Why don't onions grow in the garden? Why do onions grow small? Onions grow poorly on turnips, what to do?

First you need to plant the seedlings correctly. The culture does not like clay soil or high acidity. If the soil is of this particular type, then the beds must be fertilized with peat and sand. To increase alkalinity when digging the soil, dolomite flour should be added. It is recommended to do this in the fall, not in the spring. Therefore, it is necessary to plan the landing site in advance.

Special attention is paid to the location of the beds. You cannot plant a vegetable in a place where onions or garlic previously grew. The ideal option is if the predecessor of the crop was tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers or early potatoes. Do not plant onions in shaded, unventilated places.

The formation of beds occurs as follows. The soil is carefully dug up and all weeds are removed. Next, the soil is disinfected with a solution of copper sulfate. To prepare the composition, you need to stir 1 tbsp in 10 liters of water. a spoonful of the substance.

Watering the beds is carried out at the rate of 2 liters per 1 sq. meter. It is recommended to sprinkle a little regular salt on the garden bed - it repels the onion fly, which can ruin the future crop harvest.

The width of the bed can be any. However, the plant loves space, which must be taken into account when planting.

Before planting, the bulbs are kept for 20-30 minutes in a solution of potassium permanganate. This helps disinfect seeds and increase their resistance to various types of bacteria.

You can use a special humic fertilizer.

You can also use another method. 2 days before planting, soak the bulbs in a warm (45 degrees) solution of potassium permanganate for 10-15 minutes. Next, peel the seeds to white scales and spread them on wet sawdust for 1-1.5 days. During this time, small roots appear. Such bulbs are planted immediately. They produce feathers very quickly, and the harvest is distinguished by its large quantity and good quality.

For planting, choose only strong, healthy bulbs measuring 1.5-2.0 cm. Larger seeds are prone to bolting, so they are used to produce greens. Dry tops are cut off, which allows the seeds to germinate faster.

Onions are planted in furrows, the distance between which is approximately 20 cm. The distance between sets in one furrow should be 10-15 cm.

Planting time depends on the region and climate. In the middle zone, it is better to plant seedlings in early May. Later planting reduces yield, and early planting leads to a decrease in head size. In addition, such a vegetable does not last long.

Sevok can be planted in spring or autumn. In both cases, you can get a rich harvest if you plant the crop correctly and care for it.

When planting onions in the spring, further care consists of fertilizing and loosening the beds. If the seedlings are planted in the fall, then it is important to prepare them for wintering. The future harvest depends on the correct implementation of the process.

The crop should be planted in mid-October. After planting, the onions are covered with peat humus mixture. Immediately before frost, the vegetable is covered with a layer of peat or sawdust 3-4 cm thick. You can also use spruce branches, they also protect the crop well from frost. When snow falls, snow is thrown over the beds.

In spring, water should not be allowed to stagnate in the beds. Therefore, as soon as the snow has melted, it is necessary to remove the sprinkles. Remove it carefully so as not to damage the plantings.

If some seeds do not germinate, then a new set is planted in their place. And, on the contrary, if the seeds are planted too often, they are thinned out.

Caring for sets

To grow a rich harvest of onions, you need to properly care for them. Proper care consists of cultivating the soil, removing weeds and feeding with various substances.

It is necessary to organize abundant watering of onions in the first half of summer. On average per 1 sq. meter you need to consume 6-8 liters of water. You need to water the onion carefully so as not to break the feather. Only warm water can be used. Watering with cold water leads to the development of downy mildew. Towards the end of vegetative growth, the amount of watering should be reduced. At this time, so much water is no longer required. Three weeks before harvest, watering is completely stopped.

The beds must be promptly cleared of weeds. It is worth noting that when the onion grows, it needs to be handled very carefully. The culture's feathers are fragile and can break from minor impacts. Weeds need to be removed regularly, as they help retain moisture on the surface. This, in turn, leads to a decrease in resistance to damage by various fungal diseases. In addition, the neck becomes juicy, which negatively affects the storage of the vegetable - the onion begins to rot.

If the bow has given arrows, then they should be broken off. The sooner this is done, the better. Otherwise, the bulb will not grow to normal size, and it will not be stored for long.

Top dressing

Several treatments are carried out throughout the season. They enrich the soil with essential nutrients that promote healthy crop growth. More details of fertilizing are indicated in Table 1.

Table 1. Feeding onions

Top dressingCooking methodProcessing time
Organic fertilizers - bird droppings or mullein1 liter of manure or 250 ml of bird droppings per 10 liters of water. You can add 1 cup of ash to the solutionProcessing is carried out when the second feather appears. Average consumption – 2 liters per 1 sq. meter.
Urea enriched with superphosphate and potassium30 g of superphosphate, 10 g of urea and 5 g of potassium are mixed in 10 liters of waterProduced 2 weeks after feeding with manure or bird droppings. The same fertilizing should be done in late June-early July. The average consumption is 5 liters per 1 sq. meter.
Liquid soap solution with copper oxychloride1 tbsp. spoon of each component per 10 liters of waterTreatment is carried out when the length of the feather reaches 12-15 cm. The solution prevents the risk of developing fungal diseases.

Some gardeners claim that if the soil was thoroughly prepared before planting, then further cultivation can be abandoned. However, during the growing season, seedlings require nutrients, so you should not refuse to enrich the soil with fertilizers.

Onions are harvested in late July-early August. A vegetable ripens when the growth of new feathers stops and their lodging begins. The bulbs must be dried in the sun for two weeks, then the feathers must be trimmed and kept for a few more days at a temperature of 30-35 degrees. Store the harvest in a dry room in containers with good air exchange.

To obtain a rich onion harvest, you should follow the following recommendations from experienced gardeners:

  1. It is better to place beds with onions with beds of carrots. Carrots repel onion flies, and onions, in turn, help get rid of carrot flies.

  2. Fresh manure and potassium chloride should not be used for fertilizing; they have a negative effect on crop growth.
  3. An excess of nitrogen fertilizers should not be allowed; they promote good feather growth, but have a negative effect on the development of the bulb.
  4. You should not pick feathers, as this can lead to various infections.
  5. If the crop is affected by the onion fly, then it is necessary to treat the beds with saline solution. To do this, dissolve 1 glass of ordinary salt in 10 liters of warm water.

  6. It is not recommended to plant seedlings in the same place every year. This is due to the fact that soil reserves are depleted and the risk of onions being affected by diseases increases.
  7. It is better to prepare beds for planting seedlings in the fall.
  8. The bulbs will be elongated if planted at greater depths.
  9. You cannot plant seedlings in soil that is too soft and thoroughly loosened. The seeds go deep, which affects their growth rate and the size of the bulbs.
  10. Do not plant onions in a poorly ventilated place. Stagnation of moisture leads to the development of diseases and infections.

  11. To get a good harvest, it is recommended to heal the seeds. To do this, the sets should be heated to a temperature of 40 degrees for 8-9 hours before storage.

The quality of the crop is also affected by diseases that can affect crops. These include downy mildew, neck rot and bottom rot. All of them develop as a result of waterlogging of the soil, the use of unhealthy seeds, and planting onions in a poorly ventilated place. Therefore, it is important to monitor quality plant care.

Thus, to obtain a rich onion harvest, it is necessary to properly care for the plant and feed it. The choice of planting site and the use of healthy bulbs is also important. In general, the culture is unpretentious. Caring for it is simple; even an amateur gardener can handle it.

Video - Watering and fertilizing onions

Video - How to grow onions

After planting in open ground, onions requires careful care. Watering and fertilizing play a key role here, because water and fertilizers are the main sources of nutrients necessary for growth. Therefore, if the onion does not grow well, the first thing to do is feed.

Basic rules of watering:

  • Water the onions It is recommended to use a watering can with a strainer, carefully so as not to damage the feather.
  • Approximately 3 weeks before harvesting, stop watering the onions - this helps to avoid cracking of the bulbs and increase shelf life.
  • Water the onions generously, moistening the soil to a depth of 15-20 cm.
  • The optimal time for watering is evening.
  • When a crust forms after watering, the soil is loosened to open oxygen access to the root system.
  • However, onions also do not tolerate excess moisture well, so experts recommend sprinkler watering systems for them. Such a system facilitates accurate dosing of water.
  • It is useful to add fertilizers to water for irrigation, thus combining watering with fertilizing.

How often and how much to water onions?

The frequency of watering onions depends on weather conditions and the stage of plant development. So, in June, when the weather is mostly hot and dry, water consumption is approximately 10-liter bucket per 1 square meter. In July, the frequency of watering remains the same - once every 8-10 days, but water consumption decreases. Approximately a month before harvesting, watering is stopped - this reduces the risk of cracking of the bulbs and they are stored longer. Based on the recommendations given in the dacha literature that how often and how much to water onions, we have compiled a watering calendar table.

Watering calendar:

How to feed onions to grow?

If onions grow poorly, in addition to watering, they carry out feeding. To do this, use a solution of mullein with water in a ratio of 1 to 12. Add 30 g of ammonium nitrate to the bucket of the solution.

Feed onions mineral fertilizers can be used from the moment of emergence of seedlings:

  • In the first week, add ammonium nitrate according to the instructions on the package.
  • In the next 3 weeks, add ammonium nitrate, any water-soluble complex fertilizer and calcium nitrate.

The composition of mineral supplements is adjusted taking into account the growing season of the variety and the condition of the plants:

  • In the first half of the growing season, nitrogen fertilizing is necessary.
  • In the 2nd half of the growing season - phosphorus-potassium (excess nitrogen at this time is dangerous due to the likelihood of neck rot developing on the bulbs).

Three-time feeding scheme with mineral fertilizers:

Feeding onions with folk remedies

In addition to those listed above, there are many other feeding options. For the most part, these are folk remedies that gardeners share on country forums:

  • Feeding with ash and mullein infusion. Wood ash is scattered on the surface of the earth around the plants or an ash solution is prepared for irrigation in the dosage: 1 teaspoon of wood ash per 1 liter of water. It is recommended to alternate feeding onions with ash with mullein infusion (diluted in water 1:12). Important: you need to feed at sufficient intervals. .
  • Watering the onions with yeast. Very often onions are fed with yeast. The main ingredient here is dry or fresh yeast and bread crumb. Recipe: 500 gr. dissolve the bread crumb in a 10-liter bucket of warm water, add 500 gr. fresh green grass and 500 gr. fresh yeast. The solution should be infused for 2 days. Fertilizing with yeast infusion is carried out instead of traditional watering.
  • Watering onions with ammonia will help, if the feathers of the onion have turned yellow. Experienced gardeners are sure that this is a sign of nitrogen deficiency. For feeding, prepare a solution: 3 tbsp. l. ammonia per 10 liters of water. The resulting solution is poured under the roots of the onion in the evening.

Finding a gardener in our latitudes who does not grow onions on his plot is not an easy task. But it’s even more difficult to find that lucky person who has never in his entire career as a homestead farmer asked himself the question why, despite all the weeding, fertilizing and watering, this censored onion turns yellow in the garden, without any twinge of his onion conscience? Agree, this is really very offensive. Especially if this is not the first time something like this has happened. And then gardeners wonder what to water the onions so as not to turn yellow. For those who prefer to see freshly picked green onions in a delicious summer salad, we have prepared this useful material.

Onions are perhaps one of the oldest cultivated plants known to our civilization. The first mention of onion cultivation dates back to the 4th millennium BC. It is known for certain that in Ancient Egypt the bow was considered a gift from the gods. In the ancient world, since the time of Hippocrates, onions were valued not only as a vegetable, but also as a medicinal product. In ancient Rome, red onions were part of the mandatory diet of legionnaires, and Emperor Nero ate leeks with olive oil to strengthen his voice (he was a lover of singing). Today, more than 400 varieties of “cultivated” onions are known.

Healthy onions in the beds should look something like this

Why onions turn yellow in the garden: five reasons and methods of control

Before trying on the light clothes of onion gurus, we must immediately make a reservation - onions in the garden turn yellow not only because of diseases and other negative influences, which will be discussed below. In August-September, onion stems begin to wither, for a completely natural reason - the crop is ripe and ready for harvest. In this case, you have nothing to worry about - you did everything right. A fair question is “What to do?” if an onion feather turns yellow at a time when, according to all the laws of the genre, it is supposed to continue to grow and grow. Then the source of the “onion grief” should be sought in five possible directions:

  • insect pests;
  • illness;
  • soil condition;
  • improper care of plants;
  • unfavorable weather conditions.

Now let's look at these misfortunes in more detail and get acquainted with ways to eliminate them.

Reason one: pests

The following can cause significant damage to onion plantings:

Onion fly (Delia antiqua)

These harmful insects, or rather their larvae, are equally dangerous to both traditional onions and more “noble” varieties - chives, shallots, leeks, etc. During the flowering of dandelion and lilac (approximately in the second half May) the female onion fly lays eggs in the soil next to the plant or under the first dry scales and between the green leaves of the onion. After 5-8 days, the larvae burrow into the bulb (mainly from the bottom) and begin to feed intensively. The onions in the garden turn yellow and then die completely. How to save onions from onion flies? To permanently ruin this pest's appetite, we recommend using the following methods.

In this photo, the onion fly is a malicious pest of onions.

  • Plant onions in the soil as early as possible. Then he will have time to gain strength before the flies appear.
  • Sow onions along with carrots. The fly cannot tolerate the smell of carrots.
  • Use deterrents during summer and egg laying, for example, mix 200 g of wood ash with 1 tsp. tobacco dust and 1 tsp. ground pepper, dust 1 sq.m. with this mixture. planting onions. After the procedure, loosen the soil.
  • Against larvae in the soil for 15 sq.m. you can add 30 g of Bazudin granules mixed with 0.5 liters of sand.
  • Do not plant onions in the same place every year. The onion bed can be used once every four years.
  • At the beginning of summer, flies (if Bazudin was not added to the soil) onion plantings can be treated with Confidor, Leptotsid, Mospilan, Nurell-D.
  • If the larvae have already penetrated the bulb (the feathers wilt, the tips of the leaves turn yellow), then spraying with Creocide PRO will help save the plantings.

The emergence of onion fly larvae from eggs

There is another popular method of combating onion flies - treatment with saline solution (200 grams of salt per 10-liter bucket of water). The effect is enhanced by adding a small amount of ammonia. The first watering is carried out when the length of the feather reaches 8 cm. In this case, you need to try not to get it on the leaves. During the season, 2-3 such procedures may be required, before the summer of the new generation of flies. This method has been tested for years, but it leads to soil salinity, and excess chlorine and sodium inhibit plants. Therefore, it must be used very carefully.

The development of the larvae lasts about 3 weeks, then they go into the soil to pupate. After a certain time, a new generation appears, and everything starts all over again. The second generation is harmful in mid-to-late July. In the southern regions, the onion fly can produce a third generation. Pupae overwinter at a depth of 4 to 10 cm.

Onion snail (Ceuthorrhynchus jakovlevi)

This beetle feeds on onion leaves. Its larvae (yellowish, with a brown head, legless, about 0.7 cm) eat away longitudinal passages in the pulp of the leaves, which are visible through the skin. Of course, onion plantings turn yellow in the beds. To get rid of a secretive proboscis you need to do the following:

The onion secretive beetle lives throughout Russia

  • Thorough cleaning of the bed after harvesting. Unharvested onion remains are an ideal place for beetles to overwinter;
  • deep digging of the soil before the onset of cold weather. The beetle does not tolerate frost;
  • if the pest is small in number, it can be collected. By the way, beetles are very shy; at the slightest touch they fall to the ground;
  • loosening the rows with the addition of repellents (wood ash, ground red and black pepper, mustard powder)
  • during mass dispersal during the growing season, onions can be sprayed with “Karbofos” at the rate of 60 g (1 package) per 10 liters of water. 1 liter of the resulting solution is treated with 10 sq.m. landing After treatment, the feather should not be eaten for some time.

Larva of a secretive beetle at a crime scene

Stem (onion) nematode (Ditylenchus dipsaci Kuhn)

An innocent-looking, barely noticeable thread-like “worm”. Adults and larvae feed on plant sap, as a result of which the onion feathers turn yellow and dry out. The bottom is destroyed, the rudiments begin to grow through the cracks, it seems that the bulb is turning outward. The main danger of these microscopic (1-1.5 mm) pests is that they occupy the soil for decades. Determining the presence of nematodes in non-onion beds is very difficult. However, over the centuries-old history of fighting this pest, very effective combat techniques have been invented and tested:

Stem nematode (visible only under a microscope)

  • Do not plant onions in one place; return to their original bed no earlier than after 4 years.
  • Plant only healthy planting material.
  • Before planting, treat onions with hot water (45 degrees) for 6 minutes or with a salt solution (3 tablespoons of salt per 3 liters of water) for 20 minutes.
  • Sow calendula or tagetis (marigolds) between the rows of onions. You can water the onions with marigold tincture.

Onion (tobacco) thrips (Thrips tabaci Lind)

A yellowish or brownish insect whose body length is not more than 1 mm. The larvae are wingless, gray-white or greenish-yellow. Thrips damage not only onions, but also garlic, cucumbers, and flower crops. They feed on plant sap by sucking it out. The leaves fade, turn yellow, and dry out. They overwinter in the top layer of soil, on the remains of vegetation, under onion scales. Females lay brownish small eggs singly in leaf tissue. The larvae hatch after 5 days.

Onion (tobacco) thrips

  • Crop rotation;
  • Pre-planting 10-minute disinfection of the seeds with hot water (45 ° C) with further immersion in cold water;
  • Spraying the plantings with a solution of “Confidor” (1 ml per 10 liters of water) or “Iskra” (1 tablet per 10 liters of water). Per 100 sq.m. use 10 liters of insecticidal solution.

Onion moth (Acrolepiopsis assectella)

Causes enormous damage to onion plantings in dry, warm weather. The leaves begin to turn yellow and dry out from the tops, and longitudinal asymmetrical spots called mines appear on them.

Onion moth

The first generation of caterpillars damage in late May - June. Butterflies are small (no more than 0.8 cm, with a wingspan of up to 1.4 cm). Their summers occur in July, exclusively at night. Females lay yellowish eggs, 0.5 mm in size, singly on the soil near plants or at the base of leaves. The emerging caterpillars (yellowish-green in color with brownish warts, about 1 cm long) penetrate the leaves and feed there. In October, butterflies hatch from pupae and overwinter in shelters. In the spring they begin to fly.

Onion moth caterpillar

  • Crop rotation;
  • Cleaning of plant residues;
  • Digging the soil before frost;
  • Spraying onion moths with Iskra solution (1 tablet per 10 liters of water) during the summer. 1 liter of insecticidal solution is enough for 10 sq.m. planting onions.

Notes in the margins

The most effective method of combating harmful insects is “war on all fronts.” The fact is that the onion fly, the nematode, and the secretive beetle can calmly dine, so to speak, at the same table. Therefore, we recommend using the above measures in combination. For example, combine non-chemical methods of combating nematodes with measures aimed against onion flies (mulching with ash, pollination with tobacco dust, etc.).

Reason two: plant diseases

This name hides several fungal diseases of onions with similar external signs - spotty yellowing of the onion feathers with the formation of convex pads in May-June, followed by their blackening and complete falling of the leaves.

Control measures:

  • crop rotation;
  • warming up the planting material before storing it;
  • warming up the onion sets before planting for 12 hours at a temperature of 30-40 degrees;
  • for preventive purposes, planting onions during the period of mass growth can be sprayed with a solution of copper oxychloride (1 tablespoon of the drug per 10 liters of water with the addition of 1 tablespoon of liquid soap). The second spraying is carried out a week after the first with a solution of the drug “Hom”, prepared according to the instructions.

Bacterial rot of onions

It is discovered when the bulbs are cut. Between healthy scales a dark layer of softened tissue is clearly visible. When stored, such bulbs rot. The infection is carried by insects (thrips, onion flies, mites, etc.). When planting diseased bulbs, the plants look depressed, the leaves turn yellow, and the flower stalks dry out.

Manifestations of bacteriosis in an onion bed

  • Pre-plant culling of contaminated material. The neck of the bulbs is cut off by 0.5-1 cm so that all scales are visible.
  • Before planting onion sets or turnips, the soil is treated with the preparation “Hom” (40 g per 10 liters of water). consumption 500 ml of solution per 1 sq.m.

Almost all varieties and types of onions are susceptible to this fungal disease. Fungi from the genus Fusarium live in the soil and infect the bulb during the growing season at temperatures from + 13° to + 30° Celsius. In diseased plants, the feathers very quickly turn yellow and die.

This is how unappetizing an onion looks when it gets bottom rot

Agrotechnical measures to combat bottom rot:

  • Choosing the right location for onion beds. The site should not be in a low-lying area to avoid flooding during floods and rainstorms.
  • Maintaining crop rotation. The best predecessors for planting onions are cereal grains. If symptoms of the disease are observed on the ridges, the next onion planting in this place should be done no earlier than after 5 years.
  • Planting material (seeds or sets) must be healthy and disinfected. Planting (sowing) onions must be carried out in optimal agrotechnical terms.
  • Use for cultivation only resistant varieties and hybrids of onions.
  • The harvested crop must be stored under the correct temperature and humidity conditions.

Notes in the margins

If you have already begun your crusade against onion pests and have taken a set of measures to combat onion flies, we hasten to please you, these measures are an excellent preventive measure against bottom rot. Now your onions have double protection, which means your chances of getting a healthy, full harvest are doubled.

Reason three: lack of nitrogen in the soil

Your onions will definitely turn yellow if the soil feeding them is low in nitrogen. In fact, nitrogen deficiency in the soil is the most common and most insidious cause of yellow onion feathers. There is only one method of control here - fertilizing the onion beds with nitrogen-containing fertilizers. Organic or organo-mineral fertilizers are perfect for this.

Not only onions turn yellow from a lack of nitrogen in the soil

If you prefer organics when choosing fertilizers, then you can use only rotted manure in preparing the beds, and make a fermented infusion for fertilizing. Adding fresh manure to the soil increases the risk of spreading fungal diseases.

Reason four: mistakes when caring for onions

The most common mistake that can cause onions to turn yellow in the beds is an incorrect watering regime. Of course, water care for each of the many varieties of onions has its own subtleties. Therefore, we will touch only on general recommendations - equally suitable for the entire onion family.

Onion plantation in Valencia. With proper watering, the yield is 8000(!) centners per hectare

  • During the period of rooting and beginning of growth, onions should be watered at least once every three days. Moreover, watering should be plentiful. If the soil on the ridges is mulched, you can water it less often - mulch retains moisture remarkably well.
  • It is advisable to water the onion at the root.
  • The water temperature for irrigation should vary from +18 to +25 degrees Celsius.
  • The optimal watering time is before noon.
  • If the water for irrigation is hard, it should be artificially softened with special additives.

Notes in the margins

It is convenient to combine watering onions with fertilizing. To do this, fertilizers are dissolved in water and thus a nutrient solution is obtained. Composition of the solution: for 10 liters of water we take 50-70 grams of ammonium nitrate and 20 grams of superphosphate and the same amount of potassium salt. The first feeding of onions should be done when the feather has grown 3 centimeters from the ground level. The second feeding is done approximately a week after the first. For 1 m² of onion bed, 6 liters of solution are needed. When organizing watering of onions, you should remember the golden rule of the “onion grower”: 4-5 days before harvesting, watering must be stopped, otherwise the bulbs will be tasteless. The last watering of “green” onions is carried out 2 days before harvest.

Drip irrigation is one of the successful methods of organizing watering

Reason five: unfavorable weather conditions

All the skills and tricks of gardeners can be nullified by the whims of Mother Nature. In very dry summers, as well as in excessively whiny weather, the onions will turn yellow in the beds even without the participation of the above factors. There is only one way out of this situation - to act like Michurin. That is, “do not expect favors from Nature.” Natural disasters will avoid your onion beds if they, the beds, are protected by a reliable greenhouse.

Green onions in a greenhouse are not afraid of heat or rain

That's all for today. We sincerely hope that our recommendations will help you obtain abundant harvests. Go for it!

Properly grown healthy green onions will be a wonderful decoration for your table.

06.09.2015 54 277

How to grow large onions on your own plot?

We can talk endlessly about the benefits of onions, but the question of how to grow large onions is always of interest to many summer residents and gardeners. The agricultural technology of growing onions is not complicated, but it has some tricks and subtleties...

To ensure that the onions are large, we prepare the bed correctly

Onions grow in any soil, but it would be best to grow them on fertile and loose soil. Clay soils are also not suitable for growing onions; they are too heavy for them. In this case, the area for planting onions must be sunny. It will be good if you plant onions in the place where you previously grew: potatoes, cucumbers, cabbage, tomatoes or zucchini.

The land allocated for beds must first be dug up and fertilizer added, as well as all weeds removed. It is advisable to prepare the soil for planting onions in the fall, spread rotted manure, compost or humus. Fertilizers usually include saltpeter, potassium chloride, and superphosphate.

As a rule, onions grow well in soils with neutral acidity. Well, if the soil is acidic, then it can be diluted, for example, with ash or lime.

To ensure that the soil for the onions warms up enough, dig up the bed again in the spring and only then start planting. The length and width of the beds can be whatever is more convenient for you, the most important thing at this point is that it is advisable to make the distance between the rows at least 20 centimeters. The seedlings are deepened by 2-3 centimeters maximum. Sowing too deep will inhibit the growth of the bulb, which can cause the onion to go into the shoot.

How to increase onion yields by fertilizing?

In order for the onion to be large, it must be fed. Even a crop like onion also requires feeding. You can fertilize with both mineral and organic fertilizers. During the entire growth period, it is recommended to feed onions no more than three times.

The first fertilizers can already be applied 10-14 days after the onions have been planted. It is advisable to apply nitrogen fertilizers so that the onions increase their green mass. The second stage of fertilization is carried out about a week or two after the first fertilizing. In this phase, nitrogen fertilizers are reduced and potassium and phosphorus are increased. The third time occurs at the stage of formation of the bulb itself. This fertilization of onions is usually carried out on depleted soils, and if your land is fertile, then you can refuse this fertilizing.

Now there are a large variety of mineral fertilizers on the market, so in order to increase the yield of onions, fertilizers such as Agricola-2 for onions, Vegeta, and Effecton-O are usually used. The solution should be diluted according to the instructions. Usually use a maximum of two tablespoons per 10 liters of water. It is advisable to fertilize in the evening.

As first feeding The following solutions can also be used:

  • you need 1 tablespoon of ammonium nitrate, 60 grams of superphosphate and an incomplete tablespoon of potassium chloride, and shake it all in 10 liters of water;
  • dissolve 60 grams of ammonia in a bucket of water. Such fertilizing will not only increase the yield of onions, but will also rid the onions of some pests, for example, the onion fly.

Example second feeding: take 10 liters of water, add 30 grams of ammonium nitrate and potassium chloride, add 50-60 grams of superphosphate. You can also dilute a tablespoon of salt and ammonium nitrate in a bucket of water, adding manganese on the tip of a knife.

For third feeding dilute 50 grams of superphosphate in a 12-liter bucket of water, you can also add potassium salt alone, about 30 grams.

Often, therefore, it is necessary to find out why this happened and, of course, eliminate it, since the consequences may not be comforting and the onion yield will be low because of this.

When fertilizing onions, try not to get the solution on the feathers. And it is very important to monitor the onions in the garden, and not what everyone around is recommending. If your onions are green and healthy, then the soil on the site is very fertile, so it is better to refrain from fertilizing. If there is a lack of potassium, the onion feathers will turn yellow, then fertilize it. If the tips of the feathers of the onion dry out, it means that it lacks phosphorus. And pale and weak feathers indicate a lack of nitrogen.

Therefore, if you want the onions to be large and the onion yield to be large, it is extremely important to maintain a balanced fertilizer and know what to feed the onions in each specific case.

Onions are one of the first plants that humans began to grow. It is about four thousand years old from the moment of cultivation and the beginning of cultivation.

It is impossible to imagine any kitchen in the world without this vegetable, because most dishes without its use seem bland and tasteless. There are quite a few varieties of onions, and each has its fans.

Each gardener has his own secrets for good ripening of onions in the garden, but the most important thing is to adhere to the correct agricultural technology in order to obtain a large harvest, whether planted in a ridge or from seeds.

Not the most fastidious plant is considered cold-resistant, grows well at temperatures of twelve to sixteen degrees Celsius, seeds germinate even at five degrees in the cold season. Spicy varieties tolerate frost better; sweet varieties can die in open ground at a few degrees of frost.

Onion responds well to watering in the first stages of growth, in the future it needs dry soil in order to ripen better. It needs more sunlight. Despite its small mass, onions require special attention to the soil composition. The soil in the garden bed should be quite loose and nutritious.

Onions should not be planted in places where groundwater is close to the surface of the earth.

Weeding of the beds must be carried out regularly, since the crop does not tolerate proximity to weeds.

The right decision would be to organize onion beds and plant vegetables in the places where they grew before. cucumbers, cabbage, tomatoes or potatoes. These are the vegetables for which organic matter is added to the soil.

Increased acidity of the soil is harmful to the plant, as it absorbs nutritional components worse and can be affected by downy mildew.

Before planting onions does not tolerate liming of soil composition, it is recommended to use wood ash.

How to grow large and good bulbs in open ground

One of five options is most often used - sets, seeds, seedlings, vegetative method, Chinese.

The Chinese way - how to plant using technology in ridges


This option might help increase productivity. The main feature is planting onions on ridges, and not in the beds themselves. The heads grown in this way are distinguished by their flattened shape and large size. The tops of the vegetable are well illuminated by sunlight and warm up, from which the onion receives good protection from the effects of rot.

It should be added that it is better to loosen and water such beds, and remove weeds from them.

You can sow at air temperatures equal to 5 degrees. The planting material must be sorted out; smaller bulbs can be planted as the soil warms up. Larger ones should be held back until May. This measure will give you the opportunity to harvest at the same time.

After sorting, the seedlings are warmed up a couple of weeks before planting. To do this, it is placed in a box and placed near the battery.

Be sure to be careful with each bulb the tail is trimmed, excess scales are removed. If you damage the growth neck, you can put the material aside. It is no longer suitable for landing.

One day before planting, the material is soaked in warm water to give impetus to the formation of the root system.


The soil for planting must be prepared in the fall. A spoonful of superphosphate, a teaspoon of nitroammophosphate, and two teaspoons of dolomite flour are added to each square of the plot. In the spring, the bed needs to be dug up again; you can add a little manure, but not too fresh.

Ridges are arranged, the height of which should be about fifteen centimeters, the interval between them is up to thirty. The sets are planted every ten centimeters to a three-centimeter depth. The seeds should not be trampled; it would be better to lightly sprinkle them with earth.

In the first month of growth, if the weather is dry, the onions should be watered twice. But this is only if it rained between waterings.

You can feed three times. In mid-May, mullein is added. In June it is the turn of potassium salt, urea and phosphate fertilizers. It is necessary to fertilize the third time at the moment when the bulbs begin to form.

Another feature of the Chinese method is that Weeding the beds is necessary as the weeds grow, which happens quite rarely.

Copper sulfate is used as a protective measure against powdery mildew.

Method of planting and sowing seeds in the soil

In mid-spring, the seed material is calibrated, more large specimens. After dry sowing, the first shoots will appear in three weeks. To speed up the process, you can soak the seeds in potassium permanganate, and after a day, scatter them on fabric and leave them alone so that they hatch. But at the same time, it is necessary to ensure that the planting material remains sufficiently moist.

Furrows are made at a distance twenty centimeters. One gram of seeds is enough for two meters of sowing, planting depth is up to three centimeters. For convenience, you can mix the seeds with sand and sprinkle the furrows with dry soil after planting.


When to plant in the garden

Landing time depends on weather conditions. If the weather is warm in the spring, then sowing can be done in the last days of April. Otherwise, you will have to wait until the earth warms up.

Pre-grown seedlings are transferred to the ground no earlier than mid-May.

Sevok lands in the first decade of May. Residents of the northwestern regions can be guided by the flowering of bird cherry when planting onions.

For winter sowing, the beds are prepared in the fall. Landing is underway in the second half of November, until frost.

Secrets of proper agricultural technology

Do not allow crust to form on the surface of the soil or weeds to appear. For this purpose, the beds need to be loosened more often to a depth of up to five centimeters. It is better to remove weeds in the initial growth phase, when the seedlings are still reddish.


After the turnip begins to form, it needs to be opened a third

It must be remembered that onions love to show off. When a turnip begins to form, it must be open a third, releasing the hangers. This technique helps the bulb to form well and fully ripen.

Harvesting turnips and feathers and storing them

As soon as new feathers have stopped appearing and the onion has acquired a characteristic shade, it can be removed. As a rule, this occurs on mid-August – early September. If you skip harvesting time, the vegetable will begin to grow again and will be of little use for storage.

The collected bulbs are washed, cleaned of husks and dry feathers, roots are cut. To dry, lay it out in one layer in a well-ventilated room. After a few weeks, new golden scales appear on the bulbs. This means that the vegetable is ready for long-term storage.


As a rule, gardeners prefer to grow onion sets, purchasing them in special stores. It can be planted in winter by first preparing the bed.

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