Family onions for greens planting and care in the open field

Plucking a bunch of green onions in early spring is a delight. For the owner of a country house or summer cottage, it is easy to get a feather for greenery. A polycarbonate greenhouse will speed up the process.

Types and varieties of onions that give dense greens

Multi-primordial varieties give dense greens. Consider the most productive varieties - a multi-primordial variety that gives a large amount of feathers per season and popular varieties of shallots:

Chipoluccio

Chipoluccio is an early ripening, fruitful shallot variety. The greens after planting can be cut off after 2-3 weeks. The pen has original pungent taste... Bulb weight up to 50 g. The growing season is 70 days.

Aristocratic

Aristocratic - shallots. From one sowing bulb in the nest, from 6 to 12 pieces of new ones are formed, weighing from 50 to 100 g. People call this species a family one.

The variety is early ripening, full-fledged bulbs ripen in 70 days. Cut greens are ready in 4 weeks.

The Aristocratic variety is used to produce greens on an industrial scale.

From one onion of the Aristocratic variety, 6-12 new ones are formed

Old Russian

Old Russian (red, yellow) is a type of shallot. Produces a powerful, bright green feather with a waxy coating. Seed material is stored well and for a long time (2 years). The variety is resistant to many diseases of bulbous crops. Up to 10 pieces are formed in the nest.

Reproduction is only vegetative, since the arrows are not formed. Gardeners consider this species most cost-effective for forcing greens... Cut shallots are ready 20-30 days after planting.

Lilac ringing

Chive bow Lilac ringing is 7 kg of greens per season from 1 sq.m. soil. The variety is early ripe, when grown in open ground, the cut is carried out after 20 days. Several cuts are carried out over the summer. The variety is frost-resistant.

Chive Bow Lilac Chime

Studgarten Riesen

Stuttgarten Riesen is a multi-primordial, high-yield variety with good immunity to most diseases. The productivity of the variety is high.

If there are 4-6 primordia in the seed from 1 sq. m get up to 15 kg of greens.

When is the best time to plant onions on greens outdoors

For home consumption, a turnip for greenery can be planted in open ground at the end of April, provided that the earth has warmed up and its temperature at night and morning hours is not lower than 12 degrees.

For commercial purposes, turnip greens are grown in a greenhouse. If there is heating there, forcing can be done throughout the year.

On an industrial scale, green onions are grown in greenhouses.

The main thing you need to get a pen:

• high-quality seed;
• fertile substrate;
• watering;
• top dressing;
• backlight.

A full harvest of green feathers is obtained with 12 hour daylight hours. For cultivation in greenhouses, select varieties with a short dormant period.

With a long daylight hours, the optimum air temperature 18-22 degrees... The yield drops at lower temperatures. Higher air temperatures reduce product quality.

How to plant sevok correctly

There are proven methods for planting turnip greens. Experienced gardeners successfully apply planting methods:

• pavement;
• tape.

Bridge way of landing

In addition to the landing method, it is important choose the right place and prepare fertile soil (substrate) before sowing any variety.

Choosing a place for growing

When choosing a place for planting sevka on greens, take into account the principles of crop rotation.

Plant after crops:

• cucumbers;
• zucchini;
• pumpkins;
• cabbage;
• a tomato;
• potatoes.

In the shade, the onion grows poorly, the feather is pale and thin. It is better to arrange ridges in an open, sunny position... During rains, there should be no stagnation of moisture on it.

Competent soil preparation for planting

We prepare a bed for planting in the fall before planting. Determine the acidity of the soil. With increased acidity, add dolomite flour... Consumption - 50 g-per sq. m. Onions love loose soils with a pH of 6.5 to 7.5.

With increased acidity of the soil, add dolomite flour

In the fall, under the digging, add:

• Humus ½ bucket;
• Superphosphate 2 tbsp. l;
• Potassium chloride 1 tbsp. l.

Consumption is indicated per sq. m. Dig up the soil 20 cm with a shovel or walk-behind tractor. In the spring, dig it up again and make urea 10 g-sq. m. 7 days before sowing, water the ridge with solution copper sulfate... Pour 10 liters of water into a watering can and dissolve 20 g of the drug in it.

Planting onions for forcing on a feather

Good greenery growth will provide quality seed.

Bulbs should be stored in a warm room until planting. Before planting seed sevka in the garden, they need to be sorted out. Discard damaged copies. Sort by size. Bulbs give the greatest yield of feathers from 2 to 4 cm diameter, weighing from 15 to 40 g.

For growing onions on a feather, it is best to choose bulbs 2-4 cm in diameter.

Experienced gardeners recommend before planting to carry out activities that increase yields, accelerate germination:

1. The selected material must be moistened and, within 48 hours, kept in a warm room at an air temperature of 25 degrees.
2. Quarter length trim off the tops near the bulbs.
3. Dissolve 30 g of ammonium nitrate in 10 liters of warm water (35 degrees), lower the bulbs in it for 16 hours.

Approximate consumption of sevka with the bridge method 13 kg per sq.m... The consumption is high, because the bulbs are stuck into the ground tightly to each other. The aisles are not made. The advantages of this method are obvious:

• the landing area is saved;
• all the forces of the plant go to the formation of the feather.

The bridge method is especially useful for growing onions in greenhouses.

The tape method involves formation of furrows at intervals of 10 cm... The bulbs are placed in the grooves tightly to each other or with a small 1-2 cm indent. Furrows are covered with a thin layer of earth (2 cm).

Tape method of planting onions

Care rules

The main care of the crop outdoors is in the right watering... In its absence, the feather is bitter and thin. With an excess of the bulbs rot, the harvest suffers.

To maintain the required humidity, take into account the weather and check the soil moisture at a depth of 3 cm. It is roughly recommended to water 2 times a week in the absence of rain.

Water only in the evening. This will eliminate unnecessary heating of the soil. Onions do not like high temperatures.

If the soil is prepared correctly and filled with organic matter and mineral fertilizers, top dressing can be skipped. With the belt planting method, loosen the ground between the rows, remove weeds.

When to harvest green onions

Crop is harvested based on the length of the feather. The entire ridge will have seedlings of the same length, if the seeds were calibrated in size before planting and the seedlings of the same variety were planted.

The marketable size of onion feathers is 24-42 cm

For all grades, the requirements for the length of the feather are the same. The size is considered commodity from 24 to 42 cm... When this length is reached, the feathers are cut for sale or for personal consumption.

You don't need to spend a lot of time and effort to get a feather for greens for home consumption. Before forcing a turnip for greens on a large scale, it is worth assessing your capabilities on a small volume. Choose the most productive variety, master the technology for the preparation of planting material and soil. With the right approach, success is guaranteed.

Many do not plant family onions. The reason is that small bulbs grow. But if you know the agricultural technique of family onions, then you can grow bulbs of 150 g or more.

Oniona widespread vegetable crop of the onion family. Onions are small-germinated (1-2), medium-germinated (2-3) and multi-germinated (4-5 and more).
In the common people, multi-shaped bows are called family bows. Seven I am many.

Largest family onion bulb

This should also include the Shallot. This is a type of onion, but with a smaller bulb and delicate leaves. Immediately I draw your attention, not feathers, but leaves. Feathers are found in birds, and in plants only leaves.

For its exquisite taste, shallots are considered gourmet onions. These bows are often confused and called "who in what way." Therefore, for convenience, we will call all these bowsfamily.

Planting dates for family onions

Onions are a cold-resistant plant. Its root system grows intensively at a lower temperature than the leaves. This biological feature makes it possible to land at an earlier date.

The root system of onions develops at temperatures from + 2 ° to + 25 ° С, tolerates frosts down to minus 4-6 ° С. An onion leaf grows well at a temperature of + 15-25 ° C, withstands frosts down to minus 7 ° C and tolerates heat at + 35 ° C.

If you delay planting and the temperature of the air and soil is high, leaves will immediately begin to grow. The root system will no longer be as powerful and this will affect the results.

If there is enough moisture in the soil during the growth of leaves, the plant is in no hurry to form a storage organ. It continues to increase the number of leaves and their size, thereby creating the basis for the formation of an increasingly larger bulb. The more powerful leaves on the plant, the larger the bulb will be (taking into account the varietal characteristics).

With a lack of moisture, during the growing season, the growth of plants stops, and the bulbs begin to form at the stage in which they were caught by the drought.

For normal onion growth, a water regime with low air humidity (60-70%) and high soil moisture is required. This culture makes especially great demands on water in the first period of growth, when the process of swelling and germination of planting material takes place, the leaf apparatus increases in volume, and a bulb begins to form. During the growth period, additional watering is required.

Family bows are more likely to reproduce vegetatively. Since several bulbs grow in the nest, some are left for planting. The rest are for food. And so every year.

Is it possible to plant family onions before winter?

The family onion is a fully mature and sexually mature plant, despite the size of the bulb. Onions planted before winter shoot out, even small ones. Partially, the bow can shoot at very early planting in cold, prolonged spring. But this is extremely rare.

The Siberian Research Institute of Plant Production and Breeding (SibNIIRS) has developed varieties that can be planted before winter. Of the varieties for podzimny planting are recommended: Siberian yellow, SIR-7, Ryzhik, Sophokl, Seryozha, Krepysh, Albik, Garant and a number of new Siberian hybrids.But these are not multi-stemmed onions, but shallots.

Family bow agrotechnics, features

To understand agricultural technology, you need to imagine the structure of the bulb.

On the bottom of family bows there is a heel - the place where the daughter bulbs are attached to the bottom of the mother's bulb.If you cut off the heel, we will see the location of the roots, in the form of a horseshoe. The rudiments are visible in the cross section.

Usually, for planting, I use an onion weighing about 100g... If a whole bulb is planted, all the buds will sprout and> 8 medium-sized bulbs will grow. The amount depends on the variety. The larger the planting bulb, the more new, but small, bulbs are formed.

How to grow large family onions?

To grow a large family onion, it must be prepared for landing. First of all, it must be cleaned from dry scales to juicy. Various pathogens are often hidden under dry scales. Then the bulbs are pickled in a solution of copper sulfate -1st. spoon for 10 liters of water. Etching time 20 min. The pickled onions are rinsed with clean water.

During storage, onions dry out slightly and lose nutrients. To restore the supply of moisture and nutrients, the onion must be soaked in nutrient solutions of any complex fertilizers.

To do this, you need to trim the heel, to clean white scales. Do not be afraid that you will cut too much. The rudiments themselves are deep. Even if you damage one or two, there are many of them in the onion. If two of the six buds are damaged, then the other four will give a decent harvest. Damaged buds do not grow. But it is better not to injure much, cut off only the heel to the bottom. Removing dry scales and trimming the heel of the bottom facilitates the access of moisture, primarily to the roots, therefore, first of all, a powerful root system develops, ensuring strong plant growth.

I try to do without chemicals and use Gumistar or Biohumus for soaking onions - 1 tablespoon per 10 liters of water. Soaking time 8-10 hours.

Then I put the onion in a bucket, close it with a lid and put it in any unheated room, until the roots grow back (3 - 5mm).

How to cut a family onion before planting?

Now you need to cut it into halves. Onions are not cut to increase the number of planting units, but to obtain larger bulbs in the harvest. In each half, fewer primordia will remain than in the whole bulb. 3-4 commercial bulbs will grow from each half. The feeding area will remain the same and fewer bulbs will receive more nutrition.

We cut the onion into halves, trying to leave approximately the same number of roots on them.

In other words, after the heel has been cut off, we turn the bulb 90 ° and cut in the center of the “horseshoe” of the roots. I do not process the slices. They dry out a little themselves.

We cut the whole onion

The family bow was cut. The onion is ready for planting.

Preparing the soil for planting family onions

 After harvesting the potatoes, I sow winter rye.

For the next season, it grows to full ripeness, and leaves before winter.

I don’t do anything on this site.
This is what the field looks like in the spring before planting.

Planting family onions

The first time I come to the dacha is at the very end of April or at the beginning of May. I try to plant the onions faster, at least until May 5th.

According to the popular calendar, this is Luke's day - onions day. So I'm planting onions to Luke. Sometimes April is warm and (if possible) I plant earlier. As the soil ripens.

If you measure the temperature of the soil, then the most suitable is + 5 ° C. You can do without a thermometer, just look, when the soil stops smearing, you can plant.

I have permanent beds with a width of 0.9 m. Passages 0.5m.

In the spring I shovel straw into the aisles and slightly loosen the top layer of the garden bed with the Strizh cultivator.

Then I make grooves with a furrow with a depth of 3-5cm at a distance of 20cm from each other -15cm-20cm-20cm-20cm-15cm. I spill the grooves with water from a watering can without a strainer.

Sprinkle the moistened grooves with a mixture of ash and Zemlin (the same diazinon) from an onion fly, 1 liter of ash + 1 bag of Zemlin is enough for 4 grooves 10 m long.

In the grooves I lay out the halves of the onion at a distance of 23 cm in a checkerboard pattern. It turns out landing in equilateral triangles with a side of 23cm.

I spud the planted onions with a rake on both sides, like potatoes.

It is warm and humid under these "dunes". Luke likes it.

The longer the day and the higher the temperature during growth, the more closed scales, the better the onion will be stored later, the deeper and longer its dormant period.

Family onion care

Until the leaf grows to 10cm, I do nothing. I don't even water. Let the roots go deep in search of moisture. I don’t do any fertilizing. I do not spray with anything. I did not notice any illnesses.

Onions grow very quickly and it is time to mulch the beds. To mulch an onion garden, you need to grind a decent bunch of organic matter.

In mulched beds, moisture is better retained, and the onion grows well. I mulch to the height of huddled rows (about 5cm - 10cm) with mown weeds, immediately after crushing it, without drying it out. Drying, the mulch covers the bed with a dense porous layer.

I water the onions once a week. 200 liters of water goes to the garden. From the beginning of July I stop watering.

At the end of June, the bulbs begin to peel off and the number of bulbs in the nest can be counted. The optimal amount is 3-5pcs.

If the quantity exceeds 5 pieces, then you can do normalization - remove excess bulbs.

The remaining bulbs will grow larger. When to rake the family bow? - at the beginning of July. You can simply move the soil around with your finger. The bulb will be all in sight. The bulb will ripen faster in the sun.

Harvesting family onions

End of July. The onions are ready to be harvested.

“It should be noted that you should not delay harvesting the onions after the leaves have lodged, as this leads to an increase in losses during winter storage.

This is explained by the fact that the bulbs remaining in the ground absorb moisture from the soil, which activates growth processes and shortens the dormant period. "

I pluck the onion when the dew is dry. All day he lies in the beds. In the evening I clean up the attic. There the harvested onions are ripened and dried. After drying, I scrub the leaves by hand. I don't use scissors.

Even if it is damp and cold during harvesting, family onions ripen and dry well under the roof. Secondary germination does not threaten him. He has a long period of rest, which was confirmed by the past, far from hot summer.

After the onion, I sow, throughout the plot, a pea-oat mixture. Siderata from this mixture and go away before winter. In the spring, I plant potatoes right on top of the straw.

Family bow storage

I take the dried onions home, along with the whole harvest.

This is how onions are stored for food. I keep onions for planting, of different fractions, in separate boxes.

In the kitchen, the temperature is sometimes quite high, but the onions keep well. The storage temperature of the onion for planting is +19 +22 degrees, otherwise the bow will go to the arrow.

The family bow is well kept. In many ways, it is better than a simple onion. You just need to want to grow it.

Growing onions from sets.

Kazan. Tatarstan.

Many vegetable growers spare no effort in growing family onions and appreciate it for its mild taste, long shelf life, yield, early maturity, and lack of tendency to shoot arrows even in frost. It got its name because of the peculiarities of development - several more (nest) are formed around each planted onion. The family is also a multi-pronged onion with an ordinary round turnip, and a shallot (kushchevka), which has an elongated shape and a smaller size. The classic family bow is also popularly called blue. In many families, this variety is passed down from generation to generation. Gardeners note its increased resistance to diseases, as well as to damage by onion flies.

In order for the turnips not to be too small, it is necessary to create certain growing conditions for the family onion. Experienced vegetable growers have learned already at the stage of preparation of planting material to influence the size of future bulbs and their number.

Soil requirements

Family onions, like other species, react extremely negatively to heavy and acidic soils. If the site is dominated by clay and stony deposits, then it is necessary to add sand, organic matter and mineral fertilizers, lime or dolomite flour to the soil at least a year before planting. If you plant a family onion in clay soil, then at the exit you will get a nest of small turnips the size of cherries, which will quickly dry out during storage.

Family onions thrive on light, crumbly soils with a homogeneous structure. An excellent folk way to make the soil looser is to add crushed eggshells to it. Experienced gardeners collect it all winter, and in the spring they grind it and embed it in the beds along with compost or rotted manure (the latter - in the amount of 3-4 kg per 1 m2).

The site for planting family onions should be well ventilated and sunlit. This is important because almost the entire nest comes out of the soil during the ripening period.

Preparation of planting material

Experienced vegetable growers know a number of features of preparing family onions for planting, so they get good results when growing them.

• If you plant a whole large onion, then a large "family" will form around it, all members of which will be very small, since many primordia will sprout.
• This variety has a very firm "heel" - the root part. It is carefully trimmed to live white formations. This contributes to the early development and growth of the bulb, increasing the yield by almost half.
• To get new large bulbs, the planting one must be cut lengthwise into 2-3 parts in such a way that a rudiment remains on each. You should be guided by the location of the roots on the bottom after trimming the "heel": they are unevenly located, on each part of the bulb there should be several pieces. When properly cut, the bottom looks beveled.
• Some trim the top of the bulb almost shoulder-length, but this will result in an abundance of feathers and shallow roots.

Advice

If the site has an unfavorable infectious background (plants often get sick), then it is not recommended to plant cut bulbs. You can try this method on multiple instances first.

2-3 hours before planting, family onions with trimmed bottoms (but whole bulbs) are soaked in a pink solution of potassium permanganate (any fungicide is also suitable). To stimulate growth, drugs such as "Gumistar" ("Biohumus") are used, diluted in a ratio of 1 tablespoon to 10 liters of water. In this solution, the onion is soaked for 8-10 hours. Then the water is drained, the bulbs are cut, if this preparation method is chosen, and planted on the garden bed. Some people harvest such seed material for several days in an unheated room in order to grow roots up to 3-5 mm, and only then plant it.

Landing technique

Family onions are cold-resistant, but since they ripen quite quickly (70-80 days), there is no need for early planting. Regarding the timing, vegetable growers are divided into two groups: some plant it in the open field until the day of Luke (May 5), others later. The soil should warm up to +5 ° С (it stops "smearing").

The beds for family onions are usually made about a meter wide, grooves 3-5 cm deep are cut along them at a distance of 20 cm. After spilling water, the grooves are sprinkled with ash, onion halves are laid out in them, which are then closed with light hilling.

Advice

Planting is carried out in a staggered manner so that at the exit of the onion they form equilateral triangles with edges of about 23 cm - a very convenient layout.

It is impossible to press the bulbs into the soil, since the roots on the trimmed bottoms will be damaged, the plant will be sore for a long time.

Care

Caring for family onions consists of watering, loosening, forming a nest and feeding (if necessary). If the soil is favorable for growing, then the hassle is minimal.

Watering

Experienced vegetable growers recommend not doing anything until the onion has grown a few feathers 10 cm each. So the root system will develop better in search of moisture. Then watering is done once a week. Humidification stops at the end of July. You can add ammonia to the water (2 tablespoons per 10 liter bucket). This will scare off the onion fly and serve as a top dressing at the same time. Loosening after watering or rains is mandatory.

In order for the moisture to evaporate more slowly and to suppress the weeds, it is advisable to mulch the beds with family onions by about 5 cm (to the height of the grown feather). To do this, you can use the grass cut and cut by a lawn mower.

Top dressing

If the soil is depleted, then top dressing is necessary.

1. The first is after the growth of 3 leaves. Urea or carbamide is used (a tablespoon per 10-liter bucket) mixed with half a spoonful of potassium fertilizer.
2. The second is at the 5-leaf stage. Potassium monophosphate is introduced - 1 teaspoon per 10 liter bucket of water.

If the soil is well fertilized in the fall, then you can do without additional summer dressings.

Nest formation

Around mid-June, you can see how many bulbs are planned in the nest - they begin to separate. This is the very period when it is possible to influence the presentation and quality of the crop. The optimal composition of the nest is 3-5 bulbs. If there are clearly more of them, then to obtain a larger turnip, the extra ones are carefully removed: with one hand it holds the nest, with the other, separate onions are carefully separated from the ground and taken out.

Plucked out rudiments with a feather are used for food or used in blanks. They can be cut and frozen and added to meals in winter.

Pest control

As it matures, the nest gradually emerges from the ground. Many vegetable growers deliberately rake off the soil so that the bulbs are warmed up and illuminated - this scares off the onion fly and promotes ripening.

If the tips of the feather turn yellow, then the onion is watered with salt water or slurry. Some people scatter a pack of salt in advance on the garden where they plan to plant family onions.

Sometimes vegetable growers notice that part of the onion feather on some specimens seems to be cut off. This is the work of the moth larva. To find it, you need to turn the soil around the affected plant - most likely, you will find a thick gray caterpillar that needs to be eliminated.

This variety is almost not affected by rot and fungus.

Harvesting

The cultivation of family onions ends with the harvest - in August, when the feathers fall. You should not overexpose, otherwise the turnip will be poorly stored. By this time, the bulbs are already on the surface, it remains only to separate them and send them to dry.

Advice

To make the onions more poured after harvesting, the feather and roots are not cut off, but they are given time to naturally dry out.

Those who once managed to grow a family onion no longer “let it go” from their gardens. It is so tasty and unpretentious variety. It can be stored for up to one and a half years. Usually onions are woven into bundles and hung on the wall.

Some, having unsuccessfully planted this variety several times, refuse it because of the small bulbs. However, having adopted the experience of successful vegetable growers, it is quite simple to correct the situation by competent preparation of planting material and soil.

Hearing the name "family bow" many (I confess, and I at one time) shrug their shoulders in bewilderment: what kind of new bow is this? In fact, it is not new at all, it's just that this bow is better known in my homeland as "kuschivka".

Why "family"?

Photo:

In fact, the family onion (family) is a type of onion.But, unlike the one-bud, which is familiar to us, this onion has several primordia inside - usually 5 or 7, but sometimes their number can go up to 20. All these buds grow in one "house", in one family, wrapped in a common outer husk, hence the nickname - family.

Distinctive features, description of the family bow

In comparison with ordinary onions, family onions are more juicy and aromatic. In addition, it is not as bitter as onion, which is why some gourmets even consider it a dessert, if such a definition applies at all to onions.

Family onions are early maturing and less demanding on soil and growing conditions. In comparison with ordinary onions, it is more resistant to diseases, primarily to various types of rot.

And yet, most housewives dislike this subspecies of onion, planting it mainly for growing on greens. This is understandable: the head of such an onion has to not only be peeled, but also disassembled into its constituent rudiments, most of which are often wrapped in their own husk. Therefore, in comparison with ordinary onions, peeling family onions takes more time and effort.

But still, rarely any vegetable garden in our country does without a family onion garden. Depending on the preferences of its owners, it can be more or less, but there is almost always. It is appreciated not only for its excellent taste, but also for its early maturity and high keeping quality.

Small shallots contain more dry matter and are better suited for long-term storage than large onions. It is not that they do not rot at all, but their quantity, saturation with dry substances and isolation from each other do their job: if one bulb has rotted, the others remain healthy and suitable for food.

The early maturity of the family onion also contributes to its keeping quality. It quickly forms heads, but then ages and dries out just as quickly, so its bulbs are very rarely affected by cervical rot and peronosporosis.

Due to the fact that in family onions not one, but several bulbs grow from one bulb, then, although the weight of individual bulbs is smaller, the total yield of the garden invariably turns out to be higher. Moreover, depending on the variety, weather conditions and the efforts of the owner, this difference can be very noticeable and reach up to 50%.

The appearance of the family bow

Family onion bulbs are small, weighing from 25 to 50 grams, although there are now varieties with larger bulbs. At the bottom, all the bulbs are attached to a single nest. The appearance of the mature heads of the family onion looks like some kind of fantastic flower, with its outlines a bit like a tulip. Depending on the variety, they can be of the most diverse forms; oblong, ovoid, pitcher-shaped, elongated, cuboid.

Also, the color of the scales depends on the variety: red, bronze, gold or purple. The flesh of the onions in the cut is predominantly white, but in some varieties it can show off a pinkish-grayish tint.

The family onion sprouts earlier than the onion, and with several feathers at once, it tilts. These green leaves are thin, juicy, covered with a light waxy coating, and almost without bitterness. A salad of chopped family onion leaves and young radishes is the first vegetable dish of the new harvest, appearing on many tables every year.

And the family onion itself seems to be specially adapted for such use by nature, and easily gives 2-3 leaves on a salad without any damage to the yield. In addition, unlike onions, the leaves of family onions leave almost no odor from the mouth, so you can even enjoy such a dish at breakfast before work or in the evening, before a romantic date.

The nuances of growing

Planting and caring for family onions is almost the same as planting and caring for onions. Yes, and these two varieties are often grown in the same garden.

Family onions grow best in open ground on loose, fertile soils with a pH close to neutral. The best precursors for it are legumes, potatoes, cucumbers, cabbage, or tomatoes.

Family onions are planted mainly in spring, although autumn planting is also possible. The bulbs are planted in the garden very early: as soon as the snow melts from the garden and the earth dries up enough to start processing and planting it. Depending on weather conditions and the region of cultivation, the dates may shift slightly, but in most regions this is the beginning or mid-April.

Such early planting dates are simply explained: the onion is a cold-resistant plant, and calmly tolerates frosts at minus 6-7 °. Moreover, its root system can actively grow and develop just at low temperatures. But the leaves, although they can withstand frost, grow better at a higher temperature - from 15 to 25 °.

If you are late with planting a family onion, then it will "drive" the ground part to the detriment of the root system, and will not be able to eventually form full-fledged healthy bulbs.

Another argument in favor of early spring planting of family onions is that it is a long day plant, i.e. grows and develops better with increasing daylight hours. The longest day of the year is June 22nd, and usually the bulbs of the family onions are already formed by that day.

Preparing for planting and planting bulbs

Just before planting the family onion bulbs, be sure to sort them out. Often, family onion bulbs are stored directly in the nests - before planting, they need to be divided, rotten and damaged are discarded.

For planting, it is better to select medium-sized bulbs: planting large ones is wasteful, and small ones is impractical, there will not be a good harvest from them. Small onions are only useful for forcing on a green feather.

Immediately before planting, the bulbs must be soaked for 15-20 minutes. in a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate or treat with a fungicide to protect against diseases and pests. Some gardeners advise for this to warm the bulbs for 7 hours at a temperature of 35 °. I myself have never used such a disinfection method, so I cannot judge its effectiveness.

The bulbs are planted in grooves cut during planting with a depth of 5-6 cm. Wood ash is added to the bottom of the planting furrows - 2-3 glasses per running meter. This type of onion is planted according to the scheme: 10-15 cm between the bulbs and 20 cm between the furrows. This scheme allows you to take care of the bulb bed without any problems, and to provide each bulb with an area sufficient for its growth and development.

It should be planted with a sharp tip up, since it is from it that the sprouts of future leaves will germinate. Sprinkle on top of the bulbs with a 2-3 cm layer of earth. In this case, depending on the weather, green shoots appear 2-3 weeks after planting. Planting the bulbs deeper will increase the germination time.

Features of autumn planting

Family onions, as an unpretentious and frost-resistant plant, can be planted before winter. Usually, the optimal planting dates are recommended - the end of September, but for many years I have been planting bushes after the Pokrova - October 14, and have never been left without a crop.

For planting, I use bulbs 1.5-2 cm in diameter - slightly smaller than they are planted in spring. If you plant the same as in spring (2.5-3 cm), a lot goes to the arrows, I was convinced from my own experience.

At the same time, the spring cultivation technique was left almost unchanged, adding only two nuances to it:

1. I also plant the bulbs in furrows 5-6 cm deep, but I fill them up to the top. After all, I do not need the onions to begin their growing season in the winter, the main task is for them to winter safely in the soil until spring.
2. In mid-November, I cover the bed in 2 layers: first, about 10 cm with a layer of fallen leaves, and on top of them - about the same thickness with a layer of corn stalks.The latter, firstly, prevent the wind from fluttering lighter leaves, and secondly, they hold the snow well.

In early spring, when the snow has already melted, but in the morning it is still freezing, I remove the shelter, and by the time the neighbors are just planting onions in the garden, mine is already sprouting. That's all the wisdom, I do not spend any autumn watering and fertilizing on the planted onions.

Bulb garden care

Until the ground part of the planted bulbs grows by 10-12 cm, any actions on the bulb bed are not only unnecessary, but can also harm the future harvest.

Do not forget that at this time the planted bulbs are actively forming the root system, and the artificial "forcing" of onion leaves will lead to its weakening.

The only exception is that if there is a need to loosen the soil (for example, after a heavy rain), then this must be done in order to prevent the appearance of a crust. For the rest, no watering and feeding at this time is needed for the family onion.

When the leaves of the family onion grow to 10 cm, the garden needs to be watered and mulched.... It is necessary to decide on irrigation based on the specific situation: with early planting, when there is still enough moisture in the ground from the melted snow, and if there are still rains on the ground, it may not be required.

Mulching is also not a mandatory agricultural technique, but I advise you to do it anyway. Unlike ordinary onions, family onions form bulbs almost at the very surface of the earth, moreover, these bulbs are small in size, so they are more exposed to the hot sun. Mulch will not only cover them, but will also help preserve moisture in the soil and prevent weeds from germinating.

Onions should be watered infrequently, but abundantly: 2-2.5 buckets of water per m², depending on the weather, irrigation should be carried out 1 time in 7-10 days, be sure to take into account the amount and intensity of rainfall during their implementation. If during the growing season and especially the formation of bulbs, the onion lacks moisture in the soil, the heads will form small, and if there is an excess, they will be poorly stored.

When growing family onions, fertilizing with mineral fertilizers, as a rule, is not carried out. This type of onion has a short fruiting period, and it does not have time to "take" almost anything from the applied mineral fertilizers.

If, during cultivation, there is still a need for feeding, then it is better to carry them out with organic fertilizers: mullein diluted in water in a ratio of 1:10 or bird droppings in a ratio of 1:15. Usually, such a top dressing is applied at the beginning of the formation of bulbs, But on poor soils, it is permissible to carry out another, earlier top dressing - in the phase of intensive growth of green mass.

In general, the question of feeding family onions is quite controversial. In my opinion, the introduction of organic dressings during the formation of the bulbs delays their ripening, worsens the taste and keeping quality.

For example, if I see that his feathers have slowed down their growth and their tips begin to turn yellow, I feed with ammonium nitrate, diluting 15 grams of fertilizer in 10 liters of water, and for greater efficiency I also add a glass of wood ash to this solution.

It is not even worth mentioning about the timely loosening of the soil and the removal of weeds - these are necessary measures when growing any vegetable crop.

Disease and pest control

Like common onions, family onions can be affected by many diseases and pests. And although with correct cultivation techniques this happens relatively rarely, such a danger cannot be completely ruled out.

One of the most "annoying" pests of onions is the ubiquitous aphid. To get rid of it, onion leaves are sprayed with Verticillin. You can also use proven folk remedies: tinctures of wormwood, yarrow or hot pepper.

Wormwood and yarrow can also protect your garden from onion flies by simply spreading their branches throughout the garden and periodically changing them to fresh ones. For many decades I have been practicing mixed planting of onions and carrots, alternating two rows of one and the other plant. Taking care of such a bed is a little more difficult than for ordinary plantings, but on the other hand, neither onion nor carrot flies bother the plants.

Harvesting and storage

Depending on the timing of planting, family onions ripen in late July or early August. Onion ripening is evidenced by dried leaves and "dressing" of the bulbs in dry husks. Harvesting begins when the necks of the bulbs become dry.

Preparations for harvesting begin in early to mid-July, when watering is stopped. At this time, excess moisture in the soil can lead to the resumption of growth of the bulbs, which will subsequently negatively affect their storage.

Bulbs are selected from the ground in dry, sunny weather in order to be able to dry them in the sun. It is best to dry the bulbs on a cloth spread out on the ground, such as a blanket, but if you have to pick the bulbs from damp soil, it is best to use plastic wrap.

To dry the bulbs, they are cleaned of the soil adhering to them and the roots are cut off, and then laid out in one row on a blanket or film. You do not need to trim dry onion leaves at this stage; they are trimmed immediately before being sent for storage. Although I do not cut dry leaves from family onions at all, it is more convenient for me to collect and sort the bulbs with them.

In sunny weather, 2-3 days are usually enough for the onion to dry well, while at night it must be removed under cover. If it is rainy weather, then it is better to completely dry the onions under a canopy, but increase its time to 7-10 days.

Keep the family onions, like onions, braided in braids or in small wicker baskets... You can store them in small paper boxes, having previously made 10-15 small holes for ventilation in their walls.

Before the onset of cold weather, you can store the bulbs in the barn or in the veranda, and for the winter you will have to find a suitable place for them in the closet at home. Removing bulbs for the winter in a cellar or basement is risky, since they often have high humidity, which negatively affects storage.

Are family onions and shallots the same?

Shallot

The question is interesting and controversial. Family onions and shallots are so similar that they are perceived as one species. But most botanists still agree that these are two different types of onions. To prove their point, they cite several arguments on the structure and biological characteristics of these species, which personally did not convince me of anything.

According to gardeners, most of them make no distinction, planting shallots as family onions and vice versa. And what difference does it make to us, gardeners, whether it is one species or two.

What is important for us: that our beds delight us with a generous harvest of tasty and healthy vegetables. And what is the correct name of this vegetable: family onion or shallots - it makes no difference to me personally. As my grandfather used to say: call it a pot, if only they don't put it in the oven.