Onion processing before planting: the main methods and their features
Many people think that growing onions at home will not be a problem. But in fact, this is not entirely true, and therefore many novice gardeners face certain troubles when they begin to engage in such an event. The main problem is archery. It is she who often does not make it possible to grow a large fruit.
But also the quality of the resulting product is affected by various diseases that may appear after planting it in the ground and nullify all efforts. Therefore, in order to avoid such problems, it is necessary to plant the plants not only on time, but also properly process them before planting. If appropriate processing and disinfection is carried out, this will provide protection not only from diseases, but also allow you to get a good harvest.
Characteristics of the procedure
Planting onions is usually done in the spring. It is necessary to plant ready-made and processed specimens in the ground, and therefore their pre-planting preparation is carried out. The need for processing is to protect the bulbs from diseases and various types of pests. Experienced gardeners know the means that are used to prevent the occurrence of such troubles, and also allow you to get good harvests.
In any case, it is important to properly process the material before planting, especially when it was bought on the market, and there is no certainty about its quality. In this case, processing must be carried out necessarily.
This procedure will help achieve the following goals:
- accelerate the growth of bulbs and feathers;
- increase plant germination;
- increase productivity;
- protect against disease;
- protect against pests;
- reduce shooting;
- prevent decay.
Such work is carried out in the spring immediately before planting the product in the ground. If all the procedures are carried out correctly, this will help to get a good harvest not only for experienced gardeners, but also for beginners, who can later enjoy a delicious vegetable that is environmentally friendly and tastes good.
When planting, it is also worth considering the period of the process, especially if the plant will be in open ground.
Among these points are the following:
- planting time is the end of April, since the plant cannot be planted in cold ground;
- the process should not be delayed and it must be done when the soil warms up by 7-9 cm;
- the ambient temperature should be at least +10 degrees, but if there is no such indicator, then there is no need to disembark.
It is also important to pay attention to the bulbs themselves, namely: to their pruning. If the plantation is large, then cutting all the bulbs will be difficult due to their large number. Nevertheless, it is required to remove all the tops from them, which will accelerate the ripening of the fruit and its germination.
With proper pruning, the soaking procedure will also be more effective, as the solution will penetrate into the bulbs and soak all their parts. This will avoid unpleasant surprises after planting the plant in the ground. When pruning, pay attention to the fragment of the top. It does not need to be cut off much, as this can cause the material to rot, which will not allow it to let green shoots.
At the preparation stage, it is also important to dry the bulbs, review them and discard the damaged and withered ones.
Sorted raw materials are dried in the sun in a place where there are no drafts. The attic, window sills and other places are optimal for this.
To awaken the processes in the bulb, it is desirable to carry out heating at a temperature of +20 degrees. Due to this, germination is activated inside it, and fewer arrows will form after emergence. If there is no time to make a full warm-up, then on the eve of planting, the raw material is poured with hot water for 10 minutes, and then it immediately cools down, after which it is planted.
In the northern regions of the country, onions are also hardened before planting. To do this, the seedlings are sorted, placed in a box and brought into the cellar or placed in the refrigerator, where the temperature reaches +8 degrees. It must be taken into account that there are no temperature fluctuations. In such a place, the bulbs should stand for 10 days, after which they are placed in heat.
Varieties
To speed up energy production for germination, it is recommended to soak for at least 10 hours before sowing, using special fertilizer-based solutions. After that, a bulb is planted in a heated bed.
It is important to disinfect and beds to improve the quality of the soil. Pre-sowing preparation is carried out from various pests, for example, from a fly, from a bolter, from a pest or from a fungus. At the end of processing, the onion is washed with running water.
After the procedure, the seedlings are planted in prepared beds. First, a small set is planted, and then a large one. They are covered with earth, and then mulched to keep heat and moisture in the earth.Mulch also saves time on weeding and watering.
This will be followed by regular care of the plant, its loosening and top dressing. The listed agrotechnical measures are not so laborious, but require attention from the gardener. As a result, the gardener will get a good harvest.
From shooting
To prevent arrows from appearing, pre-heating of the raw material is used before it is planted. You can do this on the radiator or in the attic. Seeds wake up on cardboard and are treated with rays.
During the first two weeks of warming up, +20 degrees should be adhered to. Then for 10 hours the degree rises to +45. At the moment, it is important to watch so as not to hold the material longer than the allotted time.
After that, it is recommended to harden the material and accustom it to the temperature changes that will affect it after planting it in open soil. To do this, water is heated to +45 and onions are placed in it for 10-15 minutes. Then the material is placed immediately in cold water for the same time. Then it is laid out on cardboard, dried and planted.
From pests
You can process sevok in various ways, of which there are quite a few. At the same time, experienced gardeners cannot name the only method that will be the most effective and will be able to protect planting material from diseases and pests at the same time. It is important to prepare the material by selecting high-quality bulbs, then disinfect the soil, and also cut the seedlings. This will help increase the resistance of the material to the effects of pathogenic flora. But it is also important to determine the size of the bulbs before planting. This will make it easier to take care of them in the future.
In any case, gardeners recommend planting only their own onions in the garden, as well as those purchased from a trusted seller, and not on the market, since it is not always possible to visually determine the quality of raw materials and the presence of spores or various diseases in it.
If it is not possible to find such seedlings, then you will have to carry out the disinfection procedure of the purchased material without fail. Today there are many preparations which cope well with this task. All of them have their drawbacks and advantages, and therefore they should be known before use.
Usually the most proven and effective method is used - this is soaking materials in a solution of potassium permanganate for 20 minutes. Some owners add another 1-2 grams of saltpeter to the solution. Table salt will help increase the resistance of the material to pests and bacteria. To do this, it must be diluted in 10 liters of water 5-6 mg, and then placed there for 5 minutes sevok.
The same solution, but at a lower concentration, can be poured onto the bed before planting the material in order to disinfect the soil. Do not take a lot of salt and pour it on the soil. This can protect the plant from diseases, but it will spoil the earth itself, and therefore the procedure should be one-time.
If necessary, you can purchase special preparations in stores, among which Fitosporin differs. It is bred in a bucket of water, then the bulbs are immersed there for 10-20 minutes. After soaking, water can be poured onto the bed. When soaking, it is important to follow the instructions that are on each package.
From the fungus
To get a big harvest, you need to know that all crops, including onions, are affected by diseases. They lie in wait for them not only in the ground, but also at the time of storage. This negatively affects the quality of the crop.In some cases, the sevok dies completely. To prevent this from happening, you need to know which parasites you have to fight, and which of them pose the greatest danger to the culture. This will help to understand what kind of processing the bulbs need.
Among them, several pests can be noted.
- Powdery mildew. The disease is determined by light spots on the bulb, which subsequently become purple. With this disease, the feathers dry out after the appearance. The causative agent of the pathology hibernates in the bulb itself and does not betray its presence until it is transferred to the ground and the first shoots appear, after which the oppression of the plant begins.
- Ball rot. Pathology is common and appears when the material is not properly stored in winter.
- Cercosporosis. Pathology is recognized on the heels of brown color. They are found on the feathers of the bow. Pathology begins to develop during the growing season and does not allow leaves to form. The infection persists in the bulb for a long time.
- Rust. A characteristic manifestation of this disease are convex pads, which then become a dark shade. This also contributes to the drying of feathers and negatively affects the yield.
- Onion moth. It lives inside the feathers, develops there, and as a result, the upper part of the onion dries out.
- Scoop. Infection occurs in May, when large shoots appear on the plant and the parasite eats them away.
- Beetle secretive proboscis. Recognizable by the cavities on the feathers, which are a sign of its presence. The larva consumes the pulp of arrows and eats away strips there. At the same time, gaps remain on the body of the arrow. Such a parasite also reduces the ability of the plant to develop well.
Effective Methods
The immunity of the plant is strengthened by pre-treatment of the bulbs before planting. This increases resistance to diseases and other parasites. You can prevent the occurrence of diseases by soaking.
The material is treated with various means, for example, soda, salt, birch tar, potassium permanganate, vitriol, alcohol and others. Disinfection is carried out strictly according to the rules. The solution can wet not only onions, but also the ground before sowing. And it is also possible to purchase a special component in a store for family use and treat the soil or bulbs with Fitosporin.
Folk
For disinfection, a solution of potassium permanganate is most often used. The consistency should be weak, however, this will remove most of the microorganisms from the bulb, but will not negatively affect the material itself. A medium consistency is usually used, which is able to remove mold, fungus and not harm the bulb. A more concentrated solution is used when the bulb is heavily infested with fungus. A weak solution can be used to cultivate the soil before planting.
Some owners treat the material with salt. It copes with bacteria, but a large concentration negatively affects the bulb itself, and therefore this method requires sufficient experience from gardeners.
But we must also remember that it is not recommended to use this agent for disinfecting the soil at the landing site, as it will deteriorate and it will need to be replaced.
With the help of copper sulfate, effective disinfection is also carried out. Here it is worth remembering that this remedy is poisonous, and therefore the work must be carried out carefully.
Professional
Currently, it is possible to use for disinfection not only folk methods that are available to everyone, but also chemical products produced in factories. Among these, the drug "Fitosporin" is noted, which is available at every specialized point of sale. To prepare a solution from it, you need to take 10 liters of water and 40 g of the product. The bulb is placed in such a solution for 30 minutes, after which it is planted in the ground. It is not necessary to rinse it afterwards. But we must remember that when planting, the soil temperature should not be lower than +15 degrees.
Helpful Hints
To get the maximum result from the process, you must first decide for what purposes the crop is planted. Depending on this, the landing component is selected. For example, if onions are grown on a feather, then before planting, it is necessary to go through all the stages of processing. As a result, the top will be beautiful and even.
When onions are planted on nigella, then you need to choose large bulbs that have the distinctive features and characteristics of this variety. If you need to plant onions on a turnip, then the corresponding large bulbs are selected, which can gain up to 200 grams of weight. And they also differ in a set of vitamins.
It is impossible to miss and underestimate the importance and necessity of high-quality preparation of the sowing for planting, as well as its processing. Only properly processed material can be the key to a good and abundant harvest in the future.
On preparing the bow for planting, see also the next video.