Everything you need to know about onions and their cultivation

Almost every gardener grows onions in his area. The vegetable is actively used for cooking a variety of dishes and is perfectly stored for a long time. The main thing is to provide him with the right care.

Onion is a herbaceous monocotyledonous plant that belongs to the Amaryllis family. Its root system is located not too deep underground. Bulbs can be both round and elongated. Both the root of the plant and its green tubular leaves can be eaten. Onion greens are fragrant and pleasant to the taste. It is used as a seasoning both fresh and dried.

On the arrows that appear after a few months after planting, there are small flowers. They are collected in neat inflorescences. Until the onions bloom, they remain covered with a thin film. When the plants bloom, the dry skin falls off.

They are planted in flower beds and next to fences. They go well with many spring flowers.

People began to grow onions on their plot a very long time ago. The plant was cultivated over three thousand years ago. Asia is considered its homeland.

In Europe and Russia, onions have been grown since the middle of the XNUMXth century. Since that time, vegetables have been actively used in cooking and folk medicine. Growing plants on an industrial scale began about 200 years ago.

For planting onions, it is worth choosing areas with loose soil. The beds should be well lit. Onions in the sun grow very well and do not get sick. Legumes, zucchini, cabbage, cucumbers and potatoes are considered good predecessors for this plant. Carrots, beets and various greens can be planted next to onions.

Seeds are sorted before planting, discarding all damaged specimens. In order for seedlings to be simultaneous, it is worth choosing grains of the same size for sowing. Before planting, it is desirable to treat them with a disinfectant solution. This allows you to increase the resistance of the plant to various diseases.

Before sowing seeds, the soil in the area is carefully dug up. The same furrows are made in it. They should be located at a distance of 15-20 centimeters.

Instead of seeds for planting onions, you can use grown onion sets. It is worth choosing bulbs about 2-3 centimeters in size. Before landing, they also need to be prepared. Onions are heated for several days.

As soon as the soil warms up, the seeds can be planted in open ground. Each small bulb is buried in the soil by 5-7 centimeters. From above it is sprinkled with a thin layer of loose soil. After planting, the plants are watered with warm settled water.

To get a good harvest, plants must be properly looked after. Onion agrotechnology consists of the following activities.

• Watering. Most varieties of onions are watered on a regular basis. In this case, the leaves of the plant remain green and juicy for a long time. Particular attention should be paid to watering if the summer turned out to be hot. The soil on the site is recommended to be mulched. For this purpose, it is best to use dry sawdust or grass. Fine mulch will keep the soil from drying out. In addition, much fewer weeds will appear on the site.

• Top dressing. For good yields, plants are fed 2-3 times per season. The first time this is done two weeks after planting. At this stage fertilizers containing nitrogen are used. They help speed up the growth process. Most often, gardeners at this stage use a solution of chicken manure or herbal tea. The second dressing is applied two weeks after the first. At this time, you can also use products with nitrogen. For the third time, fertilizers are embedded in the soil during the formation of the head. At this stage, top dressing should contain potassium and phosphorus.

• Loosening. So that a dense crust does not form near the stems of the plant, the earth must be regularly loosened. In the process, it is also important to destroy all weeds. Loosening is usually combined with watering the site.

Most varieties of onions in nature are propagated by seeds. At the end of summer, arrows with balls at the edges appear on each plant. They contain small seeds. When the arrows dry up and the seeds turn black, they can be collected and sent for storage.

Sets grown during one season can also be used for planting the next year. The main thing is that it should be of really high quality and healthy.

Onions, like other plants in the garden or in the garden, are often attacked by various pests.

1. Onion tick. These insects damage onions growing both in open ground and in greenhouses. Pests are spreading quite actively. To combat them, potent insecticides are used.

2. Moth. Onion moth caterpillars pose a danger to inflorescences. If this pest appeared on the site, it is recommended to dust the plants with clean ash or tobacco dust. Large caterpillars can be harvested by hand.

3. Nematode. This is another common pest. Its activity leads to inhibition of plants and their death. Carbamide is used to combat these parasites. Before landing on the site, planting material can also be pre-disinfected in a solution of potassium permanganate or an infusion of wood ash.

Onions are often affected by various diseases.

1. Peronosporosis. This disease is also known as downy mildew. It develops most actively in rainy weather. Foliage and stems are covered with a grayish bloom, which darkens over time.

2. Rust. The disease affects onions and garlic in spring. At this time, orange spots form on its foliage. Over time, they begin to turn black. If you ignore this disease, the bulbs will be small, and the green foliage will begin to dry out.

3. Green rot. This disease affects the harvested crop. A dense coating begins to form on the heads. The disease develops most actively in conditions of high humidity.

Harvesting is usually done in early autumn. At this time, the foliage already looks dry and yellow. Prepared bulbs are carefully dug out of the soil. It is best to do this in the evening, in dry and cloudy weather. Plants stop watering 10-15 days before harvest.

After harvesting, the onion must be dried and cleaned of excess husks. As a result, the heads should be clean. The fruits processed in this way are sent for drying for another three weeks. During this time, they have time to ripen and become more tasty. Then the harvest is put into boxes or containers. There they are stored for several months. The main thing is to regularly inspect your stocks. This will prevent the formation of rot and mold.

You can store green onions or heads in other ways.

1. Dry. Onion greens can be finely chopped and dried. In this case, it will be used as a seasoning for the preparation of main dishes and side dishes. Dried herbs can be stored in glass jars or paper bags.

2. In a refrigerator. You can send peeled onions and heads in the husk to the refrigerator. In the container for vegetables, the product will be stored for quite a long time. Cooked onions can be stored in the refrigerator for 7-10 days. This applies to both baked and fried or boiled products.

3. In the freezer. As a rule, chopped onions are sent to the freezer. It is wrapped in cling film. It can be stored there for several months.

4. Marinate. You can cook different types of onions in this way. The product is cleaned and placed in a glass or ceramic container. Then it is poured with a mixture that consists of vinegar, sugar, salt and spices. In jars, onions can be stored for about six months.

Grown for planting next year, onion sets are also harvested in the fall. It is thoroughly dried and sent to a cool room. The temperature there should always be within 2-3 degrees. If the sevok is stored in a warm room, it should be kept away from batteries and heaters.

Knowing all the basic information about onions, anyone can grow it on their site.