How to prepare onions for planting? Let's teach!

The best crops to precede the planting of onions will be those that grow early and free up space for planting (radishes, radishes, green crops, and the like). Since it is not always possible to combine the planting of mid-late and early crops, onions are often grown as a single and main plant. In this case, tomatoes, legumes, melons, cabbage and potatoes will be ideal predecessors. It is strictly not recommended to sow onions after other types of onions and garlic. And in the same place, onions can only be grown after 4-5 years.

Content

• Dispersing onion seeds
• Methods of sowing seeds
• Planting seedlings

Dispersing onion seeds

Before the sowing procedure, you should carefully prepare the seeds. This is done so that they germinate better and faster, since it is known that the germination rate of onions is quite low. Under favorable conditions, on average it will be about 50% of all planted seeds. Of course, if we talk about elite seeds, this figure increases to 80%.
To ensure that seed dispersal brings the expected results, pay attention to the following recommendations:

1. Seeds must only be from last year. Even two-year-old crops may not sprout. It is important to point out that the essential oils contained in the seeds interfere with the penetration of moisture.
2. During cultivation, it is important to get vigorous and early shoots from seeds.
3. Onions should be sown as early as possible, as soon as the snow melts in the spring and weather conditions favor soil cultivation.
4. Late sowing can cause a significant reduction in seedlings and loss of their ability to actively grow, which will directly affect the overall yield.

It is allowed to sow onion seeds before winter. An important nuance: sowing is carried out immediately before the onset of stable frosts. In this case, seed germination and bulb formation will accelerate by approximately 12-16 days. Another positive aspect of winter sowing is better storage. However, they are best produced on sandy loam soils. It is also undesirable to wet the seeds before sowing.

Methods of sowing seeds

There are several ways to sow seeds:

• wide row method. Used over large areas. The distance between rows is 60 cm, between adjacent ones – 45 cm;
• sowing on small plots of land. The distance between the rows is 30 cm. When sowing, hand seeders are often used.

The rate of winter sowing is 20-25% higher and for more even sowing, the seeds are mixed with sawdust or sand. The sowing depth is 2 - 2.5 cm. Of course, the specified norm may be different. Thus, light sandy soils contribute to deeper planting, while the heavy clay surface does not allow deepening by more than 1.5 cm. The first shoots of onions appear around the 20th day. Along with them, weeds begin to grow, which must be removed in time so that rhizomes do not form. Between the rows, weeds are easily removed with a flat cutter or rake.

Important note: constantly moist soil promotes the emergence of seedlings.The formation of a crust is not allowed, as it can reduce seed ingrowth by 50 - 70%. To prevent this phenomenon, use plastic film. It is laid out on the garden bed and removed after the first shoots appear.

Planting seedlings

Onions are also sown using a seeder. Seedlings are small bulbs with a diameter of up to 4 cm, which are specially grown for further sowing. It is mainly used for growing semi-sharp and acute varieties of onions and some hybrids. By growing onions in this way, you can get marketable products already in the first year.

Preparing the soil for sowing a seedling is similar to planting seeds, only before planting the seedling you need to loosen the soil a little (to a depth of 10 cm).

When planting seedlings, the following factors play a significant role:

• Seeder size. For the bulb to form, it must be medium.
• Sowing should occur neither too early nor too late. In the first case, deformation of the crop and bolting may occur, and in the second, a lot of moisture will be lost, which will affect the rooting of the onion.
• Favorable weather conditions. Onions are a heat-loving crop, and therefore should be planted after long frosts.

Planting starts from the smallest one and ends with the larger one. It is usually sown in a wide-row manner: the distance between the rows is 30 cm, and between the bulbs 4–5 cm. After planting, the soil must be compacted. The first shoots will appear on the 30th – 40th day.