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Not a single housewife can do without onions in the kitchen. That is why in the summer season many gardeners try to grow it in large quantities on their personal plots. The culture is unpretentious and can grow even on relatively poor soils, while feeding onions significantly increases the yield of vegetables, which allows not only using the product in the season, but also stocking it up for the whole winter. How to feed onions correctly and in a timely manner will be discussed in this article.
Минералы для овоща
Onions are demanding on the composition of the soil. For the growth of its heads, a complex of minerals is needed, and especially nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. At the same time, the need for one or another microelement arises at a certain stage of growing a crop. So, phosphorus is necessary for bulbs from the moment of planting to full ripening, nitrogen is important at the stage of active growth of turnips at the initial stage of vegetation. Potassium contributes to the formation of a dense, mature bulb, which is why fertilizers with this mineral for feeding turnip onions are used at a late stage of cultivation.
Timely feeding
Proper feeding of onions involves the repeated application of various organic or mineral fertilizers to the soil in small quantities. The choice of top dressing depends on the stage of vegetation of the plant. On average, gardeners feed onions 3-4 times per season. At the same time, fertilizers are applied to the soil for the first time in the fall, until the sowing is planted in the soil. In the spring-summer season, onions are fertilized according to a specific schedule.
Autumn soil preparation
Питательный грунт – это основа для выращивания богатого урожая репчатого лука. Повысить плодородность грунта можно путем внесения органики. Добавлять навоз в почву рекомендовано во время осенней перекопки. Норма внесения этого вещества зависит от исходного состояния и состава грунта. Если на участке преобладает глина, то на каждый 1 м2 soil, you need to add 5 kg of peat, humus or manure in the same amount, as well as river sand in the amount of at least 10 kg. This will make the soil more loose, light, nutritious.
When growing onions on loam, sandy soils and black soil, organic fertilizers should also not be neglected. In autumn, 5 kg of peat and 3 kg of manure (humus) should be added to such soils. This is quite enough to renew the resources of the earth after fruiting in the previous season.
It is worth noting that it is not rational to introduce mineral substances into the soil in the fall, since they are largely washed out by melt water and do not bring significant benefits to plants. If necessary, when it was not possible to prepare the soil in advance, when planting the sowing in the ground, you can add some mineral top dressing: per 1 m2 earth 1 tsp. urea and 2 tbsp. l. superphosphate.
First dressing in spring
It is customary to plant onions in the soil with the advent of heat, in early spring. This will allow the heads to gain the necessary strength to resist pests and start up the feather early. Some varieties of crops are even intended for sowing before winter. One way or another, the first feeding of onions must be carried out in the spring, at a time when the length of the feather is approximately 3-4 cm.
Для подкормки репчатого лука весной используют различные виды удобрений, например:
- Slurry is a well-known and commonly used natural organic fertilizer. You can prepare top dressing from it by stirring 1 tbsp. substances in 10 liters of water.
- In the absence of organic matter, ready-made mineral complexes, such as Vegeta, can be used to feed onions;
- You can get the mineral complex yourself by adding 30 g of ammonium nitrate, 20 g of potassium chloride and 40 g of simple superphosphate to a bucket of water. The last of the listed ingredients is added to the water a day before the intended feeding of the plants, since the superphosphate slowly dissolves.
Thus, spring top dressing of onions is aimed at applying fertilizers with a high nitrogen content. This microelement will allow the plant to activate its growth, increase the volume of the green feather, and grow the bulb.
Second feeding
The second top dressing of onions on a turnip also occurs in late spring or early summer, depending on the time of sowing the set. Experts recommend that it be carried out approximately 30-35 days from the day of the first feeding. For this you can use:
- Ready complex top dressing “Agricola-2”;
- mineral mixture. It is prepared by adding 30 g of potassium chloride and ammonium nitrate in the same amount to a bucket of water. The required amount of superphosphate in this mixture is 60 g. After dissolving all the minerals, the gardener will receive a working mixture that can be further diluted with water and used to water onions for 2 m2 soil;
- Among organic fertilizers for the second top dressing of onions on a head, herbal infusion should be used. It is prepared by soaking crushed weeds in water. To improve fermentation, the infusion is placed under oppression for several days. After preparation, the infusion of herbs is diluted with water until a light brown liquid is obtained.
The listed fertilizers are the best means for feeding onions at the stage of active head formation. At the same time, they can be replaced with other complex fertilizers or dressings prepared according to folk recipes.
The final stage
The third, final feeding of the onion must be carried out at a time when its head has reached a diameter of 4-5 cm. At this stage, substances with a large amount of nitrogen cannot be used, since they can activate the growth of the bulbs and will not allow the vegetables to ripen in time. The best fertilizers for onions at this time are:
- A mixture of superphosphate and potassium chloride. These minerals are added to 10 liters of water in the amount of 30 and 60 g, respectively. The solution is used to water plants at 5 m2 soil;
- Means “Effekton-O” is used to feed onions. However, it does not contain the necessary phosphorus in full, so it must be supplemented with superphosphate. For 10 liters of water 2 tbsp. l. drug and 1 tbsp. l. phosphate fertilizer;
- A large amount of phosphorus and potassium is contained in the ash. This substance can be regularly used to feed onions. Wood ash is sprinkled on the surface of the soil or an infusion is prepared from it. To do this, 250 g of the substance is added to 10 liters of boiling water. It is necessary to insist the solution for 3-4 days, after which it must be further diluted with water 1: 1 and used for watering the plants.
Before using this or that fertilizer, it is necessary to analyze the condition of onions. With the active growth of its heads and the presence of a lush green feather, some top dressing can be skipped. However, you should not completely deprive the vegetable of micronutrients. This will not only slow down the growth of turnips and reduce yields, but also contribute to the development of diseases.
important points
Onion fertilizers undoubtedly benefit the plants, however, their use should always be considered. So, when deciding to apply fertilizers, you need to remember:
- fresh manure is unacceptable for onions, it provokes the development of diseases, can become a source of weeds and harmful insects;
- an increased concentration of nitrogen in the soil causes increased growth of green feathers and slows down the growth of turnips;
- the dose of mineral fertilizers when feeding onion sets cannot be exceeded, since this contributes to the accumulation of nitrates in its heads;
- when fertilizing onions, it is necessary to exclude the ingress of fertilizers on the surface of the feathers, otherwise the greens must be thoroughly washed with clean water;
- all the necessary minerals must be added in combination, since the lack of one of them can adversely affect the absorption of other substances;
- fertilizers are better absorbed if they are applied after abundant watering;
- mineral dry mixes in rainy weather can simply be scattered over the surface of the soil and patched up by loosening to a depth of 3-5 cm.
By adhering to such simple rules, each gardener will be able to grow not only a plentiful, but also a healthy crop of vegetables.
Traditional recipes
Все перечисленные выше разновидности удобрений являются традиционными. Их часто используют огородники не только для подкормки лука, но и прочих овощных культур. Однако существуют и некоторые иные виды подкормок лука на репку. Например, часто используют пекарские дрожжи или нашатырный спирт.
Double exposure to ammonia
Ammonia is a source of nitrogen, which allows it to be used for feeding onions in the initial stages of the growing season and with a shortage of this trace element. The main symptoms of nitrogen deficiency are yellowing of the feathers and slow head growth.
You can prepare fertilizer with ammonia by adding 3 tbsp. l. of this substance in a bucket of water. It is necessary to water the onion with such a remedy under the root, as it can harm green feathers. You can learn more about ammonia fertilizer from the video:
Baker’s yeast
This product is able not only to saturate the soil with oxygen, but also to activate the vital processes of the beneficial microflora that is in the soil. Under the influence of yeast, organic substances decompose better, and the onion itself receives the entire necessary complex of minerals.
Yeast top dressing should be used with the advent of heat, because the fermentation process takes place only at a relatively high soil temperature. To prepare the fertilizer, dissolve 1 kg of fresh product in 5 liters of water. To improve fermentation, add sugar or jam. You can increase the concentration of phosphorus and potassium in yeast fertilizer using wood ash (500 ml per bucket of solution). During active fermentation, top dressing is diluted with clean, warm water 1: 2, after which it is used to water onions.
A good example of the preparation of yeast top dressing can be seen in the video:
Conclusion
The above folk remedies allow simple, improvised methods to effectively fertilize plants and get a decent harvest of vegetables.
Onions can be grown in any garden, however, this requires some effort. Timely, correct feeding, combined with abundant regular watering, in this sense, is the basis of the entire cultivation process. By introducing certain minerals, the gardener can independently regulate the abundance of green feather or turnip growth, and speed up the process of ripening vegetables. Thus, fertilizers are an important tool that should be in the hands of a competent farmer.