Family onions: varieties, cultivation, reviews

Family onions include many varieties that differ in the multi-germ type – several small bulbs (up to 10 units) are combined in one head. The mass of the nest varies from 150 g to 300 g. The varieties are disease resistant, juicy, soft in taste and excellent in aroma.

family bow

Distinctive characteristics of the family bow

The family variety of onions is considered a common crop, which was first bred in the Northern regions of Russia. Breeders tried to grow an onion plant that survives in harsh climatic conditions. For many decades, scientists have improved varieties, achieving the highest levels of productivity, early maturity and long-term preservation.

Characteristic features of the family bow:

  • the average ripening period from planting the seed material to harvesting is 60-70 days;
  • storage period – 11-12 months;
  • increased resistance to cold;
  • preservation of taste and nutrients throughout the entire shelf life;
  • the possibility of planting before winter and spring;
  • husk color – golden, brown, purple, bronze, depending on the particular variety;
  • the shade of the core is more often white or pink, less often purple;
  • high yield;
  • lack of ability to shoot;
  • disease resistance;
  • unpretentiousness;
  • the possibility of cultivation on the head and feather.

Family onions are used for preservation, marinades, cooking first and second courses, cold appetizers, salads.

Varieties of family onions

There are many varieties of family onions, which have their own characteristics:

  1. Ryzhik belongs to the middle varieties. The heads have an oblong shape, snow-white flesh, bright golden scales. The taste is spicy, the number of bulbs in one head is a maximum of 10. The weight of each is 50-70 g.
    Ryzhik
  2. Monastic – an early bow, the Kostroma province is considered the birthplace. The shape is rounded-elongated, the mass of the bulbs is up to 65-70 g, the color of the husk is pinkish, the pulp is white-pink. The number of onions is 8 pieces, the taste is weak spicy.Monastic
  3. Old Believer – sharp in taste, selected in the Vologda region. The shape of the head is round-oblong, the color is copper-yellow, the number of bulbs is 10 units of 70-80 g.
    Old Believer
  4. Княжич – a large variety with bulbs of 80 g, which are formed up to 10 pieces per head. The hue of the husk is brown-pink, the pulp is characterized by juiciness and a pleasant taste.
    Княжич
  5. Великоустюгский has a brown-red shirt, the number of bulbs reaches 10 units weighing 50-80 g. The taste is quite sharp.
    Великоустюгский
  6. Prometheus has a mild taste, high juiciness. The pulp is a snow-white shade, the husk is red-brown, the shape is round. The head contains 8 bulbs weighing 70-75 g.
    Prometheus
  7. Albic – an early ripe variety with rounded flat bulbs, yellow scales. This is a small onion that contains several elements weighing 30-50 g. The peculiarity is that it is mostly grown for greenery.
    Albic
  8. Grant – the most gigantic bow with 12 heads. The weight of the bulb reaches 200 g, the taste is spicy, the flesh is juicy.
    Grant
  9. Pesandor – has a mild taste and an ultra-high content of heads in the nest – 15-20 pieces. The flesh has a purple hue.
    Pesandor

There are other varieties that are intended for the Northern latitudes – Siberian yellow, Grasshopper, Krepysh, Sprint and for the Southern regions – Rostov, Russian purple, Kuban yellow.

Reproduction of the family onion

Family onions reproduce exclusively vegetatively, since several bulbs are located in one head. For disembarkation, medium ones are used, from which small components are removed. This must be done carefully so as not to damage the root system.

The variety is planted directly in open ground or in a greenhouse for seedling cultivation.

Preparing a family bow for planting

Bulb crops, like other vegetables, must be prepared before planting, which increases yields, speeds up the process of pecking heads and seedling growth.

Preparatory activities include three steps – processing planting material, choosing a location based on crop rotation, and preparing beds.

Seed preparation

Before planting the bulbs, perform the following manipulations:

  1. Peel off the upper layers of the husk, under which pathogenic microorganisms can be localized. It is they who further contribute to the development of diseases, especially fungal ones.
  2. Treat the bulbs with a disinfectant. To do this, you can use a solution of manganese or copper sulfate. Soak in liquid for 2-3 hours. In the store you can buy special disinfectants (Maxim and the like).
  3. Rinse the bulbs with clean water.
  4. Soak planting material in humic fertilizer, organics and minerals or growth stimulants. Soak in the solution for 10 hours.
  5. Put the bulbs in a common container, put it in an unheated place. Roots will grow in a few days.
  6. Before planting, cut off the tops of the heads for seedling growth.

How to prepare a family bow for planting, as well as methods of protection against onion flies, see the following video:

Bed preparation

First of all, choose a place – sunny, without strong winds. This should be done in the fall, as the beds are prepared immediately after the previous harvest. Since the soil is required to be loose, the garden is dug up to the height of a shovel bayonet. At the same time, fertilizers are applied (norm per 1 sq. M):

  1. 15 g of potassium salt and 25 g of superphosphate.
  2. Humus or compost – 5 kg.

Rules of crop rotation

Crop rotation is an important agricultural technique that optimizes the exploitation of the soil, replenishing the missing resources in a natural way.

Each culture has a special effect on the composition and structure of the soil, so different vegetables need to be alternated with each other when planting. Otherwise (when only one crop is cultivated in the garden), the land is subjected to the depletion of one or another nutrient or their complex. In addition, pest larvae can accumulate, which devour, for example, only nightshade crops.

Onions are strictly forbidden to grow in one area every year. You can return to the previous beds only after 3 years.

The best predecessors for onion family crops:

  • tomatoes;
  • celery;
  • white cabbage, kohlrabi;
  • squash, zucchini;
  • potatoes;
  • spinach, lettuce;
  • pumpkin;
  • eggplant.

Worst predecessors:

  • garlic and onions;
  • radish and radish;
  • beans and peas;
  • cucumber and dill;
  • sunflower and corn;
  • parsnips and parsley.

It is customary to plant vegetable crops, based on the beneficial effect on each other, in the neighborhood. Family onions go well with cucumbers, beets, tomatoes, carrots, strawberries, spinach and lettuce.

It is undesirable to plant onions next to kohlrabi and broccoli, turnips and dill, radishes, peas, beans, parsley, cabbage, lettuce.

Onions can be planted in close proximity to desired crops or planted in a specific pattern. For example, make 2-4 rows with onions, 1 row with carrots, again 2-4 rows with onions, 1 row with tomatoes, etc.

Planting a family bow

Family onions are planted according to a certain pattern depending on the type of variety, but the distance between the bulbs, in contrast to the slightly germinal varieties, is much greater.

This is due to the fact that one head contains several bulbs that grow to the sides. If you do not follow this rule, the heads grow small.

Terms of planting

The biological feature of the family onion is that the root system develops better at cool temperatures. For example, for the roots, the optimum temperature is from +2 to +20 degrees, for the green part – +15-25. Onions at the stage of formation of the root system and heads are not afraid of frost, up to -6-7, but excessively hot weather does no harm.

These indicators allow you to plant a crop at any time of the year – in early autumn, spring or before winter. You can sow onions at any time, but you should pay attention to the requirements of agricultural technology for a particular variety.

Schemes

The depth of laying family onions varies from 2 to 3 cm, the distance between rows should not be less than 30 cm, more than 40 cm. The distance between seedlings depends on the size of the grown bulbs:

  • small varieties require 10 cm;
  • medium-sized – 15 cm;
  • large – up to 30 cm.

The process of planting family onions in open ground

Planting family onions in open ground:

  • loosen the beds by adding saltpeter (per 1 sq. M – 7 g of the substance);
  • level the surface of the earth;
  • make grooves or holes according to the chosen pattern;
  • pour plenty of water;
  • sprinkle with wood ash;
  • install bulbs;
  • sprinkle with soil and tamp.

Pesandor

It is not recommended to moisten the beds after planting, but mulching is desirable to maintain the optimum level of humidity.

How to grow family onions in seedlings?

When planting onions in open ground, they have to be thinned out, not all heads can sprout, young sprouts have to be protected from heavy rains. With the seedling method, these problems do not arise.

How to sow onions for seedlings:

  • process the seed material in the standard way;
  • plant the bulbs in wooden boxes, watering abundantly with water;
  • cover with plastic wrap until the first shoots form.

During the growing season, periodically moisten the soil, maintain the temperature from +14 to +25 degrees. Once, you can feed chicken manure diluted with water in a ratio of 10: 1.

You can plant in the ground after the stabilization of weather conditions. The planting time depends on the climate – the seedlings are ready for transplantation in 30-50 days, depending on the variety.

Transplant process:

  • abundantly water the seedlings in the box;
  • dig the bulbs with a tool, pull out the heads;
  • slightly trim the roots – 4 cm should remain;
  • pour a solution of slurry into the prepared hole;
  • plant seedlings;
  • dig in the ground;
  • pour plenty of water;
  • lay down the mulch.

After disembarkation, after 3 days, carry out loosening.

Features of landing before winter

Almost all varieties of multigerm onions are suitable for planting before winter, as they withstand frost. But for this there is one condition – a strengthened root system, so you need to take into account the timing of planting. Therefore, family onions are planted 1,5-2 months before frost, in late September – early October.

The preparatory measures and the disembarkation process are identical to the rules for landing in the spring. Before the onset of frost, onions must be mulched. The height of the mulch should be at least 6-8 cm.

How to care for family onions?

To grow a decent crop, family onions need to be properly looked after.

Watering

When growing onion crops, gardeners want to get not only heads, but also green mass. A family variety, due to the presence of several bulbs in the head, gives a plentiful feather. And to achieve this, watering is necessary. Moisturizing begins after the formation and growth of seedlings by 8 cm.

Watering rules:

  1. Watering is enough to carry out 1 time in 6-7 days. For 1 sq. m requires 16-20 liters of water.
  2. Rainwater is used to moisten the soil. If this is not possible, you can use tap water, but be sure to defend it for 3-4 days.
  3. The water should be warm (the plant gets sick and dies from the cold), so leave the liquid collected in the container under the open rays of the sun.

It happens that with sufficient watering, the green mass turns yellow, so inexperienced gardeners increase the amount and frequency of moisture. This is not worth doing, as the reason lies in the lack of minerals. To get rid of the problem, make a solution of ammonium nitrate or sprinkle wood ash on the plants.

Mulching

Thanks to mulching, you can save time, water and effort, and prevent the growth of weeds. The filled material maintains the required level of humidity for a long period, so the frequency of watering is reduced. Mulch forms a dense, porous layer that is difficult for weeds to break through.

The procedure is carried out immediately after rain or moisture. For this, only natural materials are used – grass, tops of other crops, hay, straw, sawdust, pine needles.

Feeding

Family onions do not require fertilization, as fertilizing is carried out before planting. But, if you notice wilting or yellowing of the feathers, as well as the growth of the bulbs, use the following:

  1. For 10 liters of water, take 15 g of potassium salt and 10 g of ammonium nitrate.
  2. Dilute chicken manure in a ratio of 1:15/20.

Pesandor

Loosening

It is necessary to loosen the soil between the rows the next day after watering. For the whole season, 4 procedures are enough under normal weather conditions.

If the summer is very dry, and cracking crusts form on the surface of the earth, it will be necessary to loosen the soil more often. Along with loosening, weeding is also carried out.

Pest and disease control

Family onions are considered resistant to diseases, but under adverse conditions, fungal diseases most often occur. Sometimes plants are affected by pests.

How to deal with the most common diseases and insects:

  1. With the defeat of Fusarium, which is characterized by the formation of rot on the bulb, watering is completely stopped. Plants are treated with a solution of copper sulfate (1%) or copper oxychloride.
  2. For prevention, a solution of copper sulphate is used – 5 g, water – 10 l, crushed laundry soap – 50 g.
  3. To protect against pests, the beds are sprinkled with tobacco dust, ground black pepper.
  4. It is useful to water the aisles with saline – per 10 l 200 g.
  5. Of particular danger is the onion fly, which infects the family variety. To destroy it, drugs are used: Iskra, Inta-Vir, Mukhoed, Zemlin.
  6. It is desirable to plant marigolds and carrots near the beds.
  7. You can boil mint and coniferous needles, water the beds.

Forming an onion nest

The nest of the family onion is formed in order to get larger heads. This must be done from the end of June. The optimal number of onion elements for their growth is 4-5 pieces.

How is the procedure performed:

  • inspect the head, slightly moving the soil away from it;
  • carefully separate the extra onions without pulling the head out of the hole and without damaging the root system;
  • dig up the bulbs.

Harvesting

The harvest time for family onions depends on the cultivar, but you can also determine it yourself by external signs – the feathers dry out and fall. Bulbs should be harvested under favorable weather conditions. It should be morning, because after harvesting the bulbs are laid out on the beds under the direct rays of the sun to dry.

In rainy weather, the bow is transferred to a warm, ventilated room, placed on a woven material so that it breathes from all sides. In this case, you need to turn the heads 2-3 times a day.

How to collect family onions?

In order for the onion to be preserved for a long time, it is necessary to adhere to the basic rules of collection:

  • it is forbidden to pull out the heads by pulling the tops;
  • first you need to dig vegetables;
  • then gently pull, holding the base (neck) with your hand;
  • lightly shake off the dirt without hitting each other or other objects;
  • spread out to dry;
  • cut off the green mass, leaving a neck of 3-4 cm;
  • dry again until completely dry in the room for several days or weeks, depending on the level of humidity;
  • cut off the roots by 1-2 cm;
  • discard damaged bulbs.

Storage Rules

After you have collected and prepared family bulbs, they are sent for long-term storage. The room can be an apartment (kitchen, pantry, drawers, balcony) or a cellar. Requirements based on storage location:

  1. In room conditions, the allowable temperature regime is from +18 to +22 ° С, air humidity – 60-70%. You can store it in different ways:
    • in a cardboard box;
    • in old nylon stockings;
    • in bags made of natural fabric;
    • in wicker baskets;
    • in paper bags;
    • in polypropylene nets;
    • in the form of braids, which are woven from bulbs with uncircumcised tops.
  2. In the basement, the temperature is 0-4 degrees Celsius, humidity is a maximum of 85%. You can store the heads in boxes made of wood or plastic, which are filled with sand, sawdust. A prerequisite is to drill holes to eliminate excessive moisture and air penetration.

Onion storage

Drying family onions

If the family onion is not fully dried, in the future it will undergo putrefactive diseases, so it will become impossible to keep it for a year.

The first time the crop is dried in the beds, and the secondary drying requires the following conditions:

  1. Drying time – minimum 10 days, maximum 20 days.
  2. Place – attic, ventilated room, street (under a canopy).
  3. Method – spread out on a woven material, hang in a bundle.

helpful hints

Beginner gardeners quite often make mistakes that prevent them from getting a good crop of family onions. To prevent this, use the advice of experienced:

  1. Do not be afraid to plant multi-germ varieties in early spring – they are not afraid of frost.
  2. When choosing seed material, keep in mind that feathers grow more from small bulbs, from medium bulbs – heads, from large bulbs – neither one nor the other will work. The fact is that there will be little greenery, and the bulbs will grow small.
  3. If the rules for harvesting and storing the crop are not followed, planting material for the next year will be of poor quality.
  4. If the feathers suddenly turn yellow, it means that they lack nitrogen or potassium. To solve the problem, carry out the appropriate top dressing.
  5. But before fertilizing, carefully inspect the plants. Perhaps the leaves turn yellow due to pests – onion flies and their larvae.
  6. Oddly enough, but yellowing of greenery can occur with excessive soil moisture.
  7. If the growth goes only to the feather, then the onion was planted too late, when the temperature of the air and soil did not contribute to the growth of the root system.
  8. Heads do not ripen with an excess of nitrogen fertilizers.
  9. For the growth of heads immediately after planting, try not to water the soil at all for about 6-7 days.

Reviews

Galina Vasilievna, 57 years old, summer resident, Kaliningrad region. I didn’t always like family varieties of onions. I attribute this to the fact that they have small heads (compared to ordinary onions). I don’t want to spend a lot of time cleaning the vegetable later. And once a neighbor treated me to the Monastic variety, and I liked it to taste, and I noted for myself that such onions can be cut very finely without any effort.

Igor, 31 years old, Krasnoyarsk. Multi-growth onions (family) are easy to grow even in our region – it grows during frosts, the harvest is rich, the taste is excellent. Yes, and does not require special care. But for planting I always choose precocious options.

Natalya Gulyaeva, 36 years old, farmer. I have been growing family onions for five years now, I take different varieties of it for this, and the result is always the same positive – high yield, unpretentiousness, excellent bulbs, so I recommend it.

The yield and taste characteristics of family onions depend on the quality of care for them. With care and diligence, you will collect tasty, juicy and healthy vegetables. And if you collect and store it correctly, it will last you until next spring.

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Anna Evans

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