Planting onions before winter: is it possible to plant after carrots?

Compliance with crop rotation rules increases crop yields and reduces material and labor costs. Crop rotation rules determine the order of planting, thereby maintaining the fertility of the land. Many gardeners, violating the correct sequence, lose a significant part of the harvest due to depleted soil or disease. The right combination of crops has a beneficial effect on the harvest and increases the potential of the soil.

Onion crop rotation rules

Onions are not a capricious crop, but ignoring the rules of crop rotation can disrupt its full development.

Crop rotation rules are agrotechnical practices whose purpose is — use the soil rationally and saturate it with useful elements naturally. Rational use of land implies proper rotation of crops. Thanks to this, the soil not only rests, but also becomes healthier. Many plants do not deplete the soil, but, on the contrary, fill it with useful compounds necessary for the full development of other crops.

Farmers identify three main reasons why it is necessary to observe crop rotation:

1. When planting the same plants in one place for several years in a row, the soil is depleted, pathogens and pests accumulate in the soil, and the risk of infectious outbreaks increases.
2. Increased levels of toxins in the soil. Most plants release toxic substances into the top layer of soil - colins.Many crops are susceptible to their toxins, leading to degeneration and disease when planted in the same location.
3. Soil depletion. Garden crops consume nutrients from the soil. When planting them in the same place, a catastrophic lack of nutrition occurs, for this reason the plant does not fully develop.

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The main rule of crop rotation for onions – do not plant it for more than three years in the same bed. Onions consume a lot of nutrients; in three years they can completely deplete the soil. A lack of nutrients will negatively affect the plant’s immunity and the risk of disease will increase.

As for the soil composition, for it requires light and fertile soil with neutral acidity. For fertility, organic matter with mineral fertilizers in addition to fresh manure are added to the soil. Wood ash is considered a good fertilizer. Acidity is determined using a litmus indicator or by the presence of plants such as sorrel, poppy or lupine in the area.

Reference! To determine acidity using litmus paper, you need to dissolve a little earth in a glass of water. Dip the indicator into the solution. If it turns red, the soil is acidic. Green color indicates normal acidity.

The acidity level is reduced by adding dolomite flour or slaked lime to the soil.

Characteristics of culture

Is it possible to plant onions after carrots before winter? What difficulties will you have to overcome in order to grow winter sets and what rules must you follow when growing carrots? To answer these questions, consider the characteristics of each culture.

Onion

This perennial herbaceous plant belongs to the onion family.. It can be grown from seeds (nigella) and from sets. They are sown in open ground at the end of April - beginning of May. The plant is cold-resistant and can withstand light frosts. Sevok is planted in spring or before winter, the average ripening period is 70-110 days.

For full development of culture it is necessary moderately moist soil with good air exchange. Often, the soil is drained for better oxygen penetration.

Fertilizers are applied long before sowing, since the crop loves well-fertile soil. During the growing season, no more than three feedings are carried out, excluding organic matter and fresh manure. Organic matter - chicken manure or mullein - is added to the ground during autumn and spring digging.

Basic elements for full development – phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen.

Carrot

Carrot is a biennial herbaceous plant from the Apiaceae family.. Sowing is carried out both in spring and before winter. For the summer, only late-ripening carrots are planted, and for autumn sowing, cold-resistant early or mid-ripening varieties are used. Seeds of cold-resistant varieties can germinate at temperatures of +3…+5℃. At lower rates, the seed material will not sprout. Spring sowing begins at the end of April, and in the southern regions planting is possible from March.

Beds for carrots are organized in a sunny place, this vegetable is light-loving. In a shaded space, the formation of root crops will slow down significantly.

The soil should be light and loose, loamy or peaty soil is considered ideal. The culture is demanding of moisture and needs regular watering. It is not recommended to allow the soil to dry out. All nutrients are added to the soil before sowing the seeds. During the growing season, only magnesium fertilizers are used.

Is it possible to plant winter onions after carrots?

You can plant onions after carrots before winter, since they complement each other mutually beneficially. In general, carrots are one of those plants after which almost all crops can be planted.

It is also permissible to plant carrots after onions. Onions, like carrots, are among those plants after which many crops receive full development.

But not only after carrots are winter sets planted. He will feel good in those beds where they previously grew:

• green manure;
• tomato;
• cucumbers;
• salad;
• cabbage of any kind.

Experienced gardeners It is recommended to plant seedlings after potatoes. The main thing is to make sure that the soil is not infested with golden nematodes.

It is not recommended to plant onions and carrots after celery.

Reference! Before planting, the soil is saturated with phosphorus and potassium.

Winter onions can be eaten not only after carrots, but also plant these two plants in the same bed. Mixed or too frequent planting will adversely affect carrots. The sets will germinate faster and will interfere with the growth of the carrots. But delimited planting will improve living conditions: plants will protect each other from pest invasion.

Attention! Nitrogen is not used as a fertilizer for winter plantings to avoid increased growth in winter.

After what other crops can onions be planted?

Most crops of the nightshade family are considered suitable predecessors for onions and green manure:

• legumes;
• tomatoes;
• cucumbers;
• dill;
• parsley;
• radish;
• mustard;
• oats

In addition to its predecessors, each culture is characterized by a certain neighborhood. Plants that are beneficial to each other help in development, while incompatibility leads to a decrease in yield.

Not only vegetables can become good neighbors for onions. It will take root well next to strawberries. The beneficial proximity of these plants simplifies the absorption of nutrients from the soil. Beetroot has a similar effect. It is allowed to combine onions with cabbage, lettuce, radishes and thyme.

When growing onion crops, only feathers are allowed First plant radishes or spinach, and after the harvest, immediately sow the sets. After green onions, legumes are most often planted to compensate for the lack of nitrogen in the soil.

Read also:

Harvesting and storing onions: when is it time to dig them out of the garden?

Onion sets “Sturon”: is it possible to plant before winter

High-yielding onion variety “Shetana” for long-term storage

After which it is not recommended to plant onions

Crop rotation rules do not recommend planting onions after:

• garlic;
• corn;
• sunflower;
• alfalfa.

In addition to the listed plants, it is not recommended to plant onions after the onions themselves - the earth needs a three-year rest.

Tips and tricks for gardeners

Experienced gardeners talk about the unpretentiousness of the plant. But if crop rotation rules are not followed, a decrease in crop yield is noted and increasing the risk of developing diseases:

1. Winter sets are planted in clear weather three weeks before the onset of frost. The optimal temperature for sowing is +5℃.
2. Be sure to keep the planting material next to the battery to warm up for 10 hours.
3. Do not create excess moisture in the beds - it leads to putrefactive processes.
4. Do not use fresh manure for feeding.

Conclusion

Despite the unpretentiousness of onions, failure to follow the rules of crop rotation leads to a decrease in its yield, loss of immunity and depletion of the soil. It is important to take into account not only predecessors, but also neighbors. Rational use of land will preserve crop productivity and soil fertility, while incompatible plants will hinder each other's development.