Processing onion sets before planting will protect it from diseases and pests, it will contribute to better germination and a higher yield. We will learn how to prepare the bulbs for planting, and give recommendations for planting onions.

Optimal timing for onion processing

Onion sets are processed immediately before planting, which usually occurs in spring. Most often, the landing period occurs in late April or early May, but in the southern regions it can begin to land in March. The main thing is to set the temperature at + 10 ° C. Do not plant bulbs in unheated soil or at higher temperatures. Some gardeners plant part of the onions in the winter to get an earlier harvest.Such onions are unsuitable for long storage and are consumed during the summer season, but they ripen a few weeks earlier. Landing is carried out in the fall, usually in late October or early November at soil temperatures of + 2 ... + 4 ° C. You should know the weather forecast in advance and plant the bulbs 3-4 weeks before the expected frosts, so that it is rooted properly, but not sprouted.

Important! You should not do winter onion planting if your region has little snowy harsh winters or frequent thaws. In these cases, the crops may die, and no treatment will help.

How and how to process onions before planting

There are many ways to handle onions before planting. You can choose any of them (only one).

Fitosporin

This drug contains bacteria that suppress pathogenic flora and increase crop resistance in crops. It can be used in two ways:

1. Spray: dilute 10 g of the drug in 0.5 l of water.
2. Soak: make a solution of 10-20 g of powder and 1 liter of water. Then the seed is immersed in it for 5-10 minutes.

Potassium permanganate

The disinfecting properties of potassium permanganate solution are excellent against pathogenic fungi and bacteria. This drug has been tested for years and is available in many households. How long the bulbs are immersed in a potassium permanganate solution is affected by the concentration of the solution:

1. Weak: 3-4 g are bred in 1 liter and the seeds are kept for 2 hours.
2. Medium: put 10 g per 1 liter of water and soak the onions for 45 minutes.
3. Strong: 20-25 g of powder is diluted in 1 liter and the onions are kept in it for 20 minutes.

It is recommended to use a slightly concentrated version, since the negative impact from such a solution is the smallest.

Salt or Soda Solution

Salt and soda solutions are not very effective compared to many tried and tested chemical preparations (manganese or copper sulfate), but any gardener always has the ingredients for their manufacture.

Salt solution inhibits fungi, the nematode does not like it. They make it from this calculation: 1 tbsp. l on 1 liter of water. Before use, the seed is dried for a week at a temperature of + 25 ° C, and then soaked in it for 2-3 hours. After that, the bulbs are washed and dried before planting.

Did you know? Potassium permanganate is included in the IV list of precursors (substances used in the manufacture of drugs) by the Russian Drug Control Committee and recognized as a precursor for the production of drugs in Ukraine, therefore, it has restrictions on sales.

Soda solution is much less effective and is unlikely to help, but you do not have to put soda far. It is recommended to use a small amount of it during pre-sowing heat treatment by adding only 1 part soda powder to a 10-liter bucket with warm (+45 ... + 50 ° С) water. To disinfect planting material, it is enough to withstand sowing 10–15 minutes in a soda solution.

Wood ash

This substance is not only an excellent top dressing, but also protects the bulbs from pests and diseases. It perfectly stimulates onion germination. The ash solution is done as follows: 0.5 kg of wood ash is diluted in 10 l of water and the bulbs are immersed in it for planting for 5-10 minutes. Then the seed is dried and planted in prepared beds.

Did you know? Onions were cultivated more than 5 thousand years ago and are now part of all the cuisines of the world. It is grown in approximately 175 countries.

Blue vitriol

The antifungal effects of this copper compound are widely known and can be used to disinfect onions for planting. The solution is based on: 1-2 tbsp. substances per 10 liters of warm water. The blue powder of copper sulfate is stirred until it dissolves well in water. Then, planting material is placed in the resulting solution for 2-3 hours, after which it is planted.

Epin Extra

This plant growth stimulator will allow the bulb to take root faster and strengthen the plant, improve germination. One ampoule of the drug is dissolved in 2 l of water and placed in the obtained sevoc liquid for 15-30 minutes. You can choose in which growth stimulator to soak the seeds before planting - in the humate, Epin, Zircon, Silke, Energene.

Ammonium nitrate

This nitrogen fertilizer will not only feed and become a stimulus for plant growth, but will also contribute to disinfection. This substance will need to be taken very little - 2-3 g per 10 liters of warm water (+ 40 ° C). After the substance is dissolved, the sevc is placed in the solution for 15–20 minutes.

Birch tar

This substance is used in medicine and cosmetics, but can also be used as a repellent against pests, and it also inhibits pathogenic bacteria. It is environmentally friendly and belongs to natural remedies.Before soaking, the onions are dried for a day at a temperature of + 37 ... + 40 ° C, then the upper layer of husk is removed from it and the tops are trimmed. A solution is made at the rate of: 1 tbsp. tar from birch per 1 liter of water. Then the onions are placed in the solution for 2-3 hours and during the soaking is mixed 2-3 times.

Important! If you have identified cases of the presence of an onion tick, then the bulbs are soaked in a solution of colloidal sulfur before planting.

Kerosene

The smell of kerosene will scare away many pests from the onion, including the onion fly. Its solution is used for processing beds and is recommended to be done with salt, so that the action is complex. Means based on kerosene do this: 1 tbsp. kerosene and ½ cup of salt are dissolved in 5 l of water. Then produce watering beds with onions. This treatment is recommended to be carried out 2 times - when the cherry blossoms and in early June, when the onion fly is most active.

Other ways to prepare the onion for planting

There are other tricks to increase the yield. They are carried out before seedbed pre-seed soaking.

Sorting

Before planting, it is imperative to sort the planting material to check if there are pests and diseases. Only healthy bulbs are selected for planting. But sprouted, with rot or mold, shrunken specimens are discarded. Selected healthy specimens are sorted by size and planted in decreasing order of size, i.e., first they plant larger ones, then medium ones, and then small ones.

Important! Onions are preferably planted on loose, well-permeable soil. Acidic soil is completely unsuitable for growing this vegetable. The onion planted on it is sick and gives a weak crop.

Warming up

Sorted seed a few days before planting in the ground must be warmed up to prevent rifling. Bulbs can be placed near radiators by placing them in a single layer on a newspaper or paper on the floor. Temperatures in the range + 35 ... + 40 ° С are quite enough for warming up.You can also immediately prior to landing to carry out heating in accelerated mode. To do this, place the planting material for a couple of minutes in hot water (not boiling water), then immediately transfer it to a cool liquid. This treatment is necessary so that the bow does not go into arrows.

Hardening

Onion sets are tempered in order to develop a stronger immunity from diseases and pests. This procedure is carried out in early spring. Sorted vegetables are placed in boxes and put in a cool room (temperature 0 ... + 8 ° C). It can be a cellar, a cellar or a refrigerator shelf. There planting material is stored for 10 days. After this time, the onions are moved to a warm place. If time is running out, then this procedure can be reduced. To do this, after soaking the onion set is placed in cold water, and then dried and heated in the sun.

Did you know? Most onions are grown by the Chinese and Indians. However, Libyans lead in terms of per capita consumption - 33.6 kg per person was recorded in 2011.

Features of processing beds and soil

Before planting, it is necessary to prepare the soil and beds. Usually this is done in the autumn immediately after the last harvest. Preparatory work consists of the following:

1. Remove residual vegetation.
2. Dig a landing area.
3. When digging the soil, add compost - 6–7 kg per 1 m² or rotted manure.
4. Add potash-phosphorus fertilizers to the soil at the rate of 30 g per 1 m².

If the above works are not carried out in the autumn period, then they must be carried out in the spring.

On the eve of the landing itself, it is necessary to carry out such events:

1. Dig the area and trim with a rake.
2. Water the plot with copper sulfate (1 tbsp. Per 10 liters of water per 1 m²) for the prevention of fungal diseases. The solution should be heated to a temperature of at least + 50 ° C.
3. Cover the top with a film to enhance the result.

When planting this vegetable for the winter, the bed is dug up and fertilizers are applied a month before planting in the soil. If the soil is acidic in the area, it must be produced, that is, add chalk or lime.

Useful Tips

Experts give the following useful recommendations:

1. When planting, observe crop rotation. Onions should be planted after carrots, potatoes, cucumbers, legumes. Onions, garlic, cabbage are considered to be bad predecessors.
2. The landing area should be well lit by the sun, since the bow does not like shading.
3. When planting, you need to maintain a distance of 3 to 6 cm, depending on the variety, and plant to a depth of 5-6 cm.
4. Over the entire growing season, onions are watered 6-7 times. 3 weeks before harvesting, watering is stopped.
5. After the emergence of seedlings, chicken manure or mineral fertilizers containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are used as top dressings. In the second half of the growing season, when fertilizing, nitrogen-containing fertilizers must be reduced or eliminated altogether.
6. It is imperative to carry out loosening of the soil with the removal of weed grass.
7. The arrows that give the onion must be cut off, then the fruits will be better.

Processing onion sets before planting is quite affordable and inexpensive means can increase its yield and protect against disease. Such treatments are prophylaxis that should not be neglected.