Content
The name "family bow" causes affection and misunderstanding among many. This onion culture outwardly resembles an ordinary onion vegetable, but at the same time it has a unique taste and usefulness. A family or simply a family is called shallots, the heads of which are slightly smaller than the usual onions. They quickly produce dense greens and ripen. In the process of growth, such an onion does not form an arrow, and the harvested crop of vegetables can be stored for 2 years without loss of quality. Another feature of the culture is resistance to freezing, in connection with which many farmers are interested in whether it is possible to plant a family onions before winter... But indeed, by planting a plant in the fall, it will be possible to speed up the process of obtaining green feathers and turnips next year, and thereby protect the culture from parasitizing the onion fly. However, it is very important to choose the right time for planting and observe some of the features of the event.
It's time to sow onions
In the fall, after harvesting, the gardener has free time that can be spent on sowing onions. Planting before winter allows you to get the first green feathers for salad in early spring and increase the yield of the crop as a whole. The thing is that during the spring melting of snow, onions in the soil store moisture and rationally distribute nutrients. As a result of this impact, the yield of family onions increases by 15-20% due to an increase in the mass of each vegetable.
The ripening period of family onions is only 50-60 days, but the plant, before activating its growth after planting, is in a calm phase for a long time. Therefore, it is possible to grow two crops of this crop in one season only if it is planted in the fall before winter.
It is recommended to plant family onions in the fall 40-50 days before the onset of stable frosts. During this period, the daytime temperature can vary from 0 to +50C, at night there may be a slight "minus". With such indicators, the soil temperature will be positive and the onion will have time to take root. When planting in autumn, the most important condition is that the family onion is highly resistant to freezing only if there is a developed root system.
The choice of planting material
For planting a family onions before winter you can use seeds or sets. The seeds must meet the expiration date. With proper storage, small grains will give first shoots in mid-autumn, take root well and overwinter successfully. You have to choose the set more carefully:
- Large bulbs with a diameter of 5-7 cm often shoot and form a nest of many small bulbs, which are of low commercial quality.
- An onion with a diameter of 1-2 cm is the most suitable planting material, which will yield 10 large, full-fledged bulbs next year.
The planting material must be healthy. On its surface, there should be no signs of parasitism of pests and diseases.
Not all are suitable for winter planting family onion varieties... Some of them are shot with the arrival of spring.To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to grow varieties and hybrids "Sprint", "Seryozha", "Garant", "Debut", "Krepysh".
Soil preparation
It is recommended to grow family onions in sunny plots of land, without excess moisture. It is necessary to plow the soil and fertilize it a month before the autumn planting. For every 1 m2 soil, you need to add 5-6 kg of humus and 60-80 g of double superphosphate. Wood ash can be used as a source of phosphorus and potassium. Fertilizers should be applied to the entire area of the site so that the root system can independently supply itself with minerals during the development process. With a lack of fertilizers, nutrients can be laid by the nesting method, which is less effective in this case.
It is important to maintain a high level of soil moisture in the fall. If necessary, irrigate the soil before and after sowing the onions until frost. A sufficient amount of moisture will allow the family to build up a powerful root system and successfully overwinter.
Two ways to plant onions in autumn
The method of growing family onions depends on the choice of planting material, therefore, we will consider the work on the autumn planting of seedlings and seeds separately.
Shallots from sevka
Before planting, the seedlings are recommended to be treated with a light solution of potassium permanganate, and then with a growth stimulator. The use of these preparations will allow disinfecting the surface of the bulbs and speeding up the process of its germination by an average of 2 weeks. Under the influence of humic substances, onion resistance to diseases and pests also increases.
It is recommended to plant family onions in rows, the distance between which should be at least 25 cm.The depth of planting of the planting material should be 3-4 cm.Do not place the seedlings tightly to each other in the same row, since each bulb forms large nests. The optimal distance is 25-30 cm between bulbs in the same row.
You can create the best conditions for wintering onions using mulch from straw and humus. In northern regions with the appearance of snow, it is recommended to create additional protection against freezing by throwing a cap out of the snow. Next year, with the arrival of heat, the mulch must be removed from the ridge so that the soil warms up faster.
Seed shallots
Before sowing, onion seeds must be soaked in water with the addition of growth stimulants. Sowing seeds, like sowing, is necessary in rows located at a distance of 20 cm from each other. The onion seeds should be deepened by 1-1.5 cm. When sowing, you should try to carefully place the planting material in the furrows at a distance of 15-20 cm. After sowing, the soil on the ridges should be compacted and mulched. When sowing seeds at the end of August, by mid-September it will be possible to observe the appearance of onion greens. At this time, the seeds form all the same seedlings, which will naturally take root, successfully overwinter and give a good harvest next year.
Many gardeners from year to year fail to grow family onions on their site. The most common reason for this is planting too tight. The closely spaced heads interfere with each other, seeking to get more sunlight, moisture, nutrients. As a result of such cultivation, the owner will receive a meager crop of poor quality.
Conclusion
More interesting and important information about the winter planting of family onions can be found in the video:
The specialist will give advice that will allow you to choose the right planting material and successfully plant onions during the winter period. A clear demonstration of the planting process will help every gardener to cope with the agricultural task of growing the most useful and fruitful onion.
Family onions are very healthy and productive. For the season from every 1 m2 soil can be harvested up to 10 kg of this vegetable. However, such amazing results can only be achieved if planting and growing rules are followed. We tried to tell as much as possible about the planting of the family for the winter. We hope that following our recommendations will be a great start on the path to obtaining a rich harvest of good vegetables.
