Harvesting and storing onions: when it's time to dig from the garden
The safety of the crop largely depends on the timeliness and quality of harvesting. How to properly collect onions from the beds so that they are stored for a long time? Read about the rules for harvesting onions, timing of collection and storage features in the article.
The content of the article
When to remove onions from the garden for storage
The signal for harvesting is the cessation of plant nutrition. Signs of a ripening bulb:
- yellow withered tops;
- the head of the vegetable is hard, dense, covered with dry husks;
- the stem is flattened and shrunken at the base;
- on the cut of the onion neck when pressed, the juice does not protrude.
When to stop watering
Onions are harvested dry, so it will not rot and will stay all winter. In order for the vegetable to reach the desired condition, watering is stopped at the first signs of wilting and drying of the tops, at least two weeks before the expected date of harvest.
How to accelerate ripening
Sometimes, due to the cold weather, the ripening of the vegetable is delayed. In order to have time to harvest before the autumn rains and possible frosts, experienced gardeners advise:
- rake off the soil from the heads to about half, within a week they will dry out and become ready for cleaning;
- with a pitchfork, gently lift the soil to a depth of about 5 cm under the bulbs, the roots will come off and plant nutrition will stop.
Important! You cannot cut off the leaves to accelerate ripening, even if they have begun to turn yellow. Pruning at the root worsens keeping quality, infection can get into fresh sections and the heads will rot.
The timing of harvesting onions from the garden
The growing season and ripening period depends on the variety, growing region, weather conditions and on average is 2-2.5 months.
Approximate cleaning dates by region
|
Region |
Landing time |
Collection time |
| Middle lane | Until mid-May | Second half of July |
| Siberia | Last decade of May | End of July - beginning of August |
| Ural | Second decade of May | End of july |
When to collect onions is determined by the condition of the plants. If the summer is dry and hot, maturation occurs 7-10 days earlier.
What is the danger of untimely harvest
Untimely cleaning leads to a deterioration in keeping quality and quality. If you hurry up and dig damp bulbs, they will rot during storage.
Plants, ready to harvest, left in the ground, release roots again after 10-14 days and start growing. The bulb uses up stored nutrients, and the taste and preservation of the vegetable deteriorate.
How to dig it right
Consider the weather when deciding when to dig onions. Choose a sunny warm day. It is better to start harvesting in the morning, during the day the bulbs will be ventilated in the garden and will be ready for further processing.
The lunar calendar is another assistant to the summer resident in setting the date of harvesting. The days of the waning moon and the new moon are considered auspicious. However, follow common sense in everything. If the forecast promises prolonged rains, you should not wait for the new moon, remove the bow on fine days.
Cleaning
The bulb is gently dug in with a pitchfork and removed from the soil by pulling on the tops so as not to damage the bottom. The adhered clods of earth are removed with your hands, in no case by tapping the heads against each other. Otherwise, the onions will wrinkle and deteriorate during storage.
On a note. You can pull the onion by the leaves if the garden is sandy or loose peaty soil.
The dug vegetable, without cutting, is laid out in one layer on the garden bed for preliminary drying. Then the crop is moved under a shed or in a ventilated shed for drying.
Drying
Drying under a canopy lasts 1.5-2 weeks. If the weather permits, for the day the onions are taken out in the sun, and at night they are removed under the roof so that the vegetable does not get wet from the dew.
During this time, the tops and roots will completely dry out. The heads will be covered with an additional layer of dense scales. You do not need to peel them off: the more husks on the bulbs, the better they will remain.
How to prune onions after harvesting from the garden
The harvested and dried vegetable is cut off before storage:
- the tops are cut off, leaving a tail 5-8 cm long;
- the roots are shortened to 0.5-1 cm.
On a note. If you plan on storing the vegetable in a bundle, do not cut the tops.
During the pruning process, the bulbs are sorted immediately. Damaged, crumpled, rotted heads are not suitable for storage.
Storage of turnip onions
Under the right conditions, the vegetable will remain fresh and healthy until spring.
Storage conditions
Onions are stored in dry, ventilated rooms, in a dark place with a temperature of 18-20 ° C. If possible, it is better to place the vegetable in a cool, dark pantry with a temperature of 5-10 ° C.
On a note. Inspect the bulbs regularly and remove tainted ones to avoid contaminating the entire crop.
The ways
There are many ideas on how to store onions in an apartment.
Boxes
Place the bulbs in small wooden or plastic boxes. Air circulates freely through the holes in the walls: the bottom and onions remain dry and strong. On sale there are special boxes for storing vegetables. They can be easily stacked on top of each other, which significantly saves space.
Carton boxes
In every house there is unnecessary cardboard containers (boxes for shoes, small household appliances, etc.). It is convenient to store onions in it, you just need to make holes in the walls for ventilation.
Vine baskets
The wicker basket allows air to pass through and the bulbs practically do not rot in it. Choose small ones, up to 5 liters.
Cloth bags
The main thing is that the bags should be made of natural material: burlap, flax, cotton. Put 4-5 kg of onions in a bag and place on shelves or under a bed.
Nylon tights
The time-tested method ensures neat and reliable storage. If you tie a knot over each bulb after the bookmark, then it will be in a kind of individual pocket and will last longer.
Storage in mating
An economical and aesthetic way. Weave a braid with uncut onion leaves and sturdy twine:
- Choose bulbs that are roughly the same size, pick one with the longest, strongest feathers.
- Tie a rope to the base of the foliage of the first head to make three ends: two from the rope, one from the onion tops.
- Weave a simple braid, adding one bow on each side the next time you grab.
- Leave about 10 cm of rope on each side and make a strong loop.
The braids are kept hanging in a cool dry place.
Harvesting and storing other types of onions
Collection and storage of each type of onion has its own characteristics.
Sevok
Sevok is the "youth" stage of onions. From sowing seeds to ripening, it takes 90-100 days. Sevka is usually harvested at the end of August.
The bulbs are small, so harvesting requires delicacy. The soil is dug in with a pitchfork, the onion sets are carefully removed from the garden and cleaned from the ground. Dried for at least two weeks under a canopy, cut off. Store at temperatures up to 20 °FROM in a dry, dark place.
Shallot
Differs in sweet taste and delicate onion. Ripens earlier than onions, and must be harvested before the end of July.Well dried shallots are stored for up to six months in boxes, baskets or bundles.
Leek
This type of onion is cold-resistant and feels great outdoors until the end of September. Leek is removed for storage until frost.Intact plants with a strong bottom are selected, the tops are shortened to 25 cm.
You can save the leek until the middle of winter in the cellar - in a box of wet sand. A layer of sand is poured onto the bottom of the container. Plants are placed upright and covered with sand so that only leaves remain on the surface.
Read also:
How to eat onions for weight loss: recipes for dietary meals.
Conclusion
When to pick onions, it will tell you the state of the plants. The tops turn yellow and dry out, the sap flow stops, the bulbs are covered with dense husks. The harvest time depends from the variety, weather conditions, growing region. As a rule, harvesting time comes in late July - early August. The bulbs are dried, trimmed and sorted before storage. Onions are stored for up to six months in cool dry rooms.