Early maturing, frost-resistant winter onion variety "Shakespeare"

The main advantages and disadvantages of the variety

Bow Shakespeare has the following positive qualities:

• early ripeness;
• beautiful bulb shape;
• the fruit pulp is juicy and dense;
• resistant to frost down to – 18 C°;
• resistance to many diseases;

Among the disadvantages it is noted The bulbs have a short shelf life of 6 months. But this applies to all winter varieties.

Features of planting and growing

When growing a variety follow agrotechnical rules and recommendationsto achieve the desired results.

Preparing for landing

It is best to use seed sets for planting Shakespeare. It is desirable that the bulbs have a diameter of about 1 cm.

Attention. Be sure to check each bulb before planting. It should be free of rot, stains and other damage.

The advantage of the variety is that the sets can be planted without prior soaking and processing. In addition, there is no need to trim the necks of the bulbs.

When growing onions, it is important to observe crop rotation.. Vegetable it will grow better in areas where the following crops previously grew:

• all grains except oats;
• cabbage;
• rape;
• beet;
• tomatoes;
• mustard.

Onion It is not recommended to plant after garlic, carrots, oats, cucumbers and onions.

Soil requirements

Onions prefer sandy and loamy soils. The vegetable does not develop on too dense (clayey) soil. It is also picky about soil acidity. The culture grows well in neutral or slightly alkaline soil, where the pH level is from 6.4 to 7.9.

Preparing the soil for planting begins with digging and removing all plant debris and weeds. The soil must be nutritious. To do this, the soil can be fertilized with the following composition:

• potassium salt;
• superphosphate;
• humus.

You can add wood ash to the soil. It is especially good to use in acidified areas. Clay lands are enriched with sand, and sandy lands are enriched with clay.

Choose a place for planting that is dry and sunny, no liquid should accumulate there.

Dates, scheme and rules of planting

Sevok is planted in early October, but the seeds for it are planted at the end of August. However, the climatic conditions of planting are of great importance. So, in Siberia the dates will be shifted to the end of September. And in the southern regions, on the contrary, in the second half of October. But keep in mind that the seedlings are planted about a week before frost occurs.

Shakespeare variety You can plant one bulb at a time or in nests of 3-4 pieces in one hole. In this case, the neck of the bulb is deepened a couple of centimeters. The distance between the rows is 20 cm. And between the holes no more than 10 cm.

After the onions are planted, cover them with a mixture of humus and peat.. And the top of the bed needs to be mulched. Hay or dry leaves are good for this. In regions where winters are warm, additional insulation is not required.

In spring the mulch is removedto allow the bed to warm up under the sun's rays and the bulbs to begin to sprout.

Features of cultivation

Variety Shakespeare is suitable for sowing in open ground. The ground is first loosened or dug up - it depends on the type of soil. 10-14 days before planting, the bed is sprinkled with wood ash and mixed with a flat cutter.

Important! The crop cannot be planted in lowlands, otherwise the plantings may be flooded with meltwater.

During cultivation, use nitrogen fertilizers strictly according to instructions. They are able to provoke the growth of green mass, while the bulbs themselves will not develop.

Nuances of care

When growing Shakespeare onions it is important to follow the basic rules of care: watering, weeding and fertilizing.

Watering mode

There is no need to water the vegetable after planting.. In spring there is sufficient rainfall. The soil is always wet at this time of year. Therefore, the first watering is carried out no earlier than in the first half of May.

You need to water once every 8-10 days, spending per 1 sq. m 10-12 liters of water. From the beginning to mid-July, water consumption is reduced to 8 liters, and from mid to late July, 4-5 liters are watered. The frequency remains the same.

Three weeks before maturity Stop watering the bulbs.

Important! Water early in the morning or evening. Water is poured next to the plantings, trying not to get on the bulbs themselves in order to avoid burns and diseases.

Drying out the soil is unacceptable, but excess moisture is also not needed.

Loosening the soil and weeding

Be sure to loosen the soil after watering. When doing this, remove only a thin top layer of soil because the bulbs are close to the surface and are easily damaged.

The procedure is repeated 3-6 times per season. The frequency depends on the aridity of the climate and the formation of crust in the garden bed. But once every 3-4 weeks, loosening is necessary.

Weeding of plantings is no less important from weeds. While the onion is small, it is better to peel it by hand. When he grows up, you can use a hoe. Weed as weeds appear.

Top dressing

Fertilizers are applied for the first time two weeks after germination. To do this, take 60 g of the “Ideal” drug, 60 g of urea and 10 liters of water. All ingredients are mixed and added to the ground where the onions grow.

The procedure is carried out a second time two weeks after the first time. A good option would be potassium phosphate drugs. Dilute 30 g of superphosphate and 30 g of potassium sulfate in 10 liters of water and water the plantings with the resulting solution.

Third feeding done a month before harvest. Dry mineral mixtures are suitable here. They need to be applied after rain or watering.

Disease and pest control

Variety disease resistant. However in order to prevent brown spot, powdery mildew and peronosporosis, it is recommended use copper oxychloride. To do this, take 30 g of the drug per 10 liters of water. Plantings are watered at the rate of 1 liter of liquid per 10 square meters. m plot.

Important! When growing onions for harvest or sets, you should not use pesticides. But you can treat the plantings with wood ash.

Among the pests, the vegetable attacks onion fly. To get rid of it, tobacco dust is sprayed over the area. You can also plant marigolds or calendula next to the garden bed. They protect crops well from this pest.

The drugs showed good results "Agrovertin" or "Fitoverm". They are used strictly according to the instructions.

Harvest and storage

Let's talk about the rules of harvesting. Only fully ripened bulbs can be used for storage.

How and when to collect

Onion harvesting occurs approximately 2.5 months after germination. Yellowed feathers become a signal for action. It is better to choose a dry and windy day. Ripe bulbs are dug up with a pitchfork and lightly shaken off the ground.

Then onions are laid out directly on the beds to dry. After a couple of hours, it is transferred under a canopy, where it should dry completely. This takes about two weeks. During this period, roots and stem residues are removed.

Storage features and keeping quality of the variety

For long-term storage, vegetables are stored in a cool room., for example, a cellar or basement. The temperature there should be 0 ... -1 C°, humidity - 75-90%. When stored in an apartment, the temperature is kept within +18 ..+ 22°C, and humidity at 70%. But the main thing is that the place is well dried, free of rot and mold.

Shakespeare stored for up to 6 months, subject to compliance all conditions.

Difficulties in growing

When cultivating a variety, you may encounter with some problems:

• the need to monitor soil moisture;
• onion midge attack.

It is important to remove weeds on time, as they carry diseases and deprive the plant of nutrients.

Advice from experienced gardeners

Some summer residents advise cover beds with onions for the winter right before the onset of severe frosts. If you cover the plantings before the onset of stable frosts, the crop may not survive the winter well.

On a note. Feeding onions with yeast.Take 500 g of bread crumb and pour 10 liters of warm water over it, then add 500 g of green grass and 500 g of yeast. Leave the solution for 48 hours. After this, you can water the plants.

Reviews of the Shakespeare variety

In general, reviews of the Shakespeare bow are positive. After all, this is one of the few non-shooting varieties. And many summer residents note its delicate taste and aroma.

Igor, Baymak: “Every year I plant the winter variety Shakespeare and get a magnificent harvest of delicious onions. He has no arrows, which is very pleasing. For fertilizers, I only use wood ash and humus.".

Tamara, Taganrog: “Shakespeare is very convenient to plant before winter. I start watering only in May or June. The harvest is always abundant. The bulbs themselves grow even and beautiful".

Lyudmila, Baymak: “I only recently learned about the variety, but it has become a favorite on my site. I plant in the fall, and in the spring I already have a bed full of seedlings. But do not forget to apply fertilizers on time. I use mullein infusion for feeding.”.

Conclusion

The winter variety Shakespeare is intended for planting before winter and is considered one of the most frost-resistant. This bow attracted the attention of summer residents due to its lack of arrows. If you follow all the rules, you will definitely be pleased with a large harvest.