Step-by-step instructions for preparing a bed for onions in the fall

When planting onions in winter, it is possible not only to get an early harvest, but also to save time on caring for the plants. Although this crop is unpretentious and cold-resistant, so that the turnips do not freeze or become deformed, it is important to properly prepare the area before planting.

Why prepare beds for winter

Onions are a hardy plant, but for full development they require a certain soil structure, a sufficient amount of nutrients, moderate moisture. This will ensure good yield and survival of the crop in frosty conditions.

Site preparation includes:

• loosening:
• weed removal;
• fertilization;
• regulation of acidity and soil structure;
• mulching.

If these measures are not taken, there is a high risk that the onion will not sprout..

When to prepare the beds

Specific dates depend on climatic conditions. The following is taken into account:

1. The onion must have time to take root, but not sprout, otherwise the feathers will die in winter, the plant will freeze or be seriously depressed.
2. Dryness is better than rain: water a dry bed, but the onions will rot in waterlogged soil.

Winter crops are planted about a month before frost, so the time frame for preparing the beds is as follows:

• in the Moscow region and central Russia - mid-October;
• in the south - mid-late November (in Crimea and the Caucasus - early December);
• in Siberia, the Urals and the northern regions of the European part of the country - September.

Wherein It’s important to follow weather forecasters’ forecasts.

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Preparing a bed for onions in the fall

To get a rich harvest of vegetables next season, preparations begin in the fall.

Getting rid of weeds

The plot for winter onions is thoroughly cleaned of:

• plant residues from the summer: tops, roots, rotten fruits;
• weeds: the green mass on which pests remain is dangerous.

Use herbicides if necessary. So, if an area has been infected with wheatgrass, there is no other reliable way to completely get rid of it.

Attention! When treating an area with such means, comply with the standards established by the manufacturer. If you plant onions too early, they will absorb pesticides.

Digging

Onions, both in spring and autumn planting, need loose and aerated soil. Therefore, when laying out beds and preparing for sowing, the soil is loosened at least to a bayonet level.

How to prepare a virgin plot where nothing has been grown before? To do this, use double digging:

1. Take a sheet of iron, plywood or a wide piece of film.
2. The top layer of soil is torn off deep into the bayonet, the removed soil is put aside on a sheet or film.
3. The exposed soil is dug up again onto the bayonet of the shovel.
4. The resulting depression is filled with removed and crushed earth, which is rubbed with gloved hands.

This technology is suitable for heavy black soils with a thick humus layer (for example, as in the Voronezh or Tambov regions). If the humus is less than the size of a shovel, this method will only raise a lifeless layer of clay or sand. If in doubt, the ground is drilled or a fairly deep hole is dug to the side.

When digging, raise the level of the beds, throwing soil onto them from the paths formed along the perimeter. Ideally, the bed should rise 12–15 cm so that excess liquid is drained along the paths around it and the area does not become waterlogged.

Enrichment of soil composition

When planting onions in the autumn, only vermicompost is used. (for example, arising from the cultivation of California worms), well-processed compost or bottom peat.

In addition to organic matter, synthetic fertilizers are also added to the soil. (dosage per 1 m²):

• urea - 25 g;
• superphosphate - 15–20 g;
• potassium chloride - 20 g.

Wood ash is pre-added at a rate of at least 15 g per 1 m² beds. This product is used in any quantity: the excess simply will not be absorbed and will remain in the soil for the future.

Read also:

What are onion pests and methods for dealing with them?

How to preserve onions for the winter at home

Change in soil structure

Onions have weak roots, so they need loose and well-aerated soil.:

1. When growing on sand or sandy loam, clay is first added to consolidate the soil. The amount of substance depends on the composition of the soil, but usually 1 bucket per 2 m is enough².
2. On loam, heavy chernozems and similar soils, add screened and well-calcined fine river sand (1 bucket per 1 m²). It will make the soil more loose and airy.
3. The vegetable prefers chemically neutral soil, so before sowing, place a lump of soil in warm water, leave for a couple of days, filter and check the acidity with litmus paper. At low pH values, lime or chalk is added to the soil. At high rates, sawdust is added. The optimal pH for onions is 7.5.

If the soil structure and acidity level are normal, the crop is planted immediately.

Mulching and other procedures

After applying fertilizers, the soil is disinfected, especially if previously there were outbreaks of gray rot, powdery mildew, rust, and fusarium on the site. To do this, use a solution of copper sulfate (2 tablespoons per 10 liters of water). Consumption: 1 bucket per 1 m². The product destroys fungal spores, preventing infection of the onion plantation.

Important! Along with fungi, vitriol also kills soil bacteria, so disinfection is carried out no more than once every 3-4 years. In the spring, the beds are watered with a solution of Fitosporin or another biological product.

After planting the onions, the beds are mulched straw, hay or dry plant stems. The layer is made 10–15 cm thick.

Features of preparing beds and sowing

For onions, the plot is prepared taking into account these requirements:

• loosening depth - at least 5 cm deeper than the root growth zone of adult plants;
• The bed is raised so that the seeds do not rot.

Preparing onion sets for planting includes:

• careful selection: all damaged, rotten or diseased specimens are disposed of;
• disinfection: to avoid rust and rot, seed material is soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate, copper sulfate or complex fungicide.

When planting in the fall, add 10–15% more seed in case of the death of his unit.

Advice from experienced summer residents

The technology for cultivating autumn onions is simple, but small tricks will increase productivity:

1. When laying out the beds, the furrows are made in such a way that they stretch from north to south. This will improve the illumination of the plants and the rate of soil warming in the spring.
2. The site is chosen on a hill, not in the shade. This way the soil will warm up faster in the spring, and the seeds will sprout earlier.
3. Onions should not be planted for 2 years in a row in the same place or after garlic.
4. Zucchini, carrots or greens are planted next to winter crops.

Conclusion

Planting onions before winter is a popular cultivation technology. To prevent vegetables from dying in frost, it is important to properly prepare the area. To do this, it is cleared of plant debris, carefully dug up, and nutrients are added.

If necessary, soil acidity is adjusted with chalk or sawdust. After planting the seedlings, the beds are mulched with straw or hay.