Landing onions for the winter

Onions are grown by almost all gardeners. Many meet with the same problem. The bulbs often go into the arrow, because of which the yield suffers. Some have decided to grow seedlings for planting on their own. However, this is too much of a hassle. In addition, if the seed is stored incorrectly, the bulbs will still bloom and will not produce the desired yield. Based on this, some gardeners decided to plant onions in the beds before winter. This method is in great demand, as it gives excellent results. In this article, we will consider all the advantages of such a planting and learn how to plant onions before winter.

Benefits of winter planting

Everyone knows that the best onions grow from small oatmeal. Such onions (no more than a centimeter in diameter) can be bought inexpensively in any market. Such seed is stored poorly. If you plant plants in the spring, then most often the onion begins to bloom. Autumn planting in this case is the best option.

Classification of planting material:

• “oatmeal” – an onion with a diameter of not more than 1 cm;
• “samples” – bulbs of a larger size, up to 3 cm;
• the first category – from 1 to 1,5 centimeters;
• the second category – the diameter of the bulbs is from 1,5 to 3 centimeters.

Samples are most often used for growing green onions. But oatmeal is perfect for planting in late autumn. Onions are planted densely, nests of 3 or 4 can be. Thus, even if not all bulbs sprout, it will still be possible to get a generous harvest. In the spring, as needed, the plants can be thinned out.

The advantages of this method also include a fairly early harvest. Usually ripe vegetables are harvested in July. Thanks to this, a lot of space will be freed up in the beds and it will be possible to sow your favorite greens or some early ripening vegetable crops.

Onions planted in autumn germinate faster than weeds. When it comes to weeding the beds, you can not be afraid to hurt tender plants. They are already well grown and become noticeable. Together with unwanted vegetation, they definitely cannot be pulled out.

For commercial purposes, it is much more profitable to plant onions just before winter. Early vegetables are usually much more expensive than those sold during the mass harvest. Such a crop is stored much better, as it is healthier and stronger than onions planted in spring. In addition, a huge number of plants have to be planted in the spring. So autumn planting will save you a lot of time and effort.

When to plant seed

As you know, you can plant onions in the beds both in autumn and in spring. True, the first method, for some reason, was not in great demand before. Residents of Siberia, the Urals and the Moscow region are most worried about whether it is worth planting onions for the winter. Indeed, not every variety tolerates wintering well, especially in cold climates. Fortunately, many winter varieties have been bred to date. They feel great in the ground throughout the winter. Let’s find out when to plant onions before winter.

Planting onions before winter is carried out, focusing on the climatic conditions of your region. In warm areas, onions are planted until November. Usually sevok is planted towards the end of October. In colder regions, planting is carried out even before mid-October. Since autumn turned out to be cold in 2017, you can plant sevok a little earlier than usual.

It is very important to choose the ideal time for landing. By the cold weather, the onion should take root in a new place and take root. If the seeds are planted too early, the plant may germinate and simply freeze. But this does not mean that it is better to plant the bulbs before the frosts themselves. In this case, the plant simply does not have time to take root and, most likely, will freeze. Some gardeners believe that it is best to plant towards the end of November. But if in warm regions it is still at least somehow justified, then in Siberia you just have to hope for luck.

After what culture will the onion grow best

Some gardeners do not attach much importance to crop rotation. However, the rotation of vegetable crops can significantly affect the yield. Onions grow well after cereal crops (not counting oats). Also good predecessors are cucumbers, tomatoes, beets, cabbage, peas, rapeseed, beans and carrots.

But what about the onion itself? Many people wonder if it is possible to plant it on the same bed for several years in a row. For more than two years, this culture should not grow in one place. After onions and garlic, the earth must rest for four years. At this time, you can grow vegetables from the list above on it. By the way, after such crops, you can get a second crop of onions. At the same time, it must be planted before the end of July, otherwise it will not be possible to harvest a good harvest.

Preparing the bow for planting

At this stage, it is necessary to determine for what purpose the plant is grown. To obtain high-quality greenery, a sample is taken (up to 3 cm in diameter). Such a large onion is likely to go into the arrow, so they use it only for growing greens. To obtain large fruits, take the smallest bulbs. It is this seed that will allow you to grow onions.

Some gardeners grow several types of onions at once. In this case, you will have to sort the seed. In this case, do not cut the neck of the fetus. Oatmeal and sevok are great for planting in the autumn season. During the winter, such fruits can simply dry out and become unusable. Therefore, plants are planted in the fall.

Soil preparation

Autumn planting of onions will be successful only with the right choice of site. The soil for growing plants should be light and fertile. Purulent-sandy drained soil is perfect. Equally important is the location of the site. It should be on the south or southwest side. It is desirable that there are plants on the site that will protect the bow from the north wind.

When preparing the soil, you should dig a bed with the addition of humus and mineral fertilizers. About five or six kilograms of humus, up to 15 grams of potassium salt and no more than 25 grams of superphosphate will be needed per square meter of the site. You can replace these minerals with ready-made ecofox. Immediately before planting the sevka, sprinkle the soil with wood ash. To do this, take about 10 grams of ash per square meter of beds.

How to plant winter onions

Planting onions in the fall is no more difficult than planting in the spring:

1. First you need to loosen and level the soil in the garden with a rake.
2. Then furrows are made in the soil five centimeters deep at a distance of up to 20 centimeters.
3. Sevok must be dry. Prepared onions are laid out in furrows at a distance of 5 to 7 centimeters from each other.
4. The furrows are covered with dry soil and tamped a little.
5. Most often, the bed is not watered at all. But if it does not rain for 10 days after planting, then it will be possible to slightly moisten the ground.
6. After the onset of frost, the bed is sprinkled with dry leaves, needles or spruce branches. It is desirable to cover the leaves from above with branches, otherwise they will simply be blown away by the wind.
7. In regions with cold winters without snow, you can build an additional shelter for a bed of film.

Winter onion care

Caring for this plant is quite simple and fast. First of all, the film is removed from the garden. Do this as soon as the soil begins to warm up in the spring. After seven days, the mulch will also dry out. This means that leaves and branches can be removed from the garden. Then it is necessary to sprinkle the soil with wood ash and slightly loosen the top layer of the earth. Ash is taken at the rate of ten grams per square meter of land.

Shelter should be removed as soon as it gets warmer. If you tighten it, the seedlings can get wet, and the mulch will not allow the sprouts to sprout. Further care mainly consists of loosening the soil and weeding. This should be done after every rain. If there is no rain for a long time, it is necessary to water the plants, after which the soil must be loosened.

Before top dressing, it is necessary to thin out seedlings as needed. A plucked young onion can be used for eating. Superphosphate (up to 20 grams) and potassium (up to 15 grams) per square meter are taken as a fertilizer for plants. All this, together with the ashes, is dissolved in an infusion of herbs. Organic lovers can use liquid chicken manure to feed plants.

If the spring is rainy, then watering the beds is not necessary. Do this in dry times and no more than once a week. The main pest in this case is the onion fly. To protect the bed from it, calendula or marigolds should be planted around the site. The aroma of these plants will frighten away the fly and thereby protect the future crop.

When to plant winter onions in different regions

The timing of planting and care largely depend on the area. Let’s look at how onions are planted in different regions:

1. In the Moscow region, sevok is planted in the usual way until the end of October. Planting and caring for plants is also practically the same. The only thing that can interfere with the development of plants is a cold winter. Temperatures below -15°C can be detrimental to this crop. In this case, you will have to cover the bed with plastic wrap. This will reliably protect the landing from freezing. But if the cold winter is accompanied by a lot of snow, then nothing threatens the beds. The snowdrift perfectly holds heat and will not allow the onion to freeze.
2. But in the Urals, the basic care and planting of sevka may differ slightly from the usual method. In this case, they try to plant the plants on the beds before the end of September. If the autumn turned out to be warm, then the planting period can be extended until mid-October. Here you no longer have to choose whether to cover the garden bed or not. Shelter must be built without fail. It must also be remembered that only hardy winter-hardy onion varieties can grow in the Urals.

   

3. In the conditions of Siberia, it is difficult to guess with the timing of planting. Severe frosts can spoil all efforts. Planting onions in the fall before winter in this case is possible, but only if certain conditions are met. You will have to choose the most hardy varieties, plant sevok in time before the onset of cold weather and be sure to build a reliable shelter. Then it all depends on luck. Otherwise, it will be better to plant onions in the spring.

Suitable winter varieties

Planting winter onions in the fall will be successful only if you choose the right varieties for growing. So, the following varieties are suitable for planting winter onions:

• Rubin;
• “Robin”;
• “Muzona”;
• “Storm”;
• “Siberian annual”;
• “Black Prince”;
• “Tamara F1”.

Conclusion

As we have seen, planting onions in the winter has many benefits. Thus, it is possible to grow large onions much earlier than those grown in spring. The benefits of winter planting also include saving time in the spring. We also learned when to plant onions before winter. We saw which onion precursors contribute to good growth and development of fruits. Now that you know how to properly plant onions in the fall, you can safely get down to business. We are sure that your work will be crowned with success.