Methods of growing onions. Multi-tiered onions: planting, care, propagation How to propagate onions from a purchased bulb

Onion, or Tatarka, belongs to the group of perennial herbaceous plants. Onion onions are characterized by increased frost resistance, keeping their leaves and feathers intact when the air temperature drops to -10°C. From early spring to late autumn it forms a large number of green feathers, which quickly recover after cutting. Among early vegetable crops, batun occupies a leading place. We will tell you how to propagate and rejuvenate spring onions in this article.

How to properly rejuvenate and propagate spring onions? © ethanappleseed

Onion - features of cultivation on the site

Unlike onions, spring onions do not form winter bulbs and are used mainly for food as a source of fresh vitamin-rich greens. The green leaves of batun contain sugars, acids, carotene, essential oils, microelements, and phytoncides. Essential oils and phytoncides have disinfecting properties, destroy bacteria and pathogenic microbes, and increase the body's defenses.

In the southern regions, onions are grown in open and closed ground. In spring, sowing is carried out when the soil in the upper root layer is warmed to +5...+8 °C. If the beds are covered with any material - spruce branches, sawdust (not pine), special non-woven materials, then seedlings will appear on the 8-10th day, and the first cutting can be done in early July.

IN middle lane onion seeds are sown in open ground in June-July. If the summer is favorable, the harvest of young greenery is harvested in the fall. If you sow seeds in the fall (late August - early September), you get fresh greens in early spring, freeing yourself up for other urgent spring work.

It is more practical in the middle zone and colder regions to grow onions through seedlings for unheated greenhouses and open ground. For its forcing, heated greenhouses and window sills in houses and apartments are used.

Onions can grow in one place for 7 to 10 years. It is more practical to obtain tasty fortified products in the 5th year by starting to plant new plants of this crop.

Onions do not form a full-fledged bulb, which is why they differ from onions. A “false bulb” is formed in the soil in the form of a slight basal thickening, around which several children form. Over time, the underground part grows to the detriment of the above-ground mass.

Onion is grown as a one- or perennial plant. When grown annually, onions are completely harvested in the fall and sown in a different location the following year.

At long-term cultivation Every year, only the above-ground part of the onion is harvested, cutting off the feathers when they reach 25-40 cm in height.

The batun produces the largest yields of above-ground shoots in the 2nd–4th years. Sometimes the number of “feathers” reaches 40 or more. At the same time, cap-shaped inflorescences with seeds appear. Starting from the 5th year, yields gradually decrease, and delicate and juicy feathers become tougher.

Methods of propagation and rejuvenation of onions

Rejuvenation or transplantation of the baton must be carried out each time in a new place. The spring onion should be returned to its original state no earlier than after 4-5 years.

Rejuvenation/reproduction is carried out in several ways:

• sowing seeds;
• seedlings;
• dividing the bush.

Onion shoots. © Emma Cooper

Sowing onion seeds

Seed material can be bought in specialized stores or you can use seeds obtained independently from mother plants in the second and subsequent years of growth and development of this crop. Several onion bushes are specially left to form seeds (mother bushes are not used for cutting green leaves). When preparing seeds yourself, sowing is carried out with seeds from previous years (3-4 years).

In the southern regions, with a long warm season, onions are sown several times with a period of 3-4 weeks. The earliest sowing is carried out in the spring in the first ten days of April. You can sow earlier if the soil has warmed up in the upper layer to +10...+12°C. The latest autumn sowing in open ground is carried out at an air temperature of +3...+4°C and the earliest fortified greens are obtained next April.

Seeds are sown in wet soil in an ordinary way to a depth of 1.0-1.5 cm. Onion shoots appear in 6-15 days, depending on the air temperature. The soil must be kept constantly loose, weed-free and moist. Watering is carried out in the morning or evening at least once a week, and on dry hot days - every 3-4 days. When the soil dries out (delays in watering), the feathers of the batun grow stiff and bitter.

In the case of a perennial crop, in the first year, young onions go into winter with the leaves. When the leaves dry out or after the first frost, they are cut off, because when they rot, they can become a source of infection for plants. With the onset of spring, full cuttings are carried out when the leaves reach a height of 25 cm or more. You can also cut younger masses - 15-17 cm.

To speed up the production of greenery in the spring and prolong its cutting in the fall, it is advisable to use light-transmitting shelters from February until stable heat. Onion greens under cover are obtained 2-3 weeks earlier.

Propagation of onion by seedlings

In the central and more northern regions of Russia, in order to obtain a sufficient amount of greenery, starting from the first year, onions are grown through seedlings.

Seeds are sown in prepared containers from March 1 to March 20, in more severe areas - from the second ten days of April.

• Sowing, carried out to a depth of 3-4 cm in moist soil, is covered with light-proof material and placed in a warm place with an air temperature not lower than +18...+25°C.
• With the emergence of seedlings, the containers are opened, moved closer to the light, and, if necessary, additional lighting.
• During the period of seedling development, the temperature is first reduced to +14°C and maintained at night within +10...+12°C, and raised to +16°C during the day. If it is not possible to regulate the air temperature, then by ventilation without drafts it is maintained within the range of +14...+16°C.
• During the period of growth and development of seedlings, do not allow the soil to dry out.

When they reach 55-60 days of age, the seedlings are planted in open ground or in unheated greenhouses. Seedlings ready for planting have a developed root and 3-4 feather leaves. In heated greenhouses, onions can be grown all year round.

Onion in the garden. © 石川 Shihchuan

Propagation of onion by dividing the bush

It is most practical to divide the onion bush from July to September or in the spring (3rd decade of March – early April). Strong bushes are selected, carefully dug up and divided into planting units of 1 or 2-4 children. Before planting, the roots are shortened by 1/3 and the leaves are partially cut off during summer transplantation. Planting is carried out in moist, fertilized soil, in a strip method, placing young bushes approximately 20-25 cm in a row and 40-45 cm between rows.

It is more practical to buy seeds in a specialized store. They have already been treated against various fungal and other diseases, which contributes to more friendly germination and better development of plants.

Seeds collected independently must be disinfected before planting and kept in a special solution (Kornevin, Baikal, etc.) before planting to improve germination.

Experienced gardeners recommend using the bridge planting method when forcing onions, that is, placing the planting material (children) close to each other. Sprinkle with sawdust or humus soil no higher than 3 cm. Subject to the required conditions (temperature and humidity), you can from 1 square. m to obtain up to 14 kg of green mass.

If there is a need to feed the batun, then it is better to use the preparations “Agricola-O”, “Vegeta” or “Effekton” according to the recommendations.

Based on these experiments, it can be argued that northern vegetatively propagated onions were imported from the south in the form of seeds or bulbs at various times and were cultivated in conditions unusual for them.

Constant vegetative propagation and storage of seed onions at high temperatures; temperature contributed to the emergence of multi-bud bulbs, and their systematic selection for this valuable trait led to its consolidation. Thus, local multi-nest forms of vegetatively propagated onions arose.

Research in subsequent years has convinced us that vegetatively propagated onions are not representatives of a special species - Allium ascalonicum L. Such forms can be obtained from any variety onions through long-term cultivation of seed onions under certain conditions that promote the development of vegetative buds on the stem of the bulbs, and the selection of non-shooting multi-nested plants.

Along with typically vegetatively propagated varieties and populations and multi-primed onion varieties periodically grown from seeds (Troitsky local, Skopinsky local, Spassky local, Pogarsky local, etc.), there are intermediate forms of onions in which, after many years of vegetative propagation, within one year seeds. For example, onions of the Estonian SSR are grown vegetatively for 6-7 years, then one seed reproduction is obtained, and then the onions are again propagated vegetatively. Such onions are distinguished by early ripening and keeping quality, passing through the vernalization stage at elevated temperatures and other characteristics that make them similar to vegetatively propagated onions. At the same time, these onions have properties similar to local multi-primed onions, when up to 6 strong bulbs with increased primordia are formed in the nest.

From the seeds of vegetatively propagated onions and ordinary hot varieties of onions, a set grows. With further vegetative propagation, branching in these varieties proceeds differently.

Comparing the branching of multi-bud varieties and local vegetatively propagated onions, we can say that in the latter it is much more pronounced. Usually, already in the 2-3rd year after seed reproduction, the number of bulbs in the nest reaches 6-14, and this is not the limit: over the years, the number of bulbs in the nest can increase. In multi-bud varieties, after 2-3 years the number of bulbs in the nest, usual for this variety, is established.

Vegetative buds formed in the leaf axils depending on the position

on the stem they have different ages: the lower buds are older, the upper ones are younger.

Under favorable storage conditions (0-10° C), all the buds on the stem undergo vernalization, as a result of which all branches of the plant shoot out an arrow. Under insufficiently favorable conditions, only the lower buds undergo vernalization completely, and the upper ones partially, then branches without a arrow appear. Under unfavorable conditions for the vernalization process, i.e. at very high (over 18°C) or very low (about 0°C) storage temperature, bolting is not observed, or it is sporadic.

Local vegetatively propagated onions, under the influence of long-term storage under conditions that delay the passage of the vernalization stage, partially lose the ability to form generative organs. So, if for ordinary varieties of onions grown through seeding, the best temperature for vernalization is 6-10 ° C with a duration of exposure of 80-100 days, then for vegetatively propagated forms - 10-12 ° C and 100-150, respectively days.

Pre-winter planting and storage at low temperatures contribute to the completion of the vernalization stage; as a result, after 2-3 years, bolting is completely restored in vegetatively propagated forms and all the buds located on the bottom are capable of producing bolts. Storing vegetatively propagated onions at 12-15° C promotes partial vernalization - branches (bulbs) with and without arrows are formed on the plant.

Differentiation of buds on the bottom of the bulbs begins soon after the onions are stored for storage and, as Emsweller and Jones pointed out, is completed by spring, regardless of whether the onions are planted in the field or are in storage. The number of buds formed depends on temperature, air humidity, duration of storage under certain conditions, bulb size and other reasons.

The shape of the bulb is determined by the number of rudiments: elongated ones have a small number of them, flat ones have the largest number. The density of the bulb is also directly dependent on the number of primordia: the more branches are laid in the bulb, the thinner its succulent scales become and the more tightly they adhere to each other.

On a shortened stem of an onion bulb, daughter buds can be formed into different places. The closer to the base of the stem the buds are laid, the greater the number of them that are formed and the more they expand the bulb, increasing the pressure on the juicy scales. As a result, the bulbs become compacted, acquiring a flat shape.

The temperature regime for storing onion and garlic bulbs ultimately determines the pace and nature of the plant’s development, and, consequently, its precocity. This aftereffect of temperature is not uncommon and is observed in many plant species (clover, rye, rapeseed, winter wheat, etc.).

This phenomenon has been studied to a lesser extent in vegetable crops, but similar conclusions were obtained. Thus, Vent found that tomatoes grown at a changing daily temperature with a significant decrease at night grow better compared to tomatoes grown at a uniformly high temperature.

Bryzgalova showed that storing gladioli corms at a temperature of 25 ° C stimulated rapid growth, while storage at low temperatures noticeably weakened its rate.

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Growing methods. Onions (turnips) are grown different ways: in one year - by sowing seeds or planting seedlings in the ground; in a two-year culture - by planting sets or small selected bulbs (vegetative propagation). Onions from seeds are grown mainly in the south. In the central zone of the Russian Federation, the biennial onion crop predominates - growing turnips from sets. Vegetative propagation of onions is widely used in the northern regions of its cultivation, and multi-nest shallots - in the southern regions.

Annual onion crop. Producing turnips from seeds in one year is done in two ways: by sowing the seeds directly into the ground or by first growing seedlings and then planting them in the ground. For annual onion crops, low rudimentary plants are used. spicy varieties, semi-sharp varieties, mildly spicy and sweet, which produce a large onion in the first year.

Before sowing, onion seeds are soaked for 24 hours, changing the water 2-3 times. A significant acceleration in seed germination is achieved by bringing them to the point of pecking. The soaked seeds are dried (by airing in the shade) until they flow and dusted with hexachlorane dust (230 g per 1 kg of seeds) to prevent damage onion fly.

Onions are sowed at the earliest possible time (simultaneously with the sowing of early grain crops).

Onions are sown in wide rows (with row spacing of 45-50 cm) or tape (2-3-4- and 5-line, with a distance between lines in the tape of 20 cm, between tapes - 50-60 cm) methods.

The sowing rate of onion seeds for single- and double-line sowings is 8-12 kg, for 4-5-line sowings - 15-18 kg per 1 ha.

Caring for onions consists of loosening the row spacing (as the soil compacts), weeding (in the rows), thinning, fertilizing and watering. The following herbicides are used to control weeds: Stomp, Estamp, Goal 2E.

Good results in caring for crops are achieved by using rotary hoes with segments welded on them (Bulgarian type), which allows you to cultivate row spacing without a protective zone.

Crops are thinned out in the middle zone by 5-8 cm, in the south - by 8-10 cm. The plucked plants are sold in the form of green onions (for feathers).

Onions are fed (at least twice) with local and mineral fertilizers. Local fertilizers are diluted with water: slurry - in a ratio of 1:5-6, bird droppings - 1: 12-15. Mineral fertilizers are applied (per 1 ha): ammonium nitrate - 0.5 c, superphosphate - 1 and potassium chloride - 0.3-0.5 c. The best results are obtained by alternating organic fertilizers with mineral ones.

Watering of onions is carried out during the period of growth of the leaf apparatus and at the beginning of the formation of bulbs: in the middle zone - 3-4 times, in the south - 6-9 times. Towards the end of the growing season, when the bulbs begin to ripen (about a month before harvesting), watering is stopped.
When downy mildew appears, spray the onions with 1% Bordeaux mixture. Plants are pollinated against onion flies with insecticides in accordance with industry regulations.

In the central zone of the Russian Federation, to create Better conditions To ripen the bulbs, the shelves unplant them during the process. Onion harvesting begins after mass lodging of the feathers. In this case, plants with thick necks that are late in ripening are first selected and sold together with green leaf. In the south, when grown from seeds, onions ripen almost completely. In the middle zone and especially in the northern regions, a significant number of unripe bulbs are obtained. In addition, onions grown in an annual crop and having very juicy internal scales and a smaller amount of dry covering scales are stored much worse than those grown from sets.

When growing turnip onions in an annual crop, the onions ripen better and will give a higher and earlier harvest when planted as seedlings. In the non-chernozem zone, seedlings are grown in greenhouses for 50-60 days. Seeds are sown in mid-March with a greenhouse seeder, 40 g per frame with row spacing of 4-6 cm. The temperature in the greenhouse is maintained within 15-18° during the day and 6-10° at night. Ready seedlings should have 3-4 true leaves and a height of 15-18 cm. The yield of seedlings from 1 frame is 4-5 thousand pieces (300-500 thousand are required per 1 hectare). Before planting, the roots are cut off (leaving a length of 3-4 cm), dipped in a solution of mullein with clay and a disinfectant. In the south, seedlings are grown in nurseries (250-400 m2 of nursery is required per 1 hectare).

In the non-chernozem zone, seedlings are planted in the ground at the beginning of May using double-row strips (20 + 50 cm) or in a wide row with a distance between rows of 45 cm and in a row between plants 5-6 cm. During the maintenance period, the row spacing is loosened, the plants are fed at least twice, watered, sprayed with insecticide against onion flies in accordance with industry regulations.
Two-year onion crop for turnips. In a two-year crop, in the first year small onion sets are obtained from seeds with thickened sowing. By planting it next year, they get commercial onions - turnips.

Before sowing, onion seeds are soaked and treated with a disinfectant against onion flies. Onions are sown in fertile, weed-free areas at the earliest possible time (simultaneously with sowing early grains and carrots).
In the northern regions, onions are grown on ridges. They use 3-line sowing with a GSD-1.4 unit with a distance between lines in the tape of 5-6 cm (by bringing the coulters closer together). In the central regions and in the south, they sow (on a flat surface) with 8-10-line ribbons with row spacing of 7.5-15 cm. The seed sowing rate is 70-90 kg per 1 ha.

Agricultural technology consists of loosening the rows, controlling weeds, feeding the plants with fertilizers and watering them.

The seedlings are harvested with an LNSh-1.2 onion lifter when some of the plants have their leaves (on the 80-90th day from sowing). The dug up seedlings are selected by hand and placed in windrows to dry in the field for 10 - 15 days. Drying of the sets is completed under shelters, after which the tops are cut off or removed by grinding. In the south, well-dried sets are stored with tops. The average yield of onion sets is 90-100 centners per hectare. Bulb sets are divided (according to GOST) into groups:

To sort onion sets and turnip onions according to transverse diameter sizes and to separate impurities, a CJIC-1A or SLS-7 sorting is used.

Before storing the seedlings, they are heated for 8 hours at a temperature of 40°. Medium and large sets are stored at a temperature of 18-20° (warm) to prevent the development of generative buds that produce shoots. It is more economical to store the sets in a combined (warm-cold) way, in which the sets are kept at a temperature of 18-20° until the onset of stable cold weather, with the onset of frost and until spring warming at -1, -3°. Approximately 3-4 weeks before planting, the warm storage method is used again.

Small sets are stored in a cold way, since during warm storage they lose more than 30-35 ° in weight. It has been established that turnip onions grown from sets stored in a warm-cold manner ripen 2-3 weeks earlier than from warmly stored sets.

When growing turnip onions from sets, the best planting material is sets with a diameter of 1-2 cm. Experiments at the Bessonovsky strong point (Penza region) have established that the highest yield of commercial onions is obtained from sets measuring 1.75-2.25 cm in diameter. Large sets give a higher yield due to an increase in the number of bulbs in the nest. However, when planting with large sets, the amount of planting material increases by 1.5-2 times. In addition, the bow shoots much stronger.

Planting material, pre-moistened with water, is treated with a disinfectant in accordance with industry regulations against onion flies.

The best results are obtained by early planting dates (for the non-chernozem zone - late April - early May, for the south - a month earlier). Sets are planted in wide rows (with row spacing of 45 cm) and in 2-line (20 + 50 cm), 3-line (30 + 30 +50 cm or 39 + 39 + 56 cm) or 4-5-line methods. In rows, the distance between the bulbs for small sets is 4-6 cm, for larger ones - 8-10 cm. Depending on the size of the sets and the planting scheme, from 350 to 600 thousand bulbs (4-15 kg) are planted per 1 hectare. Planting is carried out manually or with onion seeders SLN-8, SLS-8.

The row spacing is loosened 3-4 times, weeds and onion flies are controlled, and watering and fertilizing are carried out in the first half of summer. The resulting arrows are broken off (when a swelling appears under the neck of the bow). Onions are harvested (using an ULSH-2M machine) at the beginning of lodging of the leaves and the formation of dry scales on the bulbs, dried, cut off the leaves and sorted. Harvested onions from the field are delivered by tractor carts or vehicles to production lines, where they are processed and sorted without the use of manual labor. The onion enters the receiving hopper, from which it is fed by a conveyor to the screen, where various impurities and lumps of soil are separated from it. From the screen, the onion enters the drum deformer, where the dried feathers are separated from it, and then into the roller deformer, which separates the raw feathers. After thawing in the SLS-7 sorting, the onions are divided into fractions, and then the sorted onions are sent to the sorting table, where damaged or diseased onions are separated.

The quality of onions must meet the following requirements: the bulbs are ripe, healthy, whole, dry, uncontaminated, with the shape and color characteristic of the variety, with well-dried upper scales (jacket), with a well-dried thin neck, from 2 to 5 cm in length. the largest transverse diameter for varieties with an oval bulb is at least 3 cm, with other bulb shapes - 4 cm.

Growing green onions. Onions for greens (for feathers) are the main forcing crop in greenhouses (in autumn-winter, when the light is insufficient) and in early greenhouses. In this case, the leaf (feather) develops mainly due to reserves nutrients, deposited in the juicy scales of the bulb. The best results are produced by multi-bud onions that develop many leaves. Used as planting material large onion- selections from sets or small commercial onions (3-4 cm in diameter and weighing 20-30 g).

To speed up germination, cut the neck of the bulb (at the shoulders) to 1/6 of the height of the bulb or soak uncut bulbs for 12-14 hours in water at a temperature of 35°.

Onions are planted in a “bridge” way (i.e., almost closely onion to onion) and covered with humus soil in a layer of up to 2 cm. The planting rate is 10-12 kg or more per 1 m2.

During onion growth, the temperature is maintained within 20-25° and 1-2 feedings are given with ammonium nitrate (60-80 g per 10 liters of water). Onions are harvested 20-30 days after planting. The yield of green onions (together with the bulb) is 15-18 and up to 20 kg per 1 m2 (in lighter times).

The quality requirements for fresh green onions are as follows: a bulb with roots and a bunch of fresh, clean leaves of green color, without wilting, yellowing, soil contamination and the presence of arrows, not damaged by agricultural pests and diseases; the length of the main mass of leaves (from the neck of the bulb) is 20 cm and above.
In early greenhouses, onions are grown as the first crop or as a compactor for cucumbers. Old greenhouse soil is used as soil (for independent cultivation), spreading it in a layer of 14-15 cm. A sample of 14-16 kg of onions is planted per frame. Readiness for harvesting occurs with early planting after 30-40 days, with later planting - after 25 days. Harvest 20-25 kg from 1 frame or more.

Suburban farms plant selected onions in greenhouses before winter (before the onset of stable frosts), covering them with a layer of humus (10 cm). The harvest of green onions with this method reaches 40-50 kg per frame and above, and harvesting begins in early May.
IN open ground Onions are grown for harvest (usually in greenhouse plots), planting them in early spring or before winter (covered with humus). Planted in ribbons one meter wide with a distance between ribbons of 50 cm, between rows in a ribbon - 20 cm and plants in a row - 4-6 cm. The standard for planting onions is 50-70 centners per 1 hectare. Onions are fed 1-2 times.

The earliest and highest yield of green onions is obtained by planting in winter and covering them with plastic film in early spring. Onions of 3-4 cm in size are planted in the second half of October at a distance of 2-3 cm from each other, covered with humus soil. For the winter (after the soil freezes), the plantings are covered with straw manure (15-20 cm layer). In the spring (late March - early April), snow and manure are removed from the area and film covers are installed. In May, the onions are ready for sale. Its yield is 350-450 centners per 1 ha.

Onions are also grown in film greenhouses. At the same time, in order to free up space for the next crop (cucumbers) earlier, onions are planted in the fall. Winter-planted onions give an increase of up to 200%.

Until now, even experienced gardeners look with amazement and a fair amount of doubt at multi-tiered onions. Unusual view vegetable crop raises concerns that such an “exotic” plant can be successfully grown in a local area. In fact, multi-tiered onions are easy to care for, frost-resistant, and harmful insects prefer to avoid them. The decorative component is no less important - rarely does a passerby remain indifferent when they see beds with an amazing plant.

Characteristics

Gardeners value multi-tiered onions for their ease of cultivation, ease of care, juicy crispy bulbs and, undoubtedly, unusual appearance.

• Plants located on the first tier form small airy fruits with green feathers. They become the basis of the second tier and begin to release arrows again. Gradually an amazing multi-layered vertical bed of onions is formed.
• The bulb located underground is loose and small. During the growing process, it breaks up into several parts, but they taste qualities leave much to be desired. But medium-sized onions, located above the surface of the bed, are distinguished by excellent strength, juiciness, sharpness and crunch.
• Multi-tiered onions have no dormant period at all, so they bear fruit throughout the entire growing season.
• After a couple of years, the root system of a vegetable crop reaches a diameter of 1.5 m, which is not surprising - it needs to provide nutrients to a huge multi-tiered plant.
• Young green arrows do not harden for a long time compared to ordinary onion varieties.

Multi-tiered onions are grown without problems by gardeners even in northern latitudes, and residents of the southern regions provide themselves with fresh herbs and juicy, elastic onions for several months in a row.

How to prepare for landing

Multi-tiered onions are easy to care for, but they have certain requirements for the soil. The soil for growing it must be neutral and fertile, so organic fertilizers are added to it before planting. If you choose an open, sunny area for planting, you can reap a rich harvest within 4-5 years. In order for the first green feathers to appear in early spring, the plant should be planted at higher elevations.

Despite its frost resistance, multi-tiered onions can suffer from sudden temperature changes. Experienced gardeners cover their beds with dense, breathable material during spring frosts.

The plant throws out its first green arrows a year after planting, and a month later it begins to grow aerial bulbs to form a second tier. The vegetable crop grows very quickly, and when grown in the southern region, with proper care, the harvest from one bed is quite enough for winter supplies.

Reproduction and planting

Gardeners rarely propagate bulbous plants seeds. This method is practiced only to replenish your collection with new varieties.

How to propagate multi-tiered onions:

• bulbs from the 2nd or 3rd tier;
• dividing an overgrown bush.

It is very important to harvest the bulbs before they begin to shoot green arrows. Bulbs collected at the end of summer are suitable for planting. They have time to grow their root system in the fall and prepare for a long, harsh winter. After collecting the seed, it must be thoroughly dried and then placed in the refrigerator in a paper bag.

When planting, you should follow a simple algorithm of actions.

1. Dig up the bed and add any organic fertilizer.
2. Plant the bulbs to a depth of 3.5-4 cm, at a distance of 10-15 cm from each other.
3. When planting in a greenhouse, the distance between the bulbs should not exceed 3 cm.

With the onset of spring, you can propagate multi-tiered onions by dividing the bush. Best time for carrying out this type of garden work - the period after heavy rain. In order for the bulbs to begin to grow the root system, you need to leave only the central feathers and cut off the side feathers.

If a vegetable crop is planted in moist soil, it is better to make a high bed to prevent onion rotting. Nutrients must be added to the soil: per 1 sq. m a couple of buckets of organic matter, 1 tbsp. spoon of potassium salts, 2 tbsp. spoons of superphosphate. Caring for multi-tiered onions will be easier if, before growing in heavy weather, clay soil add river sand.

Proper plant care

Multi-tiered onions will bear fruit regularly even for a careless gardener, and with good care the harvest will be absolutely excellent. The soil under the plant should not be too wet, otherwise the tender bulbs will rot. You need to water the bed with onions as the top layer of soil dries out. The more water is added to the root, the larger the bulbs become when grown, but at the same time they lose their unique bitterness and crunch.

What care does an “exotic” plant need?

• The soil under the onions needs to be loosened weekly - the flow of fresh air is very important for the root system.
• As soon as the first bulbs appear on the green feathers, it is necessary to attach the arrows to wooden pegs to avoid unwanted damage.
• During the summer you need to feed with any mineral fertilizer diluted in accordance with the instructions.
• If the vegetable crop grows rapidly in height, it must be thinned out or divided into several parts.

The plant reacts negatively to weeds, so you need to pull them out regularly. In this case, mulching with mowed grass will help make maintenance easier. Peat, sawdust or spruce needles will excessively acidify the soil, and this will slow down the growth of onions. For successful wintering during autumn planting The soil must be well loosened to destroy the larvae of onion flies.

Control of garden pests

The main diseases of bulbous crops that a gardener may encounter when growing are: different kinds fungal mold. Suddenly, the previously emerald feathers begin to turn yellow and fade. This means that the plant is suffering from peronosporosis and does not have enough nutrients for growth. If urgent measures are not taken, then in a few days the fungi will infect all the specimens in the garden. To combat pathogenic fungi, it is necessary to spray three times with a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture.

And weevils can be eliminated with proper care. In this case, growing multi-tiered onions will become a pleasure. You just need to remove accumulated debris and remove dried feathers and leaves. It is in them that harmful insects like to settle.

Many gardeners sow bulbs collected in the fall on their windowsills. With this method of germination, multi-tiered onions will quickly knock out the first green arrows. By gradually planting the bulbs, you can provide your family with fresh herbs all winter. But you shouldn’t wait for the second tier to form - this only happens in open ground.

I have several types of perennial onions growing on my site, and of all of them, my family prefers the slime onion. It has flat green leaves with blunt, rounded ends, similar to daffodil leaves. They are tender, juicy, with a weak garlic taste, retain high taste throughout the summer, while other onions become coarser by the time they bloom.

Slime onion, or otherwise drooping onion, got its name because when the leaves are cut, drops of liquid are released that resemble tears. In addition, it has a drooping spherical inflorescence, covered with a thin sheath, like garlic, and at the beginning of flowering the arrow straightens. Its flowers are pink or pink-violet.

The slime onion has a very strongly developed rhizome, which serves as a storage organ. Several bulbs are attached to it.

Slime onion is a perennial plant, relatively unpretentious, tolerating frosts down to -35 degrees, as well as short-term drought.

We propagate vegetatively and by seeds

Slime onions are easily propagated by dividing the bush and seeds. In the first year, two shoots with 4-5 leaves are formed on the plant, subsequently their number constantly increases. By the 4th-5th year there are already up to 28-30 shoots on the bush. After 5-6 years, the plants age, and their shoot-forming ability decreases. Plants need to be divided, transplanted, or new ones grown from seeds.

The seeds of this onion are sown in the spring in a bed with fertile soil. Shoots appear 20-30 days after sowing. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent the top layer of soil where the seeds are located from drying out. When the onion plants have 2-3 leaves, they are planted. In the second year, the distance between plants in a row should be at least 15-20 cm, as they grow greatly.

It is better to divide the onion bushes in August-early September so that the plants become stronger by winter. Therefore, the further north the garden is located, the sooner you need to start this work. Although I share it with my neighbors throughout the summer. When planting, cut off the roots and leaves of the cuttings. They take root well provided timely watering and shading with non-woven material. The distance between rows when planting is 50 cm, between plants in a row - 20-30 cm.

Four cuts over the summer

Cutting off leaves from plants grown from seeds begins in the third year. Usually the leaves are cut off when they reach a length of 25-27 cm, but we also cut smaller ones in the spring. Cutting leaves increases the branching of plants and accelerates the aging process of plants. After 2-3 cuttings of leaves per season, flower arrows no longer form on it. After the first cutting, the fiber content of the growing leaves decreases and the water content of the tissues increases - the leaves become more tender.

Depending on weather conditions, region of cultivation and care, up to four cuttings are made during the summer.

They love feeding

Proper care ensures successful overwintering and smooth feather growth. Small plants are afraid of weeds, which can choke them. IN further care consists of watering, loosening the soil and weeding. In the spring, the onion bed is tidied up and the soil is loosened. During the period of leaf regrowth, complete mineral fertilizer is applied or fertilized with infusion of manure (1:10) or chicken droppings (1:20), which allows you to start cutting leaves almost a week earlier.

At the end of summer they are fed with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers.

Obtaining seeds

Different types of onions do not cross-pollinate during flowering. Therefore, high-quality seeds can be obtained even if another type of onion is blooming nearby. In contrast to growing onions, the seed plants are given a second feeding with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers before flowering. Choose healthy, well-developed plants from which the leaves are not cut off even once during the season. The flowers in the inflorescence do not bloom at the same time, so the seeds do not ripen together.

It is important not to miss the cleaning deadline. The inflorescences are cut off when the baskets turn brown and the individual ones begin to open, and they are scattered for ripening on a bed of burlap and paper. The seeds spilled from the ripened bolls onto the litter are cleaned of impurities and dried. For personal consumption, 3-4 inflorescences are enough.