Planting schemes and rules for caring for winter onions

Despite the fact that onions can be planted in spring and autumn, most gardeners prefer the first option, since not all varieties are suitable for winter planting. At the same time, planting before winter has a number of advantages (in particular, getting an earlier harvest), it is only important to take into account certain nuances.

About planting winter onions in the fall, growing technology and care, read on.

Advantages and disadvantages of winter onions

Pros of planting onions before winter:

• sevok almost does not rot;
• sprouted bulbs are not prone to shooting;
• the heads grow larger than in the case of spring planting;
• no need for abundant and frequent watering;
• early ripening of the crop;
• minimal risk of being hit by an onion fly.

Disadvantages:

• lower productivity;
• the shelf life of winter onions is shorter than that of spring onions.

Preparing the soil for autumn planting

For planting onions, a well-lit, wind-protected and elevated place is chosen.

The culture prefers loose, light, fertile soil with a neutral level of acidity, therefore, coarse-grained sand is added to the clay soil, sod soil is added to the sandstones, and lime, chalk, furnace ash are added to the soil with high acidity, and the use of bottom peat as fertilizer is excluded.

The choice of planting material

There are several types of planting material, therefore, before planting in the ground, it is calibrated:

• wild oat - bulbs less than 1 cm in diameter, suitable only for winter planting on a turnip;
• sevok - the diameter of the bulbs is 1-1.5 cm, suitable for planting on a turnip, not prone to shooting;
• samples - large bulbs, the diameter of which is more than 2 cm, suitable for planting only on feathers or seeds.

After sizing, the sized bulbs are carefully examined. For planting, use only dry, healthy specimens without damage, unpleasant odor and signs of rot. Soft and sluggish bulbs, so-called dummies, are thrown away.

Winter varieties and hybrids of onions

For planting before winter, an onion is suitable that can tolerate frost and develop well with a short daylight hours.

In the fall, the onion should have time to take root and adapt. Late varieties are not suitable for winter planting, since they need long-term lighting. Bulbs of southern varieties, which reveal their qualities only under high summer temperatures, are also not suitable.

Reference. If the variety for planting before winter is chosen incorrectly, the onion will go into the arrow - it will not work to grow a full-fledged crop.

Troy

An early ripe hybrid of Dutch selection. Forms bulbs of broadly ovoid shape, weighing 80 g. Hulls are light brown, greenish flesh, semi-sharp taste. Marketable yield - 323 kg / ha.

Centurion

It's mid-early hybrid first generation, bred by agronomists from the Netherlands and suitable for cultivation in all regions of Russia.

The bulbs, the average weight of which is 110-150 g, have a broadly ovoid shape, covered with brown-golden dry scales. The pulp is white, the taste is spicy.

Marketable yield - 252-420 kg / ha.The hybrid shows resistance to downy mildew and cervical rot.

Radar

Early ripe hybrid Dutch selection. It is distinguished by high frost resistance and unpretentiousness to climatic conditions and soil composition, therefore it is successfully cultivated throughout Russia.

The bulbs are transversely elliptical, weighing 80-95 g, the husk is golden brown, the flesh is white, the taste is semi-sharp.

Productivity - 159-250 kg / ha. With proper care, onions are resistant to diseases and pests.

Stuttgarter Riesen

Variety early ripening, bred by German breeders and, due to its ability to adapt to different climates, is suitable for growing in all regions.

The bulbs are round, slightly flattened at the top and bottom, weighing 120-170 g, the husk is brown-golden, the flesh is white, the taste is semi-sharp. With proper care, the yield reaches 5-8 kg per 1 m².

Stuttgarter is resistant to most common diseases and pests, including powdery mildew, Fusarium, Alternaria, onion flies and root mites.

Shakespeare

Early ripe grade, bred in England specifically for sowing before winter, suitable for cultivation in the central and northern regions of Russia.

The bulbs are round, weighing on average 90-100 g, covered with a yellow-brown husk, white flesh, semi-sharp taste. Productivity - 296 kg / ha.

The Shakespeare variety is resistant to disease and rarely produces arrows.

Senshui Yelow

Variety early ripening, bred by Japanese breeders. Recommended for cultivation in the southern regions, but adapts well to the climate of central Russia.

Forms bulbs of a rounded, slightly flattened shape, weighing 160-180 g each. Dry scales are bright yellow with a golden tint, the flesh is white, the taste is soft, sweetish. Productivity - 4 kg per 1 m².

The variety is resistant to most diseases, but sometimes it is attacked by pests.

Ellan

Ellan - the result of the work of the Kuban breeders. Suitable for growing in all regions of Russia.

This early ripening variety is characterized by rounded bulbs weighing 64-123 g, which are covered with yellow husks, have white flesh and a mild taste. Productivity - 100-250 kg / ha.

Others

There are other varieties of onions suitable for winter planting:

1. Arzamas... Mid-season variety, suitable for growing in central Russia and the Urals. The bulbs are round-cubic or round, weighing 60-90 g each, covered with a dark yellow husk with a brownish tinge, the flesh is white, the taste is spicy. Productivity 140-320 kg / ha.
2. Danilovsky... Mid-season variety. The bulbs are flat and round-flat, weighing 78-155 g. The husk is dark red with a violet tinge or purple, the flesh is light lilac and light purple, the taste is semi-sharp. Productivity - 123-333 kg / ha.
3. Strigunovsky... The result of the work of domestic breeders, suitable for cultivation throughout Russia. The bulbs are round in shape, weigh an average of 45-80 g, covered with yellow with pink or light gray husks. The pulp is white, the taste is spicy. The variety belongs to the early maturing, the yield is 118-327 c / ha.

In addition to onions, chives, shallots, batun, etc. are also planted in the fall to obtain heads or greens.

Planting scheme and growing winter onions

Winter onions have special requirements for planting and care.

Preparation of arable land and planting material

The preparation of planting material consists of two stages:

1. Disinfection - the bulbs are soaked in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, copper sulphate or salt to reduce the risk of developing diseases.
2. Heat treatment - the set is dipped in hot (+ 65 ° C) water for 2-3 minutes or wrapped in a natural cloth and heated in the microwave to prevent premature germination.

Before planting, the soil is carefully dug up and humus or compost is introduced into it - 1 bucket per 1 m². As additional feeding, superphosphate, wood ash (2 tbsp. L.) And urea (1 tbsp. L.) Are used.

Selection of predecessors

Compliance with the rules of crop rotation is one of the main conditions for the successful cultivation of any crop. Competent crop rotation is a guarantee of a plentiful and high-quality harvest.

The best predecessors of onion sets are corn, peas, tomato, cabbage, lettuce, legumes and cereals (except oats), root crops.

In the place where the spring onions grew, garlic, strawberries, parsley or root celery, onions are planted no earlier than after 4 years.

Planting with seeds

Onion seeds are planted in frozen ground before winter so that they begin to germinate only in spring. Sprouts do not tolerate frost.

In comparison with spring planting, before winter, the seeds are sown denser, and after the garden bed they must be covered with spruce branches or non-woven material.

Reference. It is undesirable to use peat as a shelter, since it allows moisture to pass through and during the first thaw there is a risk of ice crust formation.

Bulb planting

Planting of bulbs depends on their size:

• wild oat - every 7-8 cm;
• sevok - at a distance of 3-5 cm between the bulbs;
• samples - close to each other.

The beds must be covered with a layer of mulch, which is harvested in the spring.

Disembarkation scheme depending on the variety

Planting patterns differ from each other and depend on the type of onion.

Shallot

For planting shallots:

1. Prepare the beds 30 cm apart.
2. Make grooves in them for planting the bulbs every 15-20 cm.
3. Place the planting material in the ground, deepening 3-4 cm.

Onion

The optimal time for planting a batun is the beginning of the first frosts, which in central Russia fall at the end of November.

The distance between the rows is 20-22 cm, between the bulbs - 4 cm, and the planting material is deepened by 2 cm.

Decorative bow

Planting is carried out from September to October:

1. In the prepared area, make holes 3 bulbs deep and 2 wide.
2. The distance between the holes is 10-25 cm.
3. The bulbs are placed in recesses, sprinkled with earth.
4. The beds are mulching.

Most often, such onions are planted to decorate the site, but there are also edible varieties.

Onion

Onions are planted in beds located 15-20 cm apart every 8-10 cm. The bulbs are deepened 3-4 cm so that the necks are 1-2 cm below the soil.

Features of caring for winter onions

Winter onion care begins with the removal of the winter shelter from the beds in the spring.... As long as the soil remains moist after the snow melts, it is not watered. Then watering is carried out as needed - when the topsoil is completely dry.

They loosen the soil after each watering, at the same time get rid of weeds that hinder the development of onions. In the case of a dense planting, it is thinned so that the distance between the plants is at least 2-3 cm.

Top dressing

Winter onion dressing schedule:

1. 2 weeks after the emergence of spring shoots, nitrogen fertilizers are applied to stimulate the growth of green mass: 30 g of ammonium nitrate, 40 g of superphosphate and 20 g of potassium chloride per 10 liters of water.
2. After 3 weeks - complex fertilizer: 30 g of ammonium nitrate, 60 g of superphosphate and 30 g of potassium chloride per 1 bucket of water.
3. The third feeding is aimed at forming turnips. For this, the onion is watered with a specially prepared solution: 40 g of superphosphate, 20 g of potassium chloride per 10 liters of water.

Harvesting

The signal that the harvest is ready for harvesting is the lodging of leaves and the acquisition of the husk color inherent in a particular onion variety.

The heads are carefully poured in with a shovel or pitchfork so as not to damage it and pulled out of the ground. Then the onions are laid out in the beds or under a canopy and left for several days to dry out. After that, feathers and roots are cut with sharp scissors, and the bulbs are left to dry for another 3-5 days.

Store the crop in wooden boxes or cardboard boxes with ventilation holes in a cool and dry room.

Helpful hints

Experienced farmers recommend:

1. When choosing fertilizers, start from the purpose of growing the onion.To obtain greens, nitrogen-containing dressings are used, for the harvest of heads - potassium-phosphorus.
2. To protect plantings from frost, cover the beds with dry leaves, tops of peas or beans. This will prevent onions from freezing and increase the nutritional value of the soil.
3. Winter onion crops are stored less: use them first.

Conclusion

Growing winter onions is not as difficult as it seems at first glance. Subject to the timing and rules of planting, the application of a suitable sowing scheme and proper care of the plants, even a novice gardener can get a rich and high-quality harvest of onions.