Features of growing and planting onion sets

The main secret of large heads and high yields is growing onions from sets. This method saves time - the harvest is obtained in one season. Ready-made planting material of different varieties is zoned according to climatic zones. We will help you understand the variety of varieties, tell you about the qualities of the seeds and methods of cultivation.

Description

Onion sets are planting material for onion of different varieties, an intermediate stage between seeds (nigella) and a full head.

Onions have a long growing season. It takes about 6 months from sowing the seeds to the ripening of a full-fledged head. This growing method is not suitable for the climate of most of the country, so it is divided into two years. In the first year, the seeds produce a harvest of small bulbs (sets) with a diameter of up to 3 cm. In the second year, the sets produce large varietal bulbs.

Varieties of varieties

In Russia, vegetable growers are offered more than 60 varieties of sets. When choosing, they take into account regionalization, taste characteristics and purpose, ripening time, yield and resistance of the crop to disease.

According to their origin and growing conditions, varieties are divided into:

• southern - heat-loving onions with short daylight hours, at low temperatures lose taste and weight;
• northern - frost-resistant plants of long daylight hours.

According to taste and purpose:

• sweet - the bulbs are juicy, suitable for freezing, eaten fresh, but not stored;
• sharp - early ripening onion, less productive, dense, with several layers of scales, stored until spring without loss of presentation;
• semi-sharp - heads with a mild taste and multi-layered scales, used for processing, storage (about 6 months) and fresh consumption.

Varieties by ripening time:

• early ripening - the harvest is harvested in 85-100 days;
• mid-season - with a growing season of about 125 days;
• late - over 125 days.

Chemical composition and beneficial properties of onions

Mass fraction of vitamins per 100 g:

• C - 10 mg;
• E - 0.2 mg;
• H - 0.9 μg;
• K - 0.4 mcg;
• RR - 0.5 mg;
• B1 - 0.05 mg;
• B2 - 0.02 mg;
• B4 - 6.1 mg;
• B5 - 0.1 mg;
• B6 - 0.12 mg;
• B9 - 9 mcg;
• beta-carotene - 0.001 mg;
• niacin - 0.2 mg.

Macro- and microelements per 100 g:

• potassium - 175 mg;
• sulfur - 65 mg;
• phosphorus - 58 mg;
• calcium - 31 mg;
• chlorine - 25 mg;
• magnesium - 14 mg;
• silicon - 5 mg;
• sodium - 4 mg;
• rubidium - 476 mcg;
• aluminum - 400 mcg;
• boron - 200 mcg;
• copper - 85 mcg;
• fluorine - 31 mcg;
• zinc - 0.85 mg;
• chromium - 2 mcg;
• iodine - 3 mcg;
• manganese - 0.23 mg;
• selenium - 0.5 mcg;
• iron - 0.8 mg;
• nickel - 3 mcg;
• cobalt - 5 mcg.

Nutritional value of 100 g of fresh onions - 41 kcal, containing:

• proteins - 1.4 g;
• fat - 0.2 g;
• carbohydrates - 8.2 g;
• water - 86 g;
• fiber - 3 g;
• organic acids - 0.2 g.

During any processing, the biochemical composition of the vegetable is preserved. Onions stimulate the secretion of gastric juice, therefore they are recommended for the diet menu.

Range of beneficial effects:

• has bactericidal properties;
• effective antioxidant;
• prevents vitamin deficiency and anemia;
• strengthens the immune system;
• stabilizes the functioning of the nervous system;
• promotes hair growth and strengthening;
• improves skin color;
• the first remedy for the prevention of viral diseases;
• helps with frostbite and burns;
• has a diuretic and anthelmintic effect.

Characteristics of bulb sets

The shape and color of the heads depend on the variety. High-quality bulbs are smooth, dense, evenly colored and well dried. They are classified by size:

1. Small (8-14 mm in diameter) - does not bolt. To get a full harvest, they are planted before winter. When planted in spring, the bulbs do not gain mass.
2. Medium (14-21 mm) - does not give arrows. Suitable for spring and winter planting.
3. Large (21-24 mm) - planted in spring and before winter, shoots quickly.
4. Large sets (24-30 mm) - recommended for early spring greens.

Single-fraction planting material ensures a 20% increase in yield, uniform germination and maturation, and one-dimensional heads.

The best varieties of onion sets for different regions

Sevok for the Urals and Siberia:

1. Sturon. Mid-season, cold-resistant Dutch onion variety with a ripening period of 100-115 days. Semi-spicy to taste. The heads are transversely elliptical in shape, with dense brownish scales, weighing 100-200 g. Resistant to major diseases and pests. Can be stored for up to 6 months.
2. Siberian annual. An early ripening variety with heads up to 200 g. The bulbs are multi-primed, round-flat, juicy, the outer scales are yellow. The taste is semi-sharp. It is resistant to bolting and has a stable yield (3 kg/m²). Keeping quality - up to 8 months.
3. Stuttgarter Risen. Early ripening onion with a pungent taste. The heads are round, flattened on top and bottom, with dense, smooth scales of golden brown color. The pulp is medium juicy. Ripening period - up to 80 days. The average weight of the bulbs is 180 g. Adapted to any weather conditions, resistant to downy mildew. Stored until spring.

For the middle zone and Moscow region:

1. Hercules F1. Large-fruited, high-yielding hybrid with a ripening period of 70-80 days. The heads are dense, golden-yellow, weighing up to 300 g, spicy in taste, without bitterness. Resistant to crop diseases, rarely affected by pests. Productivity - up to 8 kg/m². It can be stored for about 6 months without loss of taste and presentation.
   

   Bow Hercules
2. Centurion. An early-ripening, cold-resistant variety, it is resistant to bolting, fungal diseases and spring frosts down to -4°C. The heads are slightly elongated, elastic, golden brown, weighing up to 100 g. Productivity - 8 kg/m², stored for 5-6 months.

Southern varieties:

1. Krasnodar G-35. The bulbs are two-budded, oval in shape, weighing 90-114 g. The color of the dry scales is yellow-pink. The ripening period is 95-140 days. The pulp is juicy and tastes sweet. The crop is not for long-term storage. Up to 4 kg are collected from 1 m².
2. Spanish 313. Late-ripening, ripens in 140 days. The heads are large - up to 300 g, round, pale yellow in color with a pinkish tint. The taste is sweetish, with a slight spiciness. The harvest is not stored for a long time; about 5 kg/m² is harvested.

Benefits of growing onion sets

Growing onions from sets allows you to get a full harvest in one season. For the northern regions of Russia, this is the only way in which the culture has time to mature.

Pros of using sevka:

• shortening the growing season;
• rapid development and strengthening of the root system;
• increases resistance to shooting;
• the heads gain maximum mass;
• less susceptible to weeds.

Features of planting and growing

Planting material is purchased ready-made or grown from seeds.

Growing nigella sets

Nigella is sown in early spring at a temperature of +2…+4°C or before winter with a steady decrease in temperature to 0°C.

Work order:

1. The site is dug up and leveled a month before winter sowing. A bucket of loose soil is left in a warm place.
2. Sow into frozen ground and cover with a layer of prepared soil up to 3 cm.
3. When sowing in spring, the site is prepared in the fall. The soil is first moistened.
4. The seeds are sorted - small and empty ones are removed.
5. Sow in ribbons on beds up to 1 m wide in 6-12-line furrows with a distance of 8 cm or on a flat surface - 10 g of seeds per 1 m². Cover with damp soil in a layer of up to 2 cm.
6. The seedlings are not thinned out so that the seedlings do not overgrow.
7. Water 1-2 times a week at 5-10 l/m².
8. During germination, feed with a solution of slurry or urea (1 tablespoon per 10 liters of water).
9. In the phase of head formation (3-4 adult feathers appear), watering and fertilizing are stopped.
10. The sets are collected at the beginning of feather lodging. Dry in the sun until the stems and scales on the heads are completely dry.

Preparing seedlings for planting

Onions are planted on flat, sunny areas or in stationary beds. In the fall, the soil is dug up to a bayonet depth and humus is added (5-6 kg/m²), and in the spring it is loosened.

Soil and predecessor crops

Chernozem, loamy and sandy loam soils with neutral or slightly alkaline acidity (6.4-7.9 pH) are suitable. Onions grow and develop quickly in light, loose soil that absorbs moisture well. On loam, the taste of the heads improves.

The vegetable is not planted after peas, beans, broccoli, turnips, sage, parsnips, parsley and dill.

Favorable predecessors:

• tomatoes;
• cucumbers;
• potato;
• beet;
• zucchini;
• pumpkin;
• eggplant;
• spinach.

It is better to choose carrots, peppers, tomatoes, strawberries, and beets as neighbors.An undesirable neighbor is legumes.

Dates, scheme and rules of planting

In spring, seedlings are planted when the top layer of soil warms up to +4...+5°C or at a stable air temperature of +10°C. In the fall - 15 days before the first frost, so that it has time to take root, but does not sprout.

Work order:

1. Planting material is sorted by size, dry necks are cut off, damaged and germinating bulbs are removed.
2. The heads are soaked in a warm saline solution for 2 hours (1 tbsp per 1 liter of water). Salt disinfects against nematodes and accelerates growth. The sets are rinsed after salt and disinfected for 30 minutes in a solution of potassium permanganate (3 g of powder per 3 liters of water), which prevents the development of fungal diseases.
3. The bed is leveled and grooves 5 cm deep are formed at a distance of about 40 cm.
4. The grooves are powdered with wood ash and poured with hot water so that the earth warms up and settles.
5. Small heads (up to 1 cm) are placed at a distance of 5-7 cm, medium and large (1.5-2.5 cm) - in increments of 8-10 cm, sprinkled with earth and watered.

Features of cultivation

In the northern regions, onions are planted from east to west. In the southern regions, the beds are located from north to south. This technique ensures uniform lighting, the soil warms up equally along the entire length of the beds, and the bulbs ripen at the same time.

The main concern is proper feeding and timely watering. Fertilizers are applied to moist soil, weeding is replaced by mulching.

Watering mode

Water from the moment of germination. The first 2 weeks maintain constant soil moisture. In the future - once every 7-10 days, 7-8 l/m². In hot weather - up to 2 times a week. A month before harvest, watering is replaced by loosening.

Attention! Overwatering provokes fungal diseases.If there is insufficient watering, the bulbs will stop gaining weight and will taste too bitter.

After each watering, the soil is loosened and weeds are removed.

Top dressing

The vegetable is fed 3 times per season:

• during germination (5-6 days from the moment landings) give 1 liter of slurry per 10 liters of water or 200 g of chicken manure per 10 liters of water;
• after 2 weeks from the first, fertilize with herbal infusion or mineral complex (superphosphate 30 g, urea 10 g and potassium 5 g per bucket of water);
• after the diameter of the heads has increased to 4 cm, they are fed with herbal infusion with the addition of potassium or a mineral solution (superphosphate 60 g and potassium chloride 30 g per bucket of water).

Disease and pest control

Due to the ability of the bulbs to accumulate toxic substances, the crop is not treated with chemicals.

The main emphasis in plant protection is prevention:

1. Fusarium - the feather turns yellow, the bottom of the bulbs rots. The causes of the disease are fungal spores and onion fly. Before planting, the seedlings are heated to 40-45°C and soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate.
2. Downy mildew is a gray coating on the stem and leaves. The reason is the thickening of the plantings. They are thinned out and the seedlings are warmed up before planting.
3. Against cutworm caterpillars, onions are treated with a 0.5% Gomelin solution.
4. To prevent onion fly attacks, the beds are dusted with wood ash or salted during planting. Carrots are planted next to the onions.
5. Onion moth - the beds are cleared of weeds. In case of severe damage, treat with Fitoverma solution.

Difficulties

When growing onions for heads, it is important to prevent bolting - when arrows-inflorescences appear at the tips of the feathers. This reduces yield. The heads receive less nutrition, grow smaller and are poorly stored.

Reasons for shooting:

• poor quality planting material;
• violation of storage conditions for seedlings;
• incorrect calibration for winter and spring planting;
• The timing of planting work has been shifted.

To save the crop, the arrows are removed under the neck.

Harvest and storage

The stems of ripened onions turn yellow and lie down, the necks become thin and dry out. The harvest is harvested 5-10 days before the mass lodging of feathers.

The heads are dug out with a pitchfork or pulled out. Dry in the sun or under a canopy until the stems are completely dry. The bulbs are sorted, the soil and excess husk are cleaned off, the roots and stems are cut off, and only dense, healthy heads are left for storage.

Store in wooden boxes, in a dark room with good ventilation at a temperature of 0...+3°C and humidity up to 85%.

Planting seeds are stored in the basement or at room conditions - in a dark place at a temperature of +17...+24°C and humidity up to 70%.

Advice from experienced gardeners

Many gardeners recommend planting onions and other crops in long, two-row beds with wide aisles. This is a new vegetable growing technology for small areas.

With this method of cultivation, all plants receive sufficient nutrients from the soil and air. Vegetables do not get sick, are slightly affected by pests, the bulbs grow larger, and the care process is less labor-intensive.

Reviews about varieties of onion sets

Some vegetable growers like to experiment. Others prefer to plant familiar, proven varieties.

Sergey, Krasnoyarsk: “I bought sets and didn’t know that there were many different varieties. Now I plant Sturon. The bulbs grow much larger than indicated on the packaging - each from 200 to 300 g. I’m happy with the variety.”

Elena Fedorovna, Kolomna: “My neighbor’s son brought a seed of the Hercules F1 hybrid. The harvest exceeded all expectations.The bulbs are simply huge, one-dimensional and the taste is without bitterness, piquant. I’ll definitely plant the same one.”

Victoria, Mozhaisk: “Sevcom is planting Centurion and Strigunovsky. The varieties are reliable, onions do not get sick. We don’t worry about the weather either, the harvests are always stable.”

Conclusion

Growing onions from sets reduces the development time of the crop from germination to full harvest. With this method, plants quickly take root, and resistance to diseases and environmental conditions increases. Vegetable growers plant different varieties of sets throughout Russia and note that this planting material produces the largest possible bulbs.