Features of growing onions in hydroponics
The hydroponic growing method allows you to collect a good harvest of vegetables in a limited area in the shortest possible time. All that is required is quality seed and easy installation.
The content of the article
What is hydroponics
Hydroponics - it is a special way of growing plants without soil using a special nutrient solutionwhich is fed to each plant automatically. The solution necessarily contains magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, sulfur and nitrogen in significant quantities. For each culture, the composition is selected individually, taking into account the characteristics and needs.
What is hydroponics used for?
Hydroponic method of growing plants used in small areas in a greenhouse, a private backyard or apartment... The essence of the technology lies in the fact that valuable elements are supplied to the root system in a liquid medium in a metered amount. Support for the roots is created in a special substrate. Like any indoor growing method, hydroponics has its advantages and disadvantages.
Benefits
Onion hydroponic plant allows:
- significantly save usable area and grow plants in closed conditions in several tiers;
- grow vegetables in a clean environment, without using soil or any substance polluting the premises;
- get a crop of excellent quality in the shortest possible time with minimal labor costs;
- fully automate the process of supplying carbon dioxide to the root system, the duration of daylight hours in the greenhouse, and temperature indicators.
Hydroponically grown vegetables, sustainable and safe, do not contain insecticides and other poisonous substances.
disadvantages
The disadvantages of growing cultivated plants in a nutrient solution include financial costs for a special automated installation.
Growing methods in hydroponics
There are several types of cultivation of cultivated plants. by the hydroponic method.
Air method
With the aerial method of growing plants on an aqueous nutrient substrate the root system is in the air, in a closed dark container... The seedlings are nourished through regular spraying of the rhizomes.
Water system
When organizing the cultivation of plants by the water method the root system is dipped in an aqueous solution at the time of planting... However, with this growing method, there is a high probability of root decay.
Substrate
In this case each plant is placed on a special inorganic substrate (expanded clay, crushed stone, sand) or organize a litter of moss, peat or sawdust.
Which onion varieties are suitable for hydroponic cultivation?
The profitability of growing onion on a feather directly depends on the yield of the planting material. Not every variety is suitable for growing onions on a feather using hydroponics.... When buying, it is recommended to pay attention to the number of cobs inside the bulb. To do this, 1-2 copies are selected from the batch and cut along. Bulbs with three or more ears are suitable for forcing.
Attention! Bulbs with a diameter of 3-4 cm are suitable for forcing on greens.
Recommended varieties of onions for greens using hydroponics:
- Ural family;
- Seryozha;
- Seven-year plan;
- Strigunovsky;
- Union;
- Bessonovsky.
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What you need to grow
To organize the process of growing onions on a feather in the limited conditions of an apartment you need a minimum amount of consumables.
Plant preparation
Bulbs from autumn harvest are suitable for best results. To stimulate growth, the bulbs are prepared in stages.:
- Settling in a warm room for 3-5 days.
- Manual cleaning from the top layer of dry husks.
- Bubbling. For this, the prepared bulbs are placed in a container with water and lowered into a compressor unit for 10-12 hours. The temperature of the water in which the bulbs are placed for bubbling is about + 38 ° C.
- Pricking the upper part of the bulb with a thin long needle for intensive oxygen supply to the sprout.
- Disembarkation in specially equipped containers.
Preparing a container for growing at home
For growing onions on a feather using the hydroponic method choose plastic containers with a depth of 20 cm... When growing onions in an aqueous solution, there is a risk of stagnant water and rotting of the root system. To prevent such a situation, the containers are thoroughly washed with 72% laundry soap and rinsed with running water. Then the box is treated with an intense pink solution of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate) and dried.
How to make and install a hydroponic plant
Growing scallions hydroponically is easy at home. To organize hydroponics for onions with your own hands you will need:
- plastic box with a lid, optimal size - 80 × 40 × 20 cm;
- aquarium compressor of minimum power;
- a pair of fluorescent lamps with a switch;
- two pieces of PVC tube 60 cm long with small holes;
- sharp stationery knife, ruler, marker.
The lid should fit snugly against the container and keep out lightso that the root system is in complete darkness.
How to build the installation:
- The lid is marked according to the scheme: 5 holes in width and 10 in length (total 50 holes). Cut out tapered holes with a thin, sharp knife. Additionally, a hole is drilled to enter the tubes from the compressor. The lid is tightly fixed on the box.
- The compressor is connected to PVC pipes, the joint and the free end of the pipe are insulated. The tubes are threaded into the prepared hole and the compressor unit is tightly fixed.
- The tank is filled with warm water to a height of 15-16 cm through the free wells. Prepared planting material is installed in each hole.
- They put the box in a safe warm place near the outlet, fix the fluorescent lamps on top.
Technology
The technology of growing onions in water at home requires compliance with several rules.
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Temperature
The growth rate of a feather directly depends on the temperature of the air in the room and the water in the container. Optimum temperature regime - + 25 ... + 27 ° С... At lower temperatures, feather growth will slow down by 7-10 days.
Shine
Bulbous plants tolerate the lack of a lot of light... When forcing a feather on a heated loggia, you can do without additional lighting. When organizing the process in living rooms, an additional light source is needed to prevent the feather from pulling out. The recommended duration of daylight hours for growing onions using the hydroponic method is 8-10 hours. Once the pen reaches 15-20 cm, you do not need to light it.
Hydroponics solution
Using the hydroponic method, onions are successfully grown in plain water.But you can get high quality greens only on special nutrient solutions. For cooking you will need:
- magnesium sulfate - 0.5 g;
- potassium chloride (potassium salt) - 0.25 g;
- calcium nitrate (calcium nitrate) - 2 g;
- monosubstituted potassium phosphate - 0.5 g;
- ferric chloride - 0.02 g.
The mixture is dissolved in 0.5 l of distilled water, stirred thoroughly until dissolved and diluted with 1.5 l of water again.
An easier, cheaper way to make a formula - use humate, humin, "Epin" according to the manufacturer's instructions.
On a note! It is recommended to change the nutrient solution in the hydroponic plant every 7-8 days.
Care features
For purging, the compressor unit is turned on daily for 30-40 minutes... This procedure avoids stagnation of water and rotting of the root bottom of the vegetable.
When and how to harvest
A direct sign that a feather is ready to be harvested is a soft bulb... When growing onions on a feather on a nutrient solution in compliance with the temperature and light conditions, the harvest is harvested on 13-15 days. To do this, the bulb is taken out of the nest and the old husk is peeled.
Conclusion
Growing onions for herbs using hydroponics at home is a simple and profitable activity. The organization of the process requires a minimum amount of time and money. The expected yield of greens is 70-80% of the weight of the seed. With a responsible attitude to business, a high-quality, expensive harvest is obtained from one container every 13-14 days.