Onions can be called one of the most useful and commonly used vegetables in food. It is almost daily on the tables of most residents. It is added to various dishes, salads, consumed fresh, fried, boiled. But in order to grow it, you need to make some effort. Although this vegetable is considered unpretentious, some manipulations in the form of pruning it will allow you to get a bigger harvest. Many gardeners are still arguing about the advisability of such pruning, but, as practice has shown, this must be done. How to properly carry out the procedure, its necessity, as well as subsequent processing, will be discussed in this article.
Need to trim
There are different opinions about whether it is necessary to cut the onion in the spring before planting, but as it turned out, this procedure is desirable. Its behavior will allow the plant to develop better as a result of the fastest supply of oxygen after the removal of the top.
Considering that the onion has been at rest for a long time, when it is trimmed, it will begin to fork out faster. Thanks to this, the bulbs begin to sprout together, which subsequently leads to a good harvest. Removing the obstruction when cutting will allow the stems to hatch easier and faster.
The benefits of pruning can be attributed to a number of factors.
As a result, stem growth is accelerated. The presence of scales makes it difficult to break through the onion feather. When circumcised, this process is accelerated. The beginning of the formation of heads directly depends on how early green shoots appear.
Acceleration of bulb growth. After carrying out such manipulations, onion heads grow smooth and even, without deformation and other defects.
Circumcision culture has a positive effect on the shelf life of onions.
By cutting the sevok, you can remove bad and damaged specimens with traces of rot. This is extremely important, especially when bacterial infections occur.
The procedure is carried out immediately before planting the crop. If only the tail is cut, this can be done in advance.
How to cut?
There are several ways to carry out the procedure:
If the onions are small, they are cut to the shoulders. This method is most often used, as it is the simplest.
For large bulbs, cut the top off by 1/3.
And you can also cut the onion into 2 parts with a sharp knife. But, according to gardeners, this method is inefficient, as it leads to a decrease in yield.
Pruning may be different depending on the purpose of planting.
If the culture is planted on a feather, you need to cut the head by 1/3. In this case, choose a larger set that can give the maximum amount of greenery. When pruning greenery, it will quickly come off without the presence of torn tips.
When planting a crop on a turnip, only the tops are cut off by 0,5 cm. The material is selected in small and medium sizes.
In the event that a bow is required, and not a feather, they inspect the material, select medium and small onions. After that, the tail is cut off without affecting the head. By cutting to the shoulders, the seedling can be damaged, while the rudiments of feathers will be damaged, without which a quality culture will not grow. After that, the culture is disinfected, hardened and maintained in a nutrient medium.
Winter varieties are prepared for planting in a different way. To do this, the material is rejected and sorted by size. Winter sevok is planted a little denser than spring varieties. At the same time, neither the roots nor the tips are cut off. Soaking the culture and warming it up is also not required.
Most experts in their field advise, after carrying out the manipulations, to soak the planting material in water for 20-24 hours, then plant it in the ground.
When soaking in water, it is desirable to add one of the components in the form:
And also a good option would be to use ready-made growth stimulants, which can be purchased at the store.
Before planting, you should make sure how well the soil has warmed up and what its moisture content is. It is desirable that the distance between the rows be about 25 cm, and between the holes – up to 10 cm. The bulbs are lowered into the depth by 2-3 cm.
For beginners, it is better to trim planting material under the guidance of a more experienced person in this matter, otherwise there is a chance of damaging the neck. Removing it will lead to a sharp decrease in growth. In this case, damage to the first feather also occurs, it begins to grow unevenly, which subsequently leads to decay.
Pruning is best done with secateurs, or use a sharp knife for this. It is desirable to carry out manipulations two days before landing in the ground.
According to most gardeners, soaking and pruning the bulbs further leads to a longer shelf life of the vegetable, an increase in keeping quality.
Having cut off the tops, planting material is laid out for a day next to a warm battery. After 10-12 hours, soaking in fertilizer is performed. Immediately before planting, the bulbs are immersed in a solution of potassium permanganate for 10-15 minutes, then washed with water.
Heating the bulbs at temperatures up to 40 degrees helps to awaken sleeping heads, reduces the likelihood of arrows and powdery mildew appearing in the future.
Post-processing
Subsequently, the garden requires full care, which consists in regular loosening of the soil, removal of weeds, watering. It should be remembered that 30-40 days before harvesting, you should not re-irrigate, otherwise excessive moisture can lead to curbing the ripening of the bulbs and provoke their growth.
Planting garlic or carrots next to a garden bed will also increase crop yields. The presence of these plants will scare away the onion fly from green spaces. But in areas where garlic or carrots used to grow, onion sets should not be planted, otherwise the harvest here will turn out to be meager, the plants will get sick. If there is no other place, you can apply mineral fertilizers by doing this immediately before planting.
It is desirable to plant onions in areas where tomatoes and greens, as well as peas and pumpkins, grew before.
Garden areas that will be freed from snow early, lighted and well-ventilated places are more suitable for this crop.
For the whole season you need to feed the onion 2 or 3 times.
For the first time, top dressing is carried out with a weak growth of leaves. To do this, use the mullein, spreading a glass of it in a bucket of water. When watering, up to 3 liters of solution per 1 sq. meter.
After 14-16 days, a second top dressing is carried out. To do this, dilute 2 tbsp in a bucket of water. spoons of nitroammophoska.
The last top dressing is carried out during the period when the size of the bulbs will resemble a walnut. Feed with a solution consisting of 2 tbsp. tablespoons of superphosphate diluted in a bucket of water.
Since this culture is susceptible to downy mildew, it is necessary to carry out treatments for fungal diseases. This is done during the period when the feather grows by 15 cm, using copper preparations for this. In addition, good results are obtained by processing the beds with ash, tobacco dust, and shag.
