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In winter, the human body already suffers from a lack of sunlight, and then there are foods in our daily diet that do not contain enough vitamins. It's no secret that the longer they are stored, the more nutrients they lose. Jams and pickles carefully prepared by housewives for the winter also cannot provide us with vitamins. It is expensive to buy them, and no pills can compare with fresh herbs.
Of course, supermarkets can deliver any kind of food to our table in winter. But is it worth buying there greens Luke? It's not just about price. You do not know where and how it was grown, how much chemistry was used for fertilization, how long, in what conditions the greens were stored until they hit the table. But the longer the onion journey from producer to consumer, the less nutrients it contains. Perhaps we are acquiring an “empty” product, in which, except for a dubious taste, there is nothing left. Growing onions for a feather at home is so simple that even children of primary school age can do it.
Growing onions for greens
Who among us has not put a sprouted onion in a container with water in winter so that it lets feathers? Probably, there is no such person. But at the same time, I remember the lack of space on the windowsill and the disgusting smell that comes from the water if it is not changed regularly. After that, the desire to independently replenish the diet with fresh vitamin products often disappears.
We will tell you how to grow green onions at home so that it is a minimum of hassle and does not take up much space. Of course, you can just stick the turnip into a container of water and wait for the feathers to appear. But, firstly, it is unproductive, secondly, it takes a long time, and thirdly, after eating green onions once, you will wait a long time for a new batch to grow up. Let's get it right from the start.
Preparing onions for planting
First you need to prepare the planting material. Choose healthy, strong bulbs about 2 cm in diameter, soak them in a pink solution of potassium permanganate for 15 minutes to kill bacteria. Then fill it with warm water (about 40 degrees), put it in a warm place for a day.
You can pre-dissolve a tablespoon of ash with a liter of liquid, an ampoule of epin, or any fertilizer according to the instructions. This must be done immediately, since we will not feed the grown onions further - it will go to our table, there is no need for extra chemistry. In addition, the turnip contains enough nutrients to provide the greens with everything they need.
Before planting the onion, free it from the outer scales and cut off the top. Sometimes it is advised to remove 1-1.5 cm. But if you cut so much from a turnip with a diameter of 2 cm, what to do next with it? Just throw it away or immediately clean it and eat it! Trim off the dry top and some pulp underneath, the more the larger the onion, the more.
Green onions grown in water
The easiest way to grow onions for greens is by placing them in containers of water. For these purposes, you can use any glass, metal or plastic dishes.If you need little green onions, just for decorating dishes, you can take small jars or cups of such a size that the turnip rests on their edges with hangers, and only the bottom is lowered into the water. Place the container on a light-colored windowsill and wait for the feather to grow. Do not forget to add liquid, change it from time to time to avoid putrid smell.
If you are going to grow onions for greens at home a lot, jars and cups will interfere on the windowsill. And monitoring the water level will be troublesome.
The most convenient way to grow green onions is hydroponic, using a special installation that can be purchased at the store. It consists of a container for water, a tray with holes and a compressor that creates an air-water environment. Due to the fact that the bottom of the onion does not come into contact with water, it does not rot for a long time. But you will have to pay money for such an installation, and not everyone is ready for this.
To avoid unnecessary expenses, you can take a plastic container for eggs and make yourself an excellent tool for growing green onions at home from it.
- Cut the container along the fold.
- In one half, make holes in the bulges. For the other, remove the protruding fragments so that the parts can be inserted into each other.
- Pour some water into half of a container with whole bumps, put wooden skewers on top for a gap, cover with a container with holes.
- Spread the onion over the grooves so that the bottom is directly opposite the holes.
The roots will reach for the moisture source, and in two weeks you will have fresh, vitamin-rich greens at your table.
But if that's not enough? How to grow onions for a large family, what should those who like to eat greens do three times a day? To do this, take wide, shallow containers and place the turnip there, bottoms down, very tightly to each other. Fill with water so that it covers no more than 1/3 of the onion. Do not forget to add fluid and change it.
Onions on greens in the ground
Growing onions at home is possible in the ground. This method is suitable if you do not want to spend time monitoring the water level, replacing it and tolerating an unpleasant odor, which, unfortunately, can still spread throughout the room.
Plant onions it is possible in any wide containers, and they are filled with:
- garden soil prepared in autumn;
- any purchased soil;
- small expanded clay;
- sawdust;
- coconut fiber;
- vermicompost.
Of course, you can use a hydrogel, but why? It is expensive, and the result will not be better, except that it saves a few minutes a week on watering.
We plant the onion in the ground at a distance of 2 cm from each other, deepening no more than 1/3. Otherwise, it can quickly rot. It is very good if you have the opportunity to put the containers on a pallet, then drainage holes can be made in them to drain excess water. No, it doesn't matter, just water gently.
Watch a video on how to make a container for growing herbs from a 5 liter bottle:
Onions on greens from seeds
How to grow onions at home from seeds in winter? Can this be done? Of course, it is not forbidden to sow onion seeds in bowls or boxes, but why?
- You will not wait for the harvest soon, in three months.
- The amount of greens obtained during sowing cannot be compared with those grown from turnip onions.
- There will be a lot more fuss with nigella, the effort expended does not correspond to the final result.
- Growing onions from seeds is a long process, all this time the window sill will be busy, it will not be possible to place other greens on it, from which you can get a quick return.
But if you want so, please. Take wide, shallow containers with holes, place a drain on the bottom, fill with a universal or seedling soil mixture. Seed onion seeds to a depth of no more than 2 cm, pour, wrap up with transparent cellophane or cling film and put in a bright place with a temperature of about 20 degrees. After emergence, the cover can be removed.
Keep the soil moist to prevent it from drying out. Remember to drain the water from the sump after watering.
Sprouted or rotten onions
When a lot of onions are bought for the winter, some of it will necessarily sprout. Sometimes we find this when the head has already rotted, and the feathers have become long. They are often yellow or whitish, curled and not very pleasant to the taste. It's a pity to throw out the onion, let's face it. What to do?
Consider if you have a place that is well lit, but isolated from areas where people are constantly. It is not necessary that it be warm there, for green onions there is enough above-zero temperature. In the private sector, this can be any utility room. In a multi-storey building - a glazed loggia or balcony, even a window sill on the landing between floors is suitable for forcing green onions.
If there is no such place, discard the heads. Trust me, a little fresh herbs are not worth your family's very unpleasant odor from rotting onions. Yes - place the turnip in a plastic container, which you do not mind throwing out after use, pour water on the bottom and put it in a bright light. Very quickly, the yellow feathers will turn green, they will need to be cut off, and the onion, along with the container, will be taken out in the trash.
Collecting green onions and caring for the garden bed on the windowsill
In order for the greens to grow well, minimal care is needed. You do not need to feed the onion, water it, provide the brightest place possible. The best temperature for keeping is from 12 to 18 degrees. Each bulb can produce greens for no more than 2 months; it can be harvested when it reaches a length of 15-20 cm.
Of course, there are some little tricks here:
- pour the onion with lukewarm water;
- do not cut off all the feathers at once, it is better to cut them off one by one, starting from the periphery;
- germination should begin at a temperature of 25 degrees, when the greens grow 2-3 cm, move the container to a cool place;
- to ensure an uninterrupted supply of vitamins to the table, plant 2 batches of onions with an interval of 10 days;
- excessive moistening of the soil contributes to the rotting of the turnip, which shortens the life of the greenery.
Growing exotic onions for greens
In hydroponics, in addition to onions, you can grow shallots and leeks. Perennial varieties can be planted in the ground, which will delight with fresh greens all year round:
- speed;
- batun;
- slime;
- jusai (having a garlic smell);
- multi-tiered;
- shnitt.
True, the batun onion in the middle of summer must be taken out of the ground, given a rest for 2 months, and then planted again in a container.
Conclusion
As you can see, growing onions on a windowsill in winter is easy. And if you show a little imagination, you can provide your family not only with vitamin greens, but also decorate your apartment.
