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Onion is an unpretentious crop, however, its development requires the supply of nutrients. Its top dressing includes several stages, and certain substances are selected for each of them. Feeding onions in the spring is especially important, when the plant needs a maximum of useful components. The treatment of beds is carried out by watering. Mineral or organic substances are added to the solution.
Soil preparation for onions
Before planting onions, you need to carefully prepare the soil. Culture prefers open places well lit by the sun. The soil should remain breathable, moderate moisture.
Preparatory work begins in the autumn. It is not recommended to choose areas that are flooded with water in the spring. For onions, prolonged exposure to moisture is detrimental, as their heads begin to rot.
It is not recommended to plant onions several times in one place. At least three years must elapse between plantings. It is allowed to plant bulbs after potatoes, cabbage, tomatoes, legumes, cucumbers, pumpkins, peas.
Next to the onion, you can equip a bed with carrots. This plant does not tolerate the onion fly, while the onion itself repels many other pests.
In winter, the soil is fertilized with peat or superphosphate. In early spring, you need to loosen the soil in order to maintain a high level of moisture in it.
As top dressing per 1 sq. m of soil organic fertilizers are applied:
- humus (compost) – 5 kg;
- ash – 1 kg.
In autumn, you can fertilize the soil with superphosphate (20 g) and potassium (10 g), and in spring add superphosphate (up to 10 g) and ammonium nitrate (15 g) per 1 sq.m.
If the land was not fertilized in the fall, then complex fertilizers are applied in the spring when planting. Mineral components do not need to be buried deep so that the bulbs receive the necessary nutrition.
Feeding time for onions
After preparing the soil, the onion is planted in the furrows in a tape way. Planting depth is from 1 cm to 1,5 cm.
Onions need to be cared for throughout the spring. The number of dressings is two to three, depending on the condition of the seedlings. For the procedure, choose cloudy weather when there is no wind. The best time to feed is morning or evening.
If rainy weather has set in, then minerals are buried in the soil to a depth of 10 cm between rows with plantings.
First feeding
The first treatment is carried out 14 days after planting the onion, when the first shoots appear. During this period, the plant requires nitrogen. This element is responsible for the growth of the bulbs, however, it should be applied with caution.
Urea has the form of white granules, highly soluble in water. The resulting composition is applied to the soil around the rows with plantings. Due to nitrogen, greens are formed on the feather. With a lack of this element, the bow develops more slowly, the arrows become pale or acquire a yellow tint.
Ammonium nitrate is suitable for the first feeding. For 1 sq. m is introduced up to 15 g of the substance. The main component of ammonium nitrate is nitrogen. The presence of sulfur in the fertilizer improves the ability of plants to absorb nitrogen.
An additional action of ammonium nitrate is to strengthen the immunity of onions. The substance is applied to the soil before planting to eliminate pathogenic bacteria.
Another option for the first feeding includes:
- superphosphate – 40 g;
- saltpeter – 30 g;
- potassium chloride – 20 g;
- water – 10 l.
Second feeding
At the second stage, top dressing is performed in order to enlarge the bulbs. The procedure is carried out 14-20 days after the initial treatment.
A good effect is given by complex top dressing, including:
- superphosphate – 60 g;
- sodium chloride – 30 g;
- saltpeter – 30 g.
All components are diluted in water, after which they are used to fertilize the soil.
An alternative option is the use of complex fertilizer – nitrophoska. Its composition includes nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. These substances are present here as salts, highly soluble in water.
Due to phosphorus and potassium, the active growth of the bulbs is ensured. The components of nitrophoska are well absorbed by the plant and have a long-lasting effect. First, nitrogen is activated, and after a few weeks, the remaining elements begin to act.
Thanks to phosphorus, onions accumulate vegetative mass. Potassium is responsible for the taste and density of the bulbs.
When working with mineral fertilizers, certain rules are observed:
- the dosage must correspond to the specified norm;
- for sandy soils, a lower concentration of components is required, but it is allowed to fertilize more often;
- before applying liquid fertilizer, you need to water the soil;
- it is possible to increase the content of nutrients only for clay soils;
- the composition is not allowed to get on the onion feathers (if this happens, they are watered from a hose);
- the most effective complex fertilizers containing phosphorus, potassium, nitrogen.
The third top dressing
The third top dressing of onions in the spring is performed two weeks after the second procedure. Its purpose is to provide the bulbs with nutrients for further growth.
The composition of the third treatment of planted onions includes:
- superphosphate – 60 g;
- potassium chloride – 30 g;
- water – 10 l.
organic fertilizer for onions
Mineral fertilizers are well combined with organic top dressing. To feed the bulbs, rotted manure or chicken droppings are suitable. Fresh manure is not applied under the onion.
For the first feeding, a glass of slurry per bucket of water is required. The tool is used for watering, mainly in the evening.
The second dressing is performed from herbal infusion. It is prepared from comfrey or other herbs. Comfrey is characterized by a high content of potassium, which is necessary for the formation of bulbs. The stems of the plant contain proteins.
To prepare the solution, 1 kg of fresh chopped grass is required, which is poured with a bucket of water. The infusion is prepared within a week.
For watering onions, 1 liter of comfrey infusion is required per 9 liters of water. The remains of the grass are used as compost. The tool is used only in the spring, when it is necessary to saturate the bulbs with nitrogen. In summer, such top dressing is not carried out, otherwise the plant will direct all its forces to the formation of feathers.
Features of fertilizing onions with chicken manure stories in the video:
Top dressing of winter onions in spring
Winter onions are planted in the fall to get the first harvest in the spring. Planting is done a month before the first frost. To prepare the soil for winter cultivation, humus (6 kg) and superphosphate (50 g) are added to each square meter.
After the snow cover has melted, the covering material is removed from the bed and the soil is loosened.
Winter varieties prefer organic types of top dressing – chicken manure or mullein diluted with water. Nitrogen fertilizers are useful for the formation of green mass. Funds are applied to the soil during irrigation.
The second stage of feeding is performed when feathers appear, which occurs 2 weeks after the first procedure. Here you can use similar organic fertilizers or mineral complexes.
Folk remedies for onions
Onion care is carried out with the help of folk remedies that are prepared at home. Such tools are low-cost and completely safe for the environment, but at the same time they are highly effective.
Top dressing with ash
The ash formed after the combustion of wood or plants is suitable for fertilizing onions. If garbage, including construction waste, was burned, then such ash is not used for top dressing.
Wood ash contains calcium, an important component that forms the feathers and bulbs of plants. Calcium activates the metabolism and the passage of biochemical processes. The composition of the ash includes sodium, potassium and magnesium, which are responsible for the water balance and energy production of plants.
The components of the ash are able to eliminate harmful bacteria that provoke diseases of the bulbs. Fertilizer is applied to the soil before watering or as an infusion.
Per liter of water requires 3 tbsp. l. ash. The infusion is left for a week, after which it is poured into the furrows between the rows with plantings.
It is allowed to feed onions with ashes in spring no more than three times. Such feeding is especially important at the stage of plant development, when the need for useful elements is high.
Ashes are often added to compost or humus during fall soil preparation. For 1 sq. m of soil requires up to 0,2 kg of wood ash.
Yeast dressing
Feeding the onion with yeast increases its immunity, enhances the growth of bulbs and feathers, and inhibits the development of fungal diseases.
Yeast contributes to the functioning of bacteria that decompose the soil. Thus, soil fertility and its saturation with nitrogen increase. Fertilizing with yeast alternates with mineral fertilizers, watering with chicken manure and ash.
Spring top dressing is formed from the following components:
- yeast – 10 g;
- sugar – 2 st. l .;
- water – 10 l.
All components are mixed, after which they are placed in heat for 2 days. The finished mixture is diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 5 and used for irrigation.
Yeast top dressing is used in combination with herbal infusion. First, chopped grass is poured with water, then 500 g of yeast is added a week later. The infusion is left for 3 days, after which the finished product is obtained.
Conclusion
Top dressing of onions begins at the stage of preparing the soil for sowing. In spring, the plant needs to ensure the supply of nitrogen, calcium, phosphorus and other trace elements. For top dressing, minerals are used, as well as organic fertilizers and folk remedies. It is allowed to use complex top dressing, consisting of various types of fertilizers. All components are applied to the soil according to the norm. Excess substances adversely affect the development of plants.