice and compresses are used in folk medicine as a means:

• antimicrobial;
• wound healing;
• anthelmintic;
• diuretic;
• sugar reducing.

Multilevel onions are also used for the treatment and prevention of hypertension, diseases of the stomach and intestines, in anti-cold therapy.

Ripening period

The first edible green onion feathers can be harvested as early as 21-28 days after planting. Thus, the spring harvest ripens a week earlier than other varieties.

Reference. Feathers are cut when they reach a length of 30-40 cm. In the first year, it is not recommended to cut more than once per season.

Yield

In the first year, 2-3 daughter bulbs are formed, every year their number increases to 10-15 pieces... The maximum yield is achieved by the second or third year of growth and is 4 kg per 1 sq. m.

Cut leaves are restored in three weeks, which gives 3-4 harvests per season. In addition, multi-tiered onions do not have a dormant period, so they can be grown for greens all year round in greenhouses or on a windowsill.

Disease resistance

Onions are susceptible to fungal diseases. First of all, downy and true powdery mildew.

Among the worst pests of culture are onion fly and onion weevil.

Growing regions and climate requirements

The tiered bow easily tolerates very low temperatures and dry, hot weather. However, sudden changes in temperature in the autumn and spring periods can harm a perennial plant.

It is possible to grow a crop both in the northern and southern regions, but in conditions of extreme agriculture, planting as an annual is effective.

Advantages and disadvantages of a tiered bow

Strengths include:

1. High productivity.
2. Suitability for food of both feathers and aerial bulbs.
3. Early ripening of green mass.
4. Almost continuous renewal of the bush throughout the entire non-winter period - from March to November.
5. The unpretentiousness of the culture and resistance to frost, which make it suitable for cultivation in the northern regions.

Disadvantages:

1. The need for thinning at 3-4 years of plant life.
2. Reproduction only by bulbs, since the seeds do not have time to ripen.

Features of planting and growing

The flowers of the plant dry out before the seeds have time to ripen, therefore, the multi-tiered onions are bred with the help of bulbs: air and basal. The planting material collected from the bush at the age of 3-4 years has the greatest value. Air bulbs take root faster.

In addition to outdoor cultivation, it is permissible to use greenhouses for an earlier harvest or cultivation on windowsills and balconies. Consider below the features of planting and caring for a bunk and multi-tiered bow.

Preparing for landing

Before planting, the soil is dug up, the roots of weeds and the remnants of dead vegetation are carefully removed. The soil is fertilized with mineral compounds (20 g of nitrogen, 40 g of phosphorus and 15 g of potassium per 1 sq. M) or rotted compost, then watered with warm water. When the ground dries out a little, the plot is leveled with a rake and the grooves for the bulbs are prepared.

Reference. Before winter planting, to avoid stagnation of snow and rainwater, the beds are raised.

Ground requirements

Bunk onions grow best on light, breathable loamy soils. In heavy and acidic soil, the harvest will be poor, therefore peat or sand is introduced into clay soils, and the acidity is balanced with liming.

Reference. The plant prefers the sunny side of the site - south or southwest.

Predecessors

According to the rules of crop rotation, the most suitable predecessors for onions are nightshade (potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant), different varieties of cabbage (cabbage, kohlrabi), pumpkin (zucchini, squash), as well as celery, spinach and salad.

Important! A tiered onion must not be cultivated in the same area for more than five years.

Timing, scheme and landing rules

It is preferable to plant a perennial for wintering in late August or early September.Spring planting is carried out by seedling and only after the soil warms up to + 10 ... + 12 ° C. The soil must be dug up, fertilized and leveled in advance.

To disinfect the seed, the bulbs are soaked in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 30-40 minutes.

Annual onions are planted to a depth of 3 cm with a distance of 6-8 cm between the bulbs and 25-30 cm between the rows. If a perennial is needed, planting is carried out according to a square-nesting pattern in 20 cm increments. The depth of the ground for large bulbs is 10 cm, for small ones - 6 cm. After planting, each bulb is slightly buried in the soil to remove the air cushion.

Growing features

Basic care consists of:

• regular weeding of row spacings;
• weed harvesting;
• loosening of the soil cover;
• regular watering.

After 3-4 years, the onion needs thinning, since the thickening of the plantings leads to the crushing of the air bulbs, and the feathers cease to receive enough nutrition. During the procedure, 2-3 underground bulbs are left near the bush, the rest are either eaten or used as planting material.

Reference. As the tiers form, the plant grows taller and heavier. To prevent it from tilting, some gardeners tie shoots to pegs.

Watering mode

The multi-tiered onion, although not whimsical, loves slightly moist soil, so you should not bring the soil to dryness. But you can't overflow the earth either.

A sure sign of the need for watering is drying out of the surface layer. In drought, you may need daily hydration, in normal weather - once every two weeks.

Loosening the soil and weeding

After watering, the soil needs to be slightly loosened, so the water will not stagnate and provoke fungal diseases.

Regular weeding prevents weeds from depleting the soil, shading plantings and attracting various pests.

Top dressing

Winter onions are fed immediately after the snow melts with a complex mineral fertilizer.

The second feeding is carried out after the first feather trimming. Rotten manure mixed with wood ash is suitable for this.

Before the first autumn frosts, the soil around the onion bushes is mulched with humus, smoothing it with a layer of 2-3 cm.

Disease and pest control

As a result of thickening of the bulbs and stagnant water in the soil, plants can get sick with downy mildew. To prevent the formation of fungal spores, the mother bush is thinned out. In case of infection, the damaged specimen must be isolated from healthy plantings and destroyed, and the remaining plants must be treated with Bordeaux liquid.

The best way to prevent onion flies is to plant carrots in the neighborhood. These cultures create a kind of symbiosis: the smell of onions scares off the carrot fly, and the carrots - onion.

Another dangerous pest - onion weevil - feasts on juicy feathers. To remove it, you will have to resort to the help of insecticides "Fitoferm", "Alatar", etc.

Harvesting and storage

Little by little, onion feathers can be cut back in the fall, but mass cutting is carried out not earlier than June, so that the bush has time to shoot a flower arrow.

Air bulbs are harvested in August - early September. If the summer is hot and dry, the harvest shifts to the end of July-August. Maturity is determined by the presence of brownish tubercles at the bottom of the root system.

Storage features and keeping quality of the variety

Underground bulbs are loose and not stored for a long time. Therefore, they are immediately used as seed material or eaten.

Aboveground bulbs are denser and remain edible for 2-3 months at temperatures around 0 ° C. The best way to preserve them for longer is to pickle them.

Tips from experienced gardeners

Growing multi-tiered onions is a novelty for many gardeners. The more valuable is the experience of those summer residents who have been breeding it for several years:

1. It is best to break the garden in the place where the snow melts first. This will speed up the appearance of the first onion feathers.
2. Leaves cannot be cut close to the ground. A 5 cm stump should be left.
3. Trellis and other supporting structures should be thought out in advance so that the bushes do not fall off under their own weight.
4. Pest flies can be scared away without the use of chemicals, for example, the pungent smell of pine needles and wormwood.

Reviews of tiered bow

The bunk and multi-tiered bow is actively winning the hearts of amateur gardeners. Its fans note that it grows well in almost any climatic conditions.

Oksana, Kazakhstan: «Ask: how to grow double-decker onions? It's very simple! I recommend him to everyone, since caring for him is elementary. It hibernates at -40 ° С and feels great at + 40 ° С in summer. "

Elena, Russia: “I like the fact that you can eat any part. When there are a lot of onions, I uproot. The head is very tender and tasty. I plant young onions from the second and third tier on the greenery in a box on the balcony. "

Ivan, Ukraine: “At first I was very surprised - what does it mean to plant a bow in two tiers? But it turned out that such an onion is fruitful and tastes good and does not cause much trouble. One thing is bad - it is difficult to find planting material. "

Conclusion

Tiered onions are a great alternative to the familiar green varieties. It practically does not have a dormant period, therefore, in a greenhouse or on a balcony it will delight with luscious greenery all year round, and on open beds it looks spectacular and unusual.