Experienced gardeners never plant onions without doing this procedure: the harvest will be much more abundant

“The most important rule for planting onions: do not rush, but do not be late either. If you plant too early, in cold soil, they will start to release inflorescences. If you plant too late, in hot weather, the root system will not have time to develop properly, and the onions will grow small.

 

The soil temperature at a depth of 5-7 cm should be plus 5-10 degrees C. Under such conditions, onion roots will grow actively, and the risk of peduncle formation is minimal.

 

How to check the soil? Take a handful of soil from about the depth of your palm and squeeze it tightly in your fist. If the soil crumbles, and does not stick together in a lump, you can already plant.

Preparation before planting

2-3 weeks before planting, remove the seedlings from the cold storage to warm up. Place them in a warm room with a plus 20–25 degrees. Heating drastically reduces the risk of peduncles. If you plant cold onions in cold soil, flowering is guaranteed.

Start water procedures 8–12 hours before planting. Do not soak the seedlings a week before! A wet onion will start to sprout, and later you will damage it when planting. Do everything on the day of planting or the day before.

Small (up to 1.5 cm): planted for early leaves. They almost never form peduncles.

Medium-sized (1.5–2.5 cm) bulbs are ideal for spring planting when growing edible onions.

Large (more than 2.5 cm) release peduncles more often, so it is better to use them only for growing leaves.

Before soaking, carefully cut off the dry top of the onion, trying not to damage living tissue and sprout buds. This will make it easier for the sprout to break through.

Where soak

Warm water: pour the seedlings with water at a temperature of 30–40 degrees and leave for 8–12 hours. The water can be changed a couple of times. The onion wakes up, swells, and the root buds become active. The seedlings will appear faster and more evenly. Disadvantage: no protection against diseases and pests.

Saline solution. Add 1 tablespoon of salt to 1 liter of water. Soak for 2–3 hours. Salt destroys fungal spores and bacteria on the surface. After the procedure, be sure to rinse the onions with clean water.

Potassium permanganate. Add 1 g of the preparation to 1 liter of water. Soak for 20–30 minutes. This is a strong antiseptic. It is important not to overdose so as not to burn the onion. After the procedure, rinse with clean water.

Copper sulfate, 1 teaspoon of the preparation per 10 liters of water. Soak for 15–20 minutes. This is a powerful protection against fungal diseases. Also rinse after soaking.

Wood ash. 250 g of ash in 5 l of water, soak for 10 minutes. This is a natural growth stimulant.

Please note that the popular "Fitosporin" may be ineffective in May. The live bacteria in it do not work in cold soil, so by the time they "wake up", pathogens can already attack the onion. Stimulants do not cure diseases, but help the plant to settle down and grow faster.”