Onion “Exhibition” – How to sow.

Exhibition onion is one of the most popular Dutch varieties today. And this is not surprising, because it compares favorably with the bow we are used to. Why is this variety so fond of gardeners, what are its advantages and disadvantages, how to sow it correctly, and also how to keep ordinary onion sets until spring? Watch the video and read our article for answers to these questions.

How to sow onions “Exhibition”

Bow “Esibishen”: advantages and disadvantages

It is difficult to find a more popular onion variety than Exhibition today. It is sweet, tender, fragrant, without excessive sharpness and bitterness. An equally important advantage of the variety is the incredibly large size of the bulb. The weight of one fruit can reach 1 kg or more.

But, of course, even such a wonderful variety has drawbacks. The main one is a short shelf life – an average of 3-4 months, but not more than six months. That is, the main purpose of this variety is seasonal use for salads, as well as for summer and autumn conservation. Another disadvantage is the long growing period.

When to start sowing?

As already mentioned, the process of growing Exhibition onions takes a long time. For this reason, sowing is carried out from mid-February to April. But you can plant seeds in April. Then from July to the end of September you will be supplied with this wonderful bow.

You need to calculate the sowing time yourself. This always takes into account the region in which you live. Seeds for seedlings are planted at different times:

  • Siberia – mid-March;
  • Central regions – end of February, beginning of March;
  • Southern regions – the second half of February.

Moreover, if for the conditions of the Middle Strip, the Urals and Siberia, it is necessary to grow seedlings, then for warm regions, both the seedling method and planting seeds directly into the ground are suitable.

When to start sowing?

Preparing for planting: choose seeds, containers, soil

Before planting seeds for seedlings, prepare everything you need in advance: seeds, containers, soil. Carefully examine whether they meet the criteria that are put forward for them.

seed

Pay attention to packaging. The grade “Exhibition” should be written on it. The date of production and the expiration date are indicated, as a rule, on the back of the package. Check this information. Seeds must not be expired. The fresher they are, the faster shoots will appear, the seedlings will be stronger.

Емкость

Choose deep pots, trays or other containers for sowing. Their height should be at least 15-20 cm. If you buy too small containers, the roots will quickly grow to the bottom and they will become cramped. You will have to resort to an additional transplant into a deeper dish. A pick is always stressful for a plant. It is better to immediately choose deep containers and transplant seedlings without picks into the ground. The root is less injured, which means that the plant will take root faster, grow and produce a crop.

Ground

Suitable ready-made universal soil for seedlings. It can be purchased at any specialized store. But it is important to pay attention to such a parameter as acidity. It should be at least 5,5 pH. This is an important criterion, since onions do not grow well in acidic soils. It is a good idea to add sand and dolomite flour or chalk to the finished soil composition. Although these additions can be made directly when transplanting into open ground.

The packaging should be labeled “Exhibition”
We choose deep pots, trays or other containers for sowing
When choosing a soil, pay attention to such a parameter as acidity. It should be at least 5,5 pH

Sowing technology

The sowing process is not difficult. You just need to follow certain rules for planting onion seeds:

1. Pour the soil into the container

At the same time, the soil must be compacted periodically. The container should be filled with earth almost to the top. The ground level does not reach the edges of the tray 1,5-2 cm.

2. Pour the soil with water

Water the ground. The soil should sink a little so that the seeds do not fall into the dry ground to the very bottom. Take settled water, at room temperature.

3. Open the package with seeds

Cut off the top of the package with scissors. When you open the package, you will see that the seeds are colored. Most often, their shell is green. This means that the seeds have been processed and are completely ready for sowing. You don’t need to soak them to germinate. Otherwise, the protective shell will dissolve, and it will contain the nutrients necessary for the normal development of seedlings.

Important! It happens that the seeds in the purchased pack were without a protective shell. Then it is advisable to soak them in hydrogen peroxide or potassium permanganate solution before planting.

4. Sow seeds

The seeds are small and planting them is not very convenient. Use a useful life hack from an agronomist:

  • Pour the seeds from the pack onto a light saucer.
  • Drop a small amount of water nearby.
  • Take a wooden skewer or match.
  • Dip it in a drop of water, hook one seed and transfer it to the ground.
  • Lay out the seeds in rows. Retreat 2 cm between rows, and 1,5 cm between seeds.

5. Sprinkle with soil

When the seeds are laid out, sprinkle them with soil on top. The layer thickness should be small – 1,5-2 cm. Spray the soil with water from a spray bottle. Then cover the tray with a plastic bag to achieve a greenhouse effect.

Pour the soil into a container and pour the earth with water
Sow the seeds in the ground with a skewer
Cover the seeds with soil

Conditions for seed germination

Containers with plantings should be placed in a warm place. The temperature should be maintained within 20-25°C. When the first shoots appear, lower the temperature to 14-17°C. This is done because at high air temperatures, the seedlings will grow sharply. The root system is still poorly developed. She will not be able to hold the elongated shoots, and they will fall. At a lower temperature, the upper sprouts will not develop so quickly, and the roots will have time to grow.

How to lower the temperature? One option is to transfer containers with seedlings to a windowsill with an open window, a glazed, frost-proof loggia or balcony. The main thing is that the new place for seedlings be cool and bright.

Onion seeds germinate after sowing in an average of 10-14 days. They will be ready for landing in 2-2,5 months. But if you notice that the onion has already begun to outgrow, and the conditions for transplanting it into open ground are not yet the most comfortable, cut it with scissors. But do not cut more than 1/3 of the height of the feathers, otherwise the seedlings may become weak.

How to save onion sets until planting?

Preserving onion sets until planting is no easy task. After all, it can freeze at low temperatures, germinate at high temperatures, dry out in the absence of moisture, or rot if it is in excess. Therefore, if you want the sevok to “survive” safely before planting, follow these rules:

How to save onion sets until planting?
  • Place the sevoc in special bags. Plastic bags for storage will not work. For these purposes, it is better to take bags made of “breathable”, natural fabrics – cotton, jute, linen. You can easily sew them yourself. Pour sevok into each of them and put a label with the name of the variety. Tie the top of the bag with ribbon.
  • Store in a dry, dark, warm place. It can be a kitchen cabinet, a pantry or a bedside table located near the battery. Another option is to put the bags with sevka in a wooden box or cardboard box and also place them near the radiator in the kitchen and cover with a curtain. It is not necessary to cover the box with a lid.

If you follow these simple rules, your onions will be perfectly preserved until spring planting. Have a generous harvest!

Anna Evans

Author-editor

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